If you are an international student who has been granted New Zealand residency or citizenship while enrolled, you may be eligible to pay domestic fees for the current and subsequent years, depending on the date of your change in status.
You will need to present an original passport, along with a notification of your electronic visa (eVisa) confirmation, to confirm the change of residential status.
To be considered for a refund of fees to the equivalent domestic fee level, the date of award of the residence visa (as printed on the eVisa approval letter) must be prior to:
- 14 January 2026 for Summer School papers
- 15 March 2026 for Semester 1 papers
- 22 March 2026 for full-year papers
- 2 August 2026 for Semester 2 papers
- 16 November 2026 for Pre-Christmas Summer School papers
- 20 March 2026 for Foundation Studies Intake – February
- 17 July 2026 for Foundation Studies Intake – June
- 17 November 2026 for Foundation Studies Intake – October
If your status changes after these dates, you will continue to pay the international tuition rate for the duration of the paper/s you are currently enrolled in.
New and current international students with pending New Zealand residency are advised to seek advice from the University of Otago about their situation.
Further information