Diplomatic personnel and dependents

Learners in this situation must apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Protocol Division for domestic student status on form MFA 605. The Protocol Division will advise the TEO directly of the learner’s entitlement to domestic student status for the current year. Rule ENR004[1] applies.

If a diplomatic staff member is approaching the end of his or her appointment, any dependent children and other family members wanting to complete their studies in New Zealand must apply to Immigration New Zealand for a student permit at least one month before the diplomatic staff member’s departure, as detailed in Rule ENR005[2].

• [1]

  Rule ENR004: Domestic student status - Diplomatic personnel and their families 

  Diplomatic personnel, their dependent children and other family members are entitled to domestic student status if they are citizens of a country with which New Zealand has a reciprocal agreement on tertiary fees and meet one of the following:

  • In the case of diplomatic staff, are not engaged in full time study
  • In the case of family members, form part of a diplomatic staff member’s household
  • In the case of a diplomatic staff member's dependent children, are less than 21 years of age on 1 January of the year of study. 

   

  Note: Learners in this situation must apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Protocol Division for domestic student status on form MFA 605. The Protocol Division will advise the tertiary education organisation directly of the learner’s entitlement to domestic student status for the current year.

• [2]

  Rule ENR005: Domestic student status - Diplomatic personnel and their families - departure

  The domestic student status of dependent children and other family members of foreign diplomatic personnel expires:

  • at the end of the year that the diplomatic staff member ceases to hold his or her position, and
  • in the case of dependent children, at the end of the year the dependent child turns 21 years of age if this occurs before the year in which the diplomatic staff member ceases to hold his or her position.

   

  Note: If a diplomatic staff member is approaching the end of their appointment, any dependent children and other family members wanting to complete their studies in New Zealand must apply to the New Zealand Immigration Service for a student permit at least one month before the diplomatic staff member’s departure.