Policy changed
From 6 3 2026, amendments to the Foreign Investment Act allow holders of the Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa, as well as holders of Investor 1 and Investor 2 permanent residency visas, to purchase a high-value residential property in New Zealand. The property must be worth over NZ$5 million.
Previously, most investment visa holders were still considered "foreign persons" for real estate purposes, meaning they were banned from buying homes.
Who can buy?
Active Investor Plus requires either NZ$5 million invested over three years in higher-risk investments, or NZ$10 million invested over five years in more passive investment categories.
Important: only residential one property can be purchased. Not multiple properties for real estate investment.
Why this change?
The foreign buyer ban was introduced to address housing affordability, but it created an unintended barrier for wealthy families seeking to relocate and invest in New Zealand under the Golden Visa program.
In other words: New Zealand wants to attract wealthy investors, but banning them from buying homes means they'll go elsewhere. So the government decided to open a narrow door for those with sufficient funds.
Things to be careful about
This is one only residential property, not opening the door to broad real estate investment. The easy narrative that "the housing market door has reopened for foreign buyers" is incorrect. The Active Investor Plus scheme only reopens a very narrow portion of residential property to foreign capital. It does not reopen the entire housing market to foreign buyers.
Additionally, eligible visa holders may apply for permission to purchase or build a residential property valued at NZ$5 million or more, subject to approval under the Foreign Investment Act. That is, approval is required, not automatic.
Other benefits of New Zealand Golden Visa
Once you obtain permanent residency, you never have to reapply — you have it for life — and that's quite unique among global golden visas.
The government has relaxed the foreign buyer ban, eliminated the English language test, and reduced the time you must spend in the country. Under the Growth category, you only need to stay three weeks in three years to obtain permanent residency.