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From 8 December 2025, you must provide a valid police certificate with Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) and visitor visa applications. We will stop accepting receipts that show you have applied for a certificate.
We are making this change to speed up visa decisions and reduce delays caused by missing documents. If you apply with complete documents, you will get a quicker decision. If you do not, your application could be declined or approved for a shorter visa.
Previously, we held applications open and followed up on missing police certificates. From December, we will no longer do this. We will assess your application based on what you provide and will not delay processing. This means people who submit complete applications will benefit from faster decisions.
Applicants who provide all required information upfront can expect to receive more timely visa outcomes, as this change allows our processing staff to focus deciding applications rather than chasing documents.
Only apply when you have your police certificate ready to upload. Processing times for police certificates vary by country, so check with your local authority and plan ahead.
Exceptions
Fiji, Hong Kong and Israel send certificates directly to us. In these cases, you can upload proof you have applied.
Applying without a certificate
If you have spent less than 24 months in New Zealand
You will have 5 working days to provide a police certificate if:
- you have been in New Zealand for less than 24 months, or
- you are applying from outside of New Zealand and you were in New Zealand for less than 24 months.
If you cannot, your visa may be approved for a shorter period (up to 24 months total).
If you have spent more than 24 months in New Zealand
If you are in New Zealand and you have been here for more than 24 months, you will receive a Potentially Prejudicial Information (PPI) letter and have a chance to respond.
If you are outside of New Zealand and you have already spent more than 24 months in New Zealand, your application may be declined.
