Children at school in New Zealand: free as a domestic student, and that depends on your visa

Yes, your children can attend a free state school in New Zealand, but only if they count as a domestic student. That depends not on your child but on your visa. With a resident visa it is settled. If you come on a work visa, your child needs a Dependent Child Student Visa, which costs NZD 750 and takes around 9.5 weeks to process. The finding at the source: with an Accredited Employer Work Visa you can only support that visa for your child if you earn enough, and with a working holiday visa not at all. Without that visa you enrol your child as an international student, and then you pay tuition fees.

When does my child go to school?

Compulsory schooling runs from 6 to 16, but most children start on their fifth birthday. You may enrol your child before that birthday. Some schools let new pupils start in groups at the beginning of each term. If your child has already had schooling in the Netherlands, you can enrol them at any time of the year.

The school year starts in January and has four terms, with two-week breaks in between and a six-week summer holiday at the end of the year. There are 13 Years: primary, intermediate and secondary school from Year 9. For children aged 3 and 4, the government pays for the first 20 hours a week of early childhood education. Children under 14 must not be left alone without reasonable supervision; a fee may apply for before and after school care.

When is my child a domestic student?

Your situation	Your child's status	Tuition at a state school
New Zealand citizen or on a resident visa	domestic student	none, from 5 to 19
Work visa, child with a Dependent Child Student Visa	may be treated as a domestic student	then none
Working holiday visa or Skilled Migrant Job Search Visa	no Dependent Child Student Visa possible	yes, as an international student
Accredited Employer Work Visa	depends on your occupation and income, see below	none, if the child visa is granted

At a state school a domestic student pays no tuition, but you often pay for the uniform, stationery, exams and trips, and schools may ask for a voluntary donation. Schools with a special character (state-integrated) usually charge compulsory fees for their buildings; private schools charge tuition.

What must I earn on an Accredited Employer Work Visa?

Whether you can support a Dependent Child Student Visa depends on your hourly pay, the level of your occupation and the Green List:

• If you earn at least NZD 52.50 an hour, you can, whatever your occupation.
• If your occupation is at ANZSCO skill level 1, 2 or 3, you must earn at least NZD 58,240 a year.
• If your occupation is on the Green List and you meet its requirements, you can as well.

If you and your partner both hold such a visa, you may combine your incomes for the threshold that applies to children. Which occupations are on the Green List is explained in the Green List: the difference between immediate residence and two years of waiting.

Apply for the child visa at the same time as your own. It is allowed, and with a processing time of 9.5 weeks you do not want to start only after arrival. Children under 5 who do not yet go to school may get a visitor visa instead of a student visa if you apply early. And if you are on a working holiday visa, expect to pay tuition as an international student: there is no Dependent Child Student Visa for your children.

How do school zones work?

Many schools have a zone. If you live inside it, your child is guaranteed a place; the school must accept your enrolment. The same applies to a school without a zone. Outside the zone you can apply, but a place is not certain. If a school refuses your child while you live in the zone, ask for the refusal in writing and contact the regional office of the Ministry of Education.

Your home address and your school choice are therefore one decision. That is why it pays to rent first in the zone of the school you want: read renting in New Zealand. At enrolment the school usually asks for a birth certificate or passport, medical information and your contact details, and evidence of your child's visa.

The order of the arrival phase is at /nieuw-zeeland.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.6: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to New Zealand or go straight to step 5.6 in the open plan.