General Category

1. At least First-year Undergraduate student/At least First-year master’s student (excluding doctoral students). According to the year of study recorded in the Office of Academic Affairs system at the time of internal selection., Required completion of two semesters of full-time tertiary study outside New Zealand.
2. Undergraduate student GPA should be higher than 3.00；
   Master’s student GPA should be higher than 3.00.
3. Undergraduate student TOEFL iBT 80 (Do not accept Home Edition) or IELTS 6.0 (Listening 5.5 Reading 5.5 Writing 5.5 Speaking 5.5), Please note some undergraduate courses may require higher English language requirements；
   Master’s student IELTS 6.5 (Listening 6.0 Reading 6.0 Writing 6.0 Speaking 6.0), Please note some postgraduate courses may require higher English language requirements (Does not accept TOEFL)；.

Trimester 1: February - June
Trimester 2: July - November
Trimester 3: November - February (NOT open for admission)

• Students starting in Trimester 2 and staying for two trimesters will take a break over the summer period (November - February) and resume study at the start of Trimester 1.
• Students should not confirm return ticket dates until the exam timetable is released. Exams dates cannot be changed.

1. The language requirements listed are the minimum standards. Applicants are advised to look into specific departments and courses to ensure they meet all prerequisites and additional language criteria. The host institution reserves the right to deny admission if no suitable departments or courses are available
2. VUW cannot accept graduate thesis students; master students are eligible for coursework only.
3. Most courses are available to Study Abroad and Exchange students, but some are restricted, have limited entry, or have earlier application deadlines.
4. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 45 points in order to be considered a full-time student. 60 points (3-4 courses) per trimester is the maximum and recommended course load for exchange students.
   • 1 point at Victoria University of Wellington is equivalent to 0.5 ECTS/0.25 US Credits. 1 point typically requires 10 hours of student work (lectures, labs, study time etc).
5. Information about courses offered each year can be found on our Course finder and Study Abroad and Exchange pages.
6. Not every course is offered every year/trimester, so students may need to search a little to find where their course is.
7. For Visa information, please refer to  this link
   • Apply online for an Exchange Student visa through Immigration NZ.
   • Students studying for two trimesters are eligible to work part time, and up to full time during holidays. Students studying for one trimester are not able to work.
8. Insurance Fees and Additional Costs: All international students are automatically signed up to the Studentsafe Inbound University insurance and pay for this upon enrolment at Victoria University of Wellington. This policy provides comprehensive cover throughout the course of study, and also covers the insured student's travel to New Zealand and time spent in New Zealand up to 31 days before the start of their courses.
9. Fees for 2026
   • Insurance: Per Trimester (up to 6 months): NZD$450
   • Accommodation: Accommodation Fees for each individual hall of residence is available in the hall comparison profiles
   • For additional fees and cost of living, see information on Fees & Costs. For budgeting advice, please refer to the Students’ Financial Survival Guide.

Housing is not guaranteed. For more information, please refer to the website and the website

1. Student Accommodation at Victoria University of Wellington is very competitive. This means that students may not be placed in one of their initial choices for accommodation. Accommodation applications open on 1 August each year, and we strongly recommend applying as soon as they open. Students can apply for accommodation before they have been nominated or accepted into the exchange programme.
2. It is particularly competitive for students coming for a single exchange term during Trimester 1 (February start) at Victoria University of Wellington.
3. Mature students or students who have experience living away from home are advised to consider the self-catered halls of residence. All students over the age of 20 will be offered a self-catered hall only.
4. All questions regarding accommodation applications should be directed to the Accommodation Service. We do not process accommodation applications and therefore have no impact on processing times.