February Intake in New Zealand
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February Intake in New Zealand

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Raj
Raj Vimal
Study Abroad Expert
Updated on May 9, 2024 13:55 IST

New Zealand February Intake is the most popular intake to apply for admission to universities in New Zealand. The application process starts in October or November of the previous year. Students get enough time to choose the desired course offered by universities.

New Zealand's February intake

New Zealand intake has two main sessions - one in January/February and the other one in July. The January/February intake, commonly referred to as New Zealand's February intake is one of the main intakes across New Zealand universities. All universities in New Zealand accept applications for admission from international students. The admission deadlines may vary per course across all eight universities in New Zealand, hence, students must check the minimum eligibility requirements and relevant dates before applying for the course.

August is the right time for prospective applicants to begin preparing themselves for the extensive admission process for New Zealand admissions for the upcoming February 2025 intake.

CheckTypes of Intakes in New Zealand

The timeline to apply for February intake in New Zealand expands over almost six months, applicants must prepare their strategies accordingly. Also, the deadlines are quite strict, hence, there should be no scope for missing out on even the smallest detail. This article aims to focus on the New Zealand February intake 2024 and its timeline, detailing from shortlisting to applying for the visa. Read on for more details.

Begin Researching to Apply for New Zealand Feb Intake 2024

This is the very first step into beginning your preparation for applying to New Zealand universities well within time for their courses offered in Feb 2024. Read on the entire portion for all the details:

  • Start early and by August decide if applying for New Zealand February intake 2025. Shortlist 8-12 New Zealand universities that you will apply to for the February 2025 intake. Visit university websites and note application requirements, deadlines, etc.
  • By September, be familiar with bank loan options and scholarships to fund your studies in New Zealand.
  • Begin by downloading admissions brochures from the university websites for February 2025 New Zealand admissions. Most brochures are out more than a year earlier.
  • Do some initial research on various accommodation options and the cost of living in New Zealand.
  • Prepare for required standardized tests like GMAT, GRE, SAT, TOEFL, or IELTS - depending on the course and university.
  • By June-July or three months before the test date, register for GMAT / GRE.
  • Register for TOEFL / IELTS at least a month before the test date.
  • Take all the required tests around September. Plan for buffer time in case you need to retake the test.

Check: Student Guide to New Zealand (NZ)

When to Start Applying to New Zealand Universities for Feb 2025

This is the most crucial step towards shortlisting and applying for the New Zealand university, check out all about it in the section below:

  • Shortlist the colleges and prepare for your application. Think hard about what makes you unique as an applicant and sketch out your strengths and self-assessment.
  • Contact your professors and direct managers for the required 2-3 reference letters, at least a month before your application deadline.
  • Begin drafting your SOP and essays. Spend a month’s time structuring these documents properly.
  • The New Zealand college intake dates for 2025 for February may vary, hence apply beforehand.
  • Since New Zealand offer letter time varies between 2-4 weeks it is only plausible to apply well within time and not wait for the last minute deadlines.  

Timeline to Apply for Feb Intake in New Zealand 2025

Though the deadlines may vary per university in New Zealand, yet an approximate timeline for New Zealand February intake has been elaborated in the table below for reference for international students:

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New Zealand February Intake 2025 Timeline Action to be Taken
August 2024 - September 2024 Begin shortlisting the universities and courses international students wish to apply to in New Zealand.
October 2024 - November 2024 Apply and appear for ELP tests (IELTS / TOEFL / PTE / Duolingo) and standardised tests (SAT / GRE / GMAT), as per the course requirements.
November 2024 Applications would open, and students can start applying to the desired universities and submit before the deadlines.
December 2024 Wait for the universities to release admission decisions. If students receive an offer, they must decide whether to accept or decline the offer.
December 2024 - January 2025 In case students accept the admission offer, they can immediately apply for a New Zealand student visa. 

It takes some time to review and grant a student visa to study in New Zealand, the students must make up their minds and accept their offers within the stipulated time so that the further process can be completed. In case you miss out the February intake deadlines, you can apply for the New Zealand July intake also. 








What to do after applying for New Zealand's February Intake?

There are a couple of things the applicant will have to take care of, following is a list of to-do's that must not be missed:

  • Don’t delay in replying to college e-mails. As there may be quite a few of them!
  • Appear for personal/video interviews. These are primarily scheduled for around January to March for February intakes in New Zealand universities.
  • You will receive your acceptance letter. You may receive your letter in either November or December, depending on the institute. You can apply for a student visa only after receiving the acceptance letter.
  • Depending on the deadline, notify the universities of your decision.
  • You will need to pay a non-refundable deposit to confirm your admission.

Time to Fly to New Zealand!

