Buying NZ Property on an Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa

For international buyers, New Zealand has long held a special appeal - political stability, extraordinary lifestyle, and a notoriously competitive prestige property market. 

Access to that market is now possible through a defined investor-home consent pathway, subject to statutory eligibility and approval. 

Under updated overseas investment settings, eligible investor residence visa holders can now apply, subject to approval by Lands Information New Zealand (LINZ) under the Overseas Investment Act (OIA), to buy or build one high-value home in New Zealand.  

For those researching how to buy property in New Zealand under the Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa, this shift comes with strict rules around property type, land sensitivity, value thresholds, and ownership structure. 

This guide brings those considerations together in one place. 

Important – This article is general information only and is not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Eligibility and consent outcomes depend on the specific property, ownership structure, and buyer circumstances. It is recommended you consult your lawyer. 

The key distinction to understand first

Your visa investment and your home purchase are separate.  

The Active Investor Plus visa requires investment into acceptable investments in New Zealand. A home purchased for you or your family under this investor-home pathway does not count toward those visa investment requirements. 

This is one of the most important points for offshore buyers planning capital allocation. 

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What can be bought under the investor-home pathway?

1) The land must be residential or lifestyle 

The pathway applies to land categorised on the district valuation roll as: 

• Residential, or 
• Lifestyle 

In practical terms, this captures most houses, apartments, and many lifestyle properties. This should always be confirmed on the title or valuation roll. 

2) The land must not be “otherwise sensitive” 

This is the point that most often affects premium and lifestyle property. 

Even where a property is classed as residential or lifestyle land, it may still be excluded if it is sensitive for another reason. That can include, for example: 

• larger lifestyle or rural holdings that exceed 5 hectares 
• land adjoining foreshore or seabed 
• certain island or coastal land interests 
• other categories of sensitive land 

For prestige buyers, this is the line between a straightforward qualifying property and a much more complex overseas investment assessment. 

3) The property must be worth more than NZ$5 million 

The real property value must exceed NZ$5 million, excluding chattels. 

This can generally be satisfied by: 

• purchasing one existing home above the threshold, or 
• purchasing land and building a home, where the combined land and build cost exceeds NZ$5 million 

 For high-value transactions, the valuation and contract treatment of the purchase components matters. LINZ may require a registered valuation from an independent, registered valuer to support the property’s value for consent purposes. Your lawyer may need to confirm in writing the value attributed to land, fixed improvements and chattels. 

A key practical clarification is that the threshold applies to the land and improvements. It does not include chattels.  

Can two titles count as one qualifying property? 

In some cases, yes.  

LINZ has indicated that two titles may be treated as one qualifying property where they genuinely form part of a single property holding. 

However, neighbouring properties used as separate holdings are not treated as one property for this purpose. A common example is one title used as the main residence, and a second title rented out separately. That would not typically be treated as one qualifying property. 

This is especially important in prestige purchases involving: 

• dual-title estates 
• guest accommodation on a separate title 
• adjoining parcels marketed together 

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Land-and-build purchases 

Can you buy land now and build later? 

Yes. The pathway is designed to allow a land plus build route, provided the combined land and construction cost exceeds the NZ$5 million threshold. 

This is often attractive to buyers wanting a tailored home in a premium location, but it is also where the consent conditions become more important. Your advisor may need to plan to account for evidencing the build cost, if any reporting is required during construction, what happens if times or costs shift etc. 

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How can the property be used? 

The Overseas Investment Act pathway is flexible on use. Under this investor-home pathway, there are no OIA limits on how the house can be used. It can generally be: 

• lived in 
• used as a holiday home 
• used to operate a business 

 That flexibility is one of the most attractive aspects of the new rules for globally based families. 

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Only one house may be bought under this pathway 

This is a core rule and should be planned around early. 

An investor can hold only one property purchased under this investor-home pathway at a time. If a buyer wishes to purchase another property under the same pathway, the first property must be sold first. 

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Buying through a company or trust 

Acquisitions through companies or trusts are permitted, provided the ownership and control structure complies with Overseas Investment Act requirements. 

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Premium estates and lifestyle subdivisions 

Shared land and amenities can change eligibility. This is a critical point for the luxury market where properties incorporate multiple or complex titles. 

Many premium farm and lifestyle developments include more than a single freehold house title. A buyer may also acquire: 

• an undivided share in common land 
• rights over private roads or access ways 
• interests in amenity land (lakes, equestrian areas, recreation facilities) 
• a shareholding or membership interest in a management entity 

Why this matters 

Eligibility is assessed on the full legal package being acquired, not just the main house title. 

If part of the package creates an interest in land that is “otherwise sensitive”, the transaction may no longer fit within the investor-home pathway, even if the main residence itself appears to qualify. 

What should be reviewed 

Your adviser should check: 

• every title in the transaction 
• common ownership interests 
• easements and licences 
• amenity entity interests 
• land area and non-urban components 
• coastal or sensitive-land proximity 

This is one of the most important due diligence steps for premium rural and coastal property. 

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Do you have to live in New Zealand full time? 

The investor home pathway does not require full time residence in the property. However, visa residence requirements are separate and should be considered independently. This is one reason the pathway has appealed to globally based families planning long-term ties to New Zealand without full-time residence. 

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How can the property be used? 

AIP holders can use the home as: 

• a primary base 
• a holiday home 
• or a business-use property (subject to other rules) 

Property eligibility 

• Is the land classified as residential or lifestyle on the valuation roll? 
• Is it “otherwise sensitive” for any reason? 
• Are there additional titles, shared land, or amenity interests involved? 

NZ$5m threshold 

• Does the real property value exceed NZ$5 million, excluding chattels? 
• If there are multiple titles, do they function as one qualifying property? 
• If land-plus-build, what evidence will support the combined value? 

Ownership structure 

• Should the property be acquired personally or through a trust? 
• Does the proposed structure satisfy ownership and control requirements? 

Intended use 

• Will the home be used as a residence, holiday home, or business-use property? 
• Are there planning, covenant, or body corporate limits on that intended use? 

Portfolio planning 

• Has any property already been purchased under this pathway? 
• If yes, does it need to be sold before another qualifying purchase? 

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Further official guidance is available from Land Information New Zealand (LINZ).