Parent Boost Visitor Visa NZ: Requirements and health insurance options

New Zealand's Parent Boost Visitor Visa

The Parent Boost Visitor Visa is a multiple-entry visitor visa for the parents of New Zealand citizens and residents. Immigration New Zealand opened applications for the visa on 29 September 2025.

What it's for

The visa is designed to reunite families for longer stretches of time. It lets you:

• visit your children (and grandchildren) in New Zealand for extended periods
• provide childcare so your children can keep working
• support your family during health challenges or other life events.

It is not a pathway to residence. You'll need to meet different requirements if you eventually want to apply for the Parent Resident Visa or Parent Retirement Resident Visa.

Who it's for

You may qualify if you are:

• the parent of a New Zealand citizen or resident, sponsored by that adult child (or, in limited cases, a grandparent standing in for a deceased parent)
• without dependant children of your own
• able to meet the visa's health, character, financial, and insurance requirements.

Key features

• Length of stay: Up to five years from your first arrival in New Zealand
• Multiple entry: You can leave and re-enter New Zealand as often as you like during the five years
• Renewal: You may apply for a second five-year Parent Boost Visa, for a total stay of up to ten years, provided you go offshore for at least three months to prove continued connection to your home country
• Conditions: You must maintain acceptable health insurance throughout your stay, and complete a compliance check (new medical certificate plus proof of insurance) between years three and four from outside New Zealand.

Parent Boost Visa requirements

Sponsorship

You must be sponsored by:

• your adult child (18 or over) who is a New Zealand citizen or resident, or
• your adult child jointly with their partner or another adult child (a maximum of two sponsors).

A sponsor can support up to six parents in total (including partners), and must agree to cover your accommodation, daily living, health and financial support, plus any repatriation or deportation costs if needed.

Financial

You must meet one of the following:

• Sponsor's income: Your sponsor earns at least the median wage to sponsor one parent, or 1.5 times the median wage for joint sponsors. The threshold rises for each extra parent sponsored
• Your own income: A regular income matching the single or couple rate of NZ Superannuation (currently $33,663.24 gross per annum for a single parent and $51,182.56 for a couple)
• Your own funds: A lump sum you genuinely own outright (currently roughly $170,000 for a single applicant or $260,000 for a couple), which cannot be borrowed or gifted.

You choose one of these three options. Figures are reviewed periodically, so check the current amounts on the Immigration New Zealand website before you apply.

Character and health

You must meet the same health standard required for New Zealand residence, and be of good character. There are no medical waivers for this visa, so it's worth having your medical assessment done early. You'll need a medical certificate and chest X-ray from an approved panel physician.

Costs and processing time

The visa costs NZD $3,000 for most applicants (or $2,450 under the Pacific fee band), plus a $100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. Immigration New Zealand estimates most applications are processed within around four months, though more complex cases can take longer.

Insurance

You must hold at least 12 months of acceptable health/travel insurance before your visa is granted, and keep it current for your whole stay.

Parent Boost insurance requirements

Minimum cover

Immigration New Zealand only accepts insurance from a company that has experience in health or travel insurance and holds a credit rating of at least A (strong), or the equivalent, from a recognised agency. New Zealand and reputable overseas insurers can both qualify.

Your policy must guarantee to cover, in New Zealand:

Policies can exclude pre-existing conditions relating specifically to emergency medical care and cancer cover.

When to buy your insurance

Don't buy your policy before you apply. You'll first receive an "approval in principle" from Immigration New Zealand once your other requirements are met. From that point, you have three months to provide proof of at least 12 months' acceptable insurance, or your application will be declined.

Other important insurance information

• You must keep your insurance current for the entire length of your stay, including through renewals
• At your year three-to-four compliance check, you'll need to show your insurance has been continuously maintained
• Letting your cover lapse could see your visa cancelled, and may affect your eligibility for a future Parent Boost or Parent Resident Visa.

What does Parent Boost Visa health insurance cover?

The four benefits above are the bare minimum Immigration New Zealand asks for. What a specific plan actually looks like in practice—the exclusions, the extras, how it's priced, whether pre-existing conditions are considered—depends on which policy you choose.

Two policies can both technically meet the visa's minimum requirements while looking very different once you dig into the wording.

Beyond the compulsory minimums, many compliant plans also offer optional extras, such as:

• Broader cover for private hospital treatment
• GP visits
• Specialist consultations for non-emergency issues, or
• Higher annual limits.

These add-ons aren't required for your visa, but they can make a real difference if you need care while you're here.

Parent Boost Visa insurance requirements vs typical plan benefits

*Some plans also include mental health cover of up to $1,000 for each member each policy year. This covers consultations with a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotherapist, or counsellor.

Please note: Terms and conditions, as well as exclusions, apply to all insurance products. It's important to review your policy carefully to understand the specific terms of cover, benefits, and any limitations. This ensures that you have a clear understanding of the protection provided by each product. If you have any questions or would like some help finding the right policy, book a callback with a Policywise adviser; it's fast and free.

Key points

While many plans look similar on the surface, the details are what matter. This is especially true around:

• pre-existing conditions
• cover limits
• exclusions or waiting periods.

Choosing the wrong policy could mean not meeting your visa requirements, or facing unexpected medical costs down the line.

A Policywise adviser can compare multiple insurance options, check whether a plan meets Parent Boost Visa requisites, and help you balance cost against cover.

Talk to Policywise for personalised comparisons to find the right cover for your situation.