After all the hard work, it is time to live the dream of studying abroad, see what you'll need to finally do next:







  • Students can book their air tickets for New Zealand once they have their student visas in hand.
  • They must also arrange for an International Debit/Credit card to carry out transactions internationally.
  • Collect all the documents and their photocopies, that are to be taken along beforehand and keep them safe.
  • Check out the Pre-departure checklist! Good luck!

Top 5 New Zealand Universities to Apply to this February 2024

For students' convenience, here's a list of the top 5 New Zealand universities offering admissions to international students across the corresponding popular courses in February 2024. Check out all the important information in the table below:

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University of Waikato

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Lincoln University New Zealand

Lincoln, New ZealandPublic

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Unitec Institute of Technology

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₹ 16.23 L - 16.23 L
Eastern Institute of Technology

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Is this recommendation relevant?
Top New Zealand Universities Popular Courses Offered in Feb 2024 Intake
University of Auckland

Engineering

Computer Science & IT

Business & Management

Social Science

Victoria University of Wellington

Business & Management

Engineering

Applied & Pure Sciences

University of Canterbury

Computer Science & IT

Health & Medicine

Creative Arts & Design

Agriculture & Forestry

University of Otago

Commerce

Health & Leisure

Social Science

Engineering 

AUT University

Engineering

Commerce

Architecture

Social Sciences

Applicants must check the courses available for the February 2025 intake at New Zealand universities and their deadlines and only then apply. 

For more queries, comment in the section below or sign up for free Shiksha Abroad Counselling for admission and application-related queries. 

Study in New Zealand: Timeline for February 2025 Intake FAQs

Q. How many intakes are for admission in New Zealand?

A. There are two intakes in New Zealand just like Australia - one in July and the other is in February. The February intake of New Zealand is the second intake which offers admission to students across a fewer number of courses and institutions. A lot of international students apply for July intake but those who are unable to apply in the july intake apply in the February intake of New Zealand.

Q. What are the minimum eligibility requirements to apply in Feb intake of New Zealand?

A. The minimum eligibility requirements vary per course and university the international student chooses for admission to February intake of New Zealand. Students applying for UG courses will have to submit high school scores and standardised scores, while postgraduate admissions would need bachelor's degree scores, standardised test scores. Applicants will have to submit along with their applications additional submissions of SOP, LORs, CV and ELP test scores irrespective of the course and level of course of study they are applying for in Feb intake for New Zealand

Q. Are February intake admissions in New Zealand tough?

A. Admissions are overall tough for international students irrespective of when they apply - either for July or Feb intake of New Zealand. Applications are just fewer in February intake of New Zealand in comparison to the July intake of New Zealand. Thus, admission for February intake in New Zealand for international students are tough.

Q. Can students with gap year apply for New Zealand's February intake?

A. Yes, international students with a gap year are eligible to apply for New Zealand's February intake. There is no hard and fast rule that students with gap year cannot apply for the February intake of New Zealand. But still applicants must check with the concerned New Zealand university if they are accepting backlogs or not. If they do, they can apply for the desired course at the university and of not, then they should hve other options as well. 

Q. Why should students apply for February intake in New Zealand?

A. Its completely the student's choice whether or not they wish to apply for admission during the February intake in New Zealand. There may be cases where students cannot immediately apply for the July intake and can apply for the next intake that is, February. Also there may be cases of deferring admissions from July to February in New Zealand which can also push the student's study intake.

Q:   Is New Zealand good for Indian students?

A:

With a good educational system, excellent quality of life, and a number of research opportunities, New Zealand offers a lot to international students. Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand has a 39 percent population of overseas citizens, making it a culturally diverse city. Moreover, the post-study work visa in New Zealand can offer up to three years of stay back. As per Stats New Zealand, its unemployment rate is 3.4 percent. Students enrolled in a course of 12 months or more can also work part-time in New Zealand for up to 20 hours a week during the semester and holidays.

Q:   What is the acceptance rate for Lincoln University New Zealand?

A:

According to various unofficial sources, Lincoln University New Zealand acceptance rate is around 60%. The acceptance rate indicated that the university is moderately selective at the time of admission. So, to get into the university, make sure to have a good academic record and meet the entry requirements such as having 12 years of schooling and minimum percentage for admission to bachelor’s courses. For admission to postgraduate courses, a relevant degree is required with the minimum grade.

Q:   How much funds are needed for a New Zealand study visa?

A:

 International students need to show sufficient funds for getting a New Zealand student visa. Students need to show NZ$ 20,000 for a full year of study or NZ$ 1,250 per month for getting a New Zealand study visa.

Cost of New Zealand Student Visa Application

  • New Zealand Visa Cost: Students who are submitting their Student Visa Application online are required to pay a base Visa fee of NZD 375 which is INR 19,200 (approximately).
  • Candidates who are applying for their Student Visa online from New Delhi are required to pay NZD 430 which is INR 22,000 (approximately) as the receiving centre fees.
  • Those applying for a student visa in New Zealand on paper (offline mode) should note that the immigration costs would be INR 22,600, in addition to this students are required to pay a receiving Centre fee of INR 1,520.

