Can an Active Investor Plus visa holder buy a house in New Zealand?

Short answer: Yes, potentially. Since 6 March 2026, holders of Active Investor Plus, Investor 1 and Investor 2 visas can apply for consent to buy one house with an agreed purchase price of more than NZ$5 million (including GST), or land plus a new build costing more than $5 million in total, as long as the land isn't sensitive for another reason.

This came in with a major change to New Zealand's overseas investment rules on 6 March 2026, and is particularly relevant to overseas investors considering premium residential property in Queenstown.

What is the $5 million-plus house pathway?

The pathway applies to holders of:

  • an Active Investor Plus visa
  • an Investor 1 resident visa, or
  • an Investor 2 resident visa.

No other visa qualifies.

A qualifying investor can apply to buy:

  • a house: residential land that includes a dwelling, where the agreed purchase price is more than NZ$5 million, including any GST, or
  • land to build on: residential land for less than $5 million where the land price plus the construction cost of the new house will be more than $5 million, including any GST. LINZ will impose conditions requiring that construction spend to happen.

The pathway covers one property only. The visa holder can't end up with an interest in more than one property through it.

Consent is still required. Holding an Active Investor Plus visa does not by itself give unrestricted rights to buy residential property.

There is an important limitation

The land must be residential land: it must have a residential or lifestyle category on the District Valuation Roll.

If the property is also sensitive for another reason, the $5 million-plus house pathway can't be used. For example, residential land is otherwise sensitive if it:

  • is over 0.4 hectares and adjoins the bed of a lake
  • is over 0.4 hectares and adjoins conservation land or certain reserves
  • is non-urban land over 5 hectares
  • is on an island, or adjoins the coast

This is particularly relevant to premium properties in Queenstown and wider Central Otago. Have the Overseas Investment Act position checked for the particular property before you enter into an unconditional agreement.

How the application works

  • Test: applications are assessed under the national interest test introduced on 6 March 2026. LINZ says residential purchases are generally low risk and likely to be consented at the first stage.
  • Timeframe: LINZ says consent will generally be granted within five working days. The statutory maximum is 15 working days.
  • Fee: $2,040 for an existing house over $5 million, and $3,500 in other cases.
  • Your agreement: you can sign before applying, but the agreement must be conditional on consent. Otherwise you may face significant penalties and have to sell.
  • Trusts and companies: you can buy through an entity closely linked to the visa holder, but strict ownership and control rules apply.

Your visa investment

Whether a purchase counts towards your visa investment is an immigration question for your immigration adviser.

How Mactodd can assist

For an international investor considering Queenstown, there may be several connected issues:

  • whether you're an overseas person under the Act
  • Overseas Investment Act eligibility and the right pathway
  • OIO consent
  • property due diligence
  • ownership structure, including trusts or companies
  • conveyancing and settlement

Mactodd can assist with the New Zealand property and overseas investment side of the transaction, and coordinate with your other professional advisers where needed.

Talk to us about your situation

If you hold an investor visa and are looking at property in Queenstown, Wānaka or wider Central Otago, talk to us before you make an offer.

Call 0800 228 110 or request a call back. You can also read more about our overseas investment work.

Related guides

Sources

This is general information only. Each purchase depends on the details of the property and the buyer.