Most Indian applicants, whether studying, working on an AEWV, joining a partner or applying for residence, gather the same set of documents from India: a Police Clearance Certificate, birth and marriage records, education documents, and proof of work. Each has its own Indian quirks, and the same three problems come up again and again: names that differ between documents, records registered years late, and experience letters that don't say enough.
This page lists what INZ asks for, what it's called in India, who issues it, and what to watch for. Each document has its own step-by-step page.
The documents at a glance
| What INZ asks for | In India | Issued by | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police certificate | Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) | In NZ: High Commission of India, Wellington, or Consulate General, Auckland. In India: Passport Seva | Police verification at the Indian address in your passport takes weeks |
| Birth certificate | Birth certificate under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act | Registrar where the birth happened | Late registration; name added years later |
| Marriage certificate | Marriage registration certificate | State marriage registrar | Marriages never registered |
| Name changes | Affidavit and Gazette notification | Notary; Gazette of India or state gazette | Spellings that differ across school, university and passport |
| Qualifications | Degree certificate, mark sheets, provisional certificate | University or board | NZQA may need to assess them |
| Work experience | Experience letter on letterhead, payslips, Form 16, PF statements | Employer, Income Tax Department, EPFO | One-line letters with no duties |
| Time in the Gulf or elsewhere | That country's police certificate | That country's police | Some are hard to get after you leave |
Police Clearance Certificate
INZ needs an Indian PCC from Indian citizens for every resident visa application, and for temporary visas when your total time in New Zealand will reach 24 months.
If you're in New Zealand, you apply to the High Commission of India in Wellington, or to the Consulate General of India in Auckland if you live in Northland, Auckland or Waikato. You fill in the form online on the Passport Seva mission portal, then send the signed printout and documents by courier or hand them in. Every application triggers a fresh police verification at the Indian address printed in your passport, and the High Commission says to allow 5 to 6 weeks. The fee in Wellington is NZ$72.
If you're in India, you apply through Passport Seva and attend a Passport Seva Kendra or Regional Passport Office.
INZ needs the certificate to be less than 6 months old when you submit, so time it with your other documents. Step by step: Indian PCC for a New Zealand visa.
Where an adviser helps: if your address or name has changed since your passport was issued, the High Commission asks you to renew the passport first, which can add months. A licensed adviser can plan the order of your passport, PCC, medicals and other certificates so nothing expires before you apply.
Names: single names and initials
Many Indians, particularly from South India, have a single name, or a name built around initials that are expanded differently from one document to the next. Passports sometimes have a blank surname. INZ forms ask for a family name and given names.
- Enter your name on every INZ application exactly as in your passport.
- List every other version of your name that appears on your documents, including expanded initials.
- Explain differences with documents: an affidavit, a Gazette notification, school records.
Different spellings aren't a problem in themselves. Unexplained ones are, because INZ has to be sure every document belongs to you.
Birth certificates and late registration
Births are registered where they happened, by the state registrar under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1969. Many people born before online registration have a certificate issued years later, or one where the name was added afterwards. A certificate registered as an adult, shortly before a visa application, invites closer checks on your identity and date of birth, so make sure it agrees with your passport and school records, and explain any differences. More on this: Indian birth and marriage records for INZ.
Marriage certificates
Many marriages were celebrated in a religious ceremony and never registered. For a partnership visa, a marriage registration certificate is the clearest evidence you're married, and you can usually still register an older marriage with the state registrar. But for INZ, marriage isn't the main test: partnership visas turn on living together in a genuine and stable relationship. Joint tenancy, bank accounts and mail at a shared address matter as much as the certificate. See relationship evidence for a NZ partnership visa.
Affidavits and Gazette notifications
In India the usual way to correct a name or date is an affidavit on stamp paper, often followed by a notice in the Gazette. INZ accepts these as evidence of the correction. They are Indian documents, not New Zealand statutory declarations; if INZ asks for a statutory declaration, it has to be made under New Zealand law in front of an authorised person.
Degrees and NZQA
For skilled work and residence, INZ may need your Indian qualification assessed by NZQA (an International Qualification Assessment), unless it's on NZQA's list of qualifications exempt from assessment. Keep your degree certificate, every year's mark sheets and transcripts. A provisional certificate alone may not be enough. Detail: Indian degrees for NZQA and INZ.
Experience letters and proof of work
For the AEWV, the Skilled Migrant Category and Green List roles, INZ checks your work history. A useful reference is on company letterhead, with your job title, dates, hours, pay and the duties you actually did, signed by someone INZ can contact. Many Indian employers issue a one-line relieving letter; ask for a detailed one, and back it with payslips, bank statements, Form 16, ITR acknowledgements and PF (EPFO) statements. Detail: Indian work evidence for a NZ visa.
Worked in the Gulf?
Many Indian applicants worked in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait or Oman before coming to New Zealand. For residence, INZ needs a police certificate from every country where you spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years. Saudi Arabia doesn't issue them to former residents who have left: INZ asks instead for a statutory declaration, your final exit document and an employer letter. See police certificates for a NZ visa.
Job offers, agents and scams
It is illegal in New Zealand for an employer, or anyone acting for them, to charge you a premium for a job. If someone in India asks for money for a New Zealand job offer or "sponsorship", walk away and report it. Only licensed immigration advisers (and lawyers and a few other exempt people) can give New Zealand immigration advice, including from India: check the licence on the Immigration Advisers Authority register before you pay anyone. See choosing an immigration adviser.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an Indian PCC in New Zealand?
Apply online on the Passport Seva mission portal, then send the signed form and documents to the High Commission of India in Wellington, or the Consulate General in Auckland if you live in Northland, Auckland or Waikato. Allow 5 to 6 weeks for police verification in India.
I have only one name. How do I fill in INZ forms?
Enter it exactly as in your passport, and list every other version of your name that appears on your documents. Attach documents that show they're the same person.
My birth certificate was issued years after I was born. Is that a problem?
Not on its own. Make sure it agrees with your passport and school records, and explain any difference.
Our marriage was never registered. Can we apply for a partnership visa?
Yes, partnership visas are about living together in a genuine and stable relationship, not only marriage. Registering the marriage still helps, and you'll need strong evidence of living together.
Does my Indian degree need an NZQA assessment?
For many skilled and residence visas, yes, unless your qualification is on NZQA's exempt list. Check the requirements of the visa you're applying for.
Get help with your Indian documents
Most Indian documents can be gathered without help. Bring in a licensed immigration adviser when your names or dates don't match across documents, your work evidence is thin, your PCC is delayed or not clear, or you need certificates from several countries. If INZ has raised concerns about the authenticity of a document, or your application has been declined, talk to an immigration lawyer or adviser straight away. Advisers who speak Hindi and Punjabi are in our network.
Tell us your situation and we'll introduce you to a licensed adviser or immigration lawyer. It's free to ask.
Sources: Immigration New Zealand, "How to get a police certificate" (India) and "Police certificates"; High Commission of India, Wellington, "Police Clearance Certificate (Indian Passport holders)"; read 28 October 2026.