Every year, hundreds of British students go overseas to study.

Some go to do a Bachelors degree, some to pursue postgraduate study. Some do a vocational course, while others enrol on a short course as part of a gap year.

The Country

New Zealand has been a favourite destination for the clued-up travelling community for decades, thanks to its spectacular scenery, welcoming people and rich, diverse culture. Recently its must-go status has been cemented by the success of The Lord Of The Rings, which was shot entirely in New Zealand (and seemingly featured most of the country’s population as extras). The country was voted the Lonely Planet’s top destination in the world in 2003 and 2004.

New Zealand isn’t that big – it’s about the same size as the UK – but it manages to cram an incredible amount of jaw-dropping natural beauty into its two islands. Between Cape Reinga at the far tip of the North Island and Fjordland at the bottom of the South, there are miles of golden beaches, rolling green farmland, forests, bubbling geysers, rainforests, glacial lakes and snow-capped mountain ranges. New Zealand takes the preservation of its natural resources very seriously and its landscapes are pretty much pristine. With a population of around four million (as compared to the UK’s 60-ish million), there’s also lots of nature to go around.

The Education System

New Zealand’s education system is based on the British model. After completing secondary school, kiwi students can opt to go to university, polytechnic, or college depending on what subject they want to study and at what level, same as in the UK. New Zealand’s eight universities lead the way in academic teaching and research, while polytechnics focus on more vocational subject areas and colleges on specialist courses. Academic standards are high – in the recent World University Rankings, published by The Times Higher Education Supplement, three of New Zealand’s eight universities were listed in the top 200 institutions. Qualifications awarded by New Zealand universities are internationally recognised and highly regarded by employers and overseas universities alike.

Between all the institutions on this site, there’s a huge range of subjects offered at lots of different levels, from bachelors degrees in business to short courses in photography or becoming a snowboard instructor; from vocational qualifications to masters degrees. For more information on what you can do, go to the left hand panel.

The Cost

Tuition fees are individually set by the institutions so will vary according to what subject you study and where you study it, but expect to pay between NZ$13,000 and NZ$20,000 (approx £5,000 to £7,650) per year for a bachelors degree, and between NZ$16,000 and NZ$20,000 (approx £6,000 to £6,765) per year for postgraduate study. Standard bachelors degrees in New Zealand take three years to complete, though some specialist subjects (like architecture, law, engineering and medicine) can take longer. Masters degrees take two years – a year of taught papers followed by a year of independent research – though again specialist subjects such as an MBA are often the exception.

The cost of living in New Zealand is roughly comparable to that of the UK – if you’re used to living in a big city like London, Manchester or Leeds you’ll probably think it cheap, if you’re from a smaller town or more rural area you’ll find it about the same. According to Education NZ, it’s recommended that tertiary students budget for up to NZ$20,000 (approx £7,500) in living expenses per year.

Visas

The type of visa you'll need to study in New Zealand will be determined by
how long your course is. If it's three months or less, you'll be able to
enter and study in New Zealand on a Visitor or a Working Holiday visa.
British citizens can travel to New Zealand under a visa free agreement -
you'll simply be granted a Visitor permit when you arrive. The permit
allows you to be in the country for up to nine months, but not to
undertake any form of paid work.

A Working Holiday visa entitles British citizens aged between 18 and 30 to
be in the country for 12 months and to work, though there are restrictions
to what sort of work you can do and how long you can do it for. If you
want to apply for a Working Holiday visa, please contact the New Zealand
Immigration Service at www.immigration.govt.nz.

If your course is longer than three months, you'll need to get a Student
visa. A Student visa entitles you to be in the country for as long as your
course lasts, and usually allows some time for travelling around. If your
course is longer than a year, you'll also be eligible to apply to work part-time - 20 hours a week. In order to apply for a Student visa, you'll need an offer
of study from your chosen institution. So don't worry about it until then.
We'll send you a guide on how to apply, including a list of all the
documents you'll need, with your offer of study. If you have any
questions, just email us on info@studyoptions.com.

Please note that these guidelines only apply to British citizens. If you
are not a British citizen, please contact the New Zealand Immigration
Service at www.immigration.govt.nz for visa and permit advice.

Making an application

If you like the idea of studying overseas, have a good look around our site. When you’re choosing a course, do as much research as possible – go to the institution’s own website, ask us anything you like – it’s vital that you’re as well informed as possible about your choice. Feel free to email us as many times as you like if you want more information about a city or institution – we won’t charge you, no matter how many times you contact us. Once you’ve chosen a course, email us and we will send you an application form and a checklist of all the supporting documents you’ll need to apply. You send your completed application to us in London, and we post it overseas for you. When we hear the result, we’ll contact you by email or phone as soon as possible. To find out more about what we do, go to About Us at the top of the page.

Photographs this page by Peter Morath, Ian Trafford, Chris McLennan, Kieran Scott, Scott Venning, AJ Hackett Bungy. New Zealand photographs home page by Miles Holden and Chris McLennan.