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IELTS for New Zealand: What Score Do You Need?

For New Zealand’s Skilled Migrant Category resident visa, the principal applicant needs an overall IELTS band of 6.5 or higher, in General Training or Academic. TOEFL iBT 79, PTE Academic 58, B2 First 176 or OET grade C+ in all four skills are also accepted. The result must be less than 2 years old when you apply, from a test taken in person at a test centre.

Last updated: 13 October 2026 · Written by the PrepEve team

Skilled Migrant Category

IELTS 6.5 overall (General Training or Academic)

Validity

Less than 2 years old when you apply

Test format

Taken in person at a test centre; home tests not accepted

Partner and children 16+

A lower minimum, or pre-purchased English tuition

Student visas

Set mainly by your education provider

English for the Skilled Migrant Category

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) lists the tests and minimum scores it accepts from the principal applicant:

INZ’s IELTS minimum is an overall band, so a 6.0 in one skill does not stop you if your overall is 6.5. Both IELTS versions are accepted, so most applicants choose General Training.

The rules that catch people out

• 2 years. Your result must be less than 2 years old on the day you submit the application. INZ has allowed older results in some cases, such as some applicants with occupational registration, so check the current instructions if yours is older.
• In person only. The test must be taken at a test centre. Home or online-at-home versions are not accepted.
• Exemptions. Citizens of some English-speaking countries can meet the requirement without a test. INZ lists which ones.

What about your partner and children?

Partners and dependent children aged 16 or older must also meet a minimum standard of English, which is lower than the principal applicant’s (for IELTS it is 5.0). Instead of a test, they can pre-purchase English (ESOL) tuition. Check the current option and fee on the INZ website.

IELTS for a New Zealand student visa

For most student visas, INZ does not insist on a test result. Your offer of place has to include your education provider’s confirmation that you have the English ability to pass the course. So the score you need is the one your university, polytechnic or private training establishment sets for that course.

Universities usually ask for IELTS Academic, often with a minimum in each band as well as overall. Check the entry requirements on your course page before you book a test.

How to reach 6.5 overall

• Your overall band is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band. 6.5, 6.5, 6.0 and 7.0 averages 6.5.
• Writing is usually the band that pulls the overall down. A trainer marking your essays finds the exact sentences costing you marks.
• Take timed full-length tests and review every wrong answer in Listening and Reading.

Official sources

• English language requirements for skilled residence visas (Immigration New Zealand)
• Working on a student visa (Immigration New Zealand)

Rules and scores change. Check the official pages above before you book a test or apply.

Frequently asked questions

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