Q:   Which course is better, Master in Management or Master in Project Management at the University of Auckland, New Zealand?

A:

The University of Auckland offers the best UG and PG programs for international students at an affordable tuition fees. Auckland Unversity Master in Project Management is slightly better than the Master in Management because of its tuition fees for first year. Mentioned below is the tuition fees for first-year for international students:

ProgramFirst Year Tuition Fees
Master in Project ManagementINR 25.11 L
Master in ManagementINR 26.11 L

Q:   What is the cost of studying in New Zealand?

A:

The tuition fees that a student would need to pay will depend on the type of qualification and the university they are looking at to pursue their education. While courses such as humanities, education, and arts are likely to cost less pursuing subjects such as medicine and engineering costs on the higher side.

The below table sheds light on the tuition fee charged level-wise in New Zealand from international students applying to their universities:

Study Program Level

Annual Costs in NZD

Diploma or Certificate courses

NZD 23,000 - NZD 47,000

English Language courses

NZD 350 (per week)

Undergraduate degree

NZD 22,000 - NZD 32,000

Master's degree

NZD 26,000 - NZD 37,000 

Doctoral degree

NZD 6,500 - NZD 9,000  

Q:   Is living in New Zealand expensive?

A:

The cost of living does not includes only the tuition fee but also other expenses like textbooks, NON-tuition fee, accommodation cost and other personal expenses. The moment a student lands in New Zealand, they need to pay $35 international visitor and tourism conservation levy. The living cost can vary as per the accommodation option, location and personal spending habits.

In addition to your tuition and insurance fees, you will need between $20,000 and $25,000 per year ($380–480 per week) for accommodation/rent, food expenses, transportation costs, phone bills, internet usage and entertainment.

Q:   How much will it cost to study in New Zealand?

A:

The cost of study in New Zealand for international students will vary from student to student. The cost of living will depend on many factors such as lifestyle, type of course and accommodation. Here we have given a breakdown of cost of living in New Zealand for international students.

Tuition Fees

Level of Study

Estimated Tuition Fees

Diplomas/Certificates

NZD 23,376 to NZD 46,752

Bachelor’s Degree

NZD 20,000 to NZD 40,000

Postgraduate Degree

 NZD 20,000 to NZD 45,000

PhDs

NZD 6,500 to NZD 7,500

Living Expenses

Type of Expenses

Cost

Accommodation

NZD 140 – NZD 484 (per week)

Entertainment

NZD 55 (per week)

Food

NZD 80 – NZD 120 (per week)

Electricity

NZD 200 – NZD 300 (per month)

Transportation

NZD 37 (per week)

Phone

NZD 19 (per month)

Internet

NZD 90 (per month)

Q:   Is New Zealand good for international students to study?

A:

New Zealand is one of the top destinations for international students going abroad for higher education. All of eight universities in New Zealand are ranked among the top 3% universities in the world. New Zealand education sets up students with a globally recognised qualification and real-world skills. Each year thousands of students from India apply for various universities in the New Zealand. As per Govt. of India, there are more than 2,500 Indian students that went to study in 2022 in various universities in New Zealand.

About the Author
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Raj Vimal
Study Abroad Expert

Raj Vimal has experience of 7+ years in SEO Content Writing, which includes 5+ years in the Ed-Tech industry. He has written articles about studying abroad, especially in the USA, UK, and other English-speaking coun... Read Full Bio

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All courses in ANZ

Armed with B.Com from Delhi University, Anuradha Sharma has accumulated rich experience as an education counsellor. She is especially adept at handling Australia and NZ admission procedure. Before becoming a GTE Exp... Read Full Bio

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Comments

(233)

V

Vikas kumar

2 years ago

can I apllly for diploma with 5.5 overall score

Reply to Vikas kumar

Hello! Yes, you can depending on the entry requirements!

D

Divya Katkar

5 years ago

How many months prior can I apply for my New Zealand student visa? I have all my documents ready as I was planning to go in the July intake but due to few problems I will be going in the month of feb so can I apply now for my feb intake or will it be too soon?

Reply to Divya Katkar

S

Saanjeev Gurung

6 years ago

i've got Ielts 6.5 with speaking 5.5

Reply to Saanjeev Gurung

A

Akash Verma

6 years ago

About my profile, i have completed Btech and MBA, now working in a top IT MNC. I am searching for an appropriate study course that will match my background and help me get a job in NZ without much hassles. Is Post graduate diploma in applied management from Otago polytechnic a good choice?

Reply to Akash Verma

if i got nz student visa, my college will be start on February when I will go NZ??

Reply to drashti sindhwani

Hi Drashti, you can enter the country after obtaining the visa, generally it is valid immediately on issue. However it is recommended you enter 30-35 days before the class intake. You may check with the university for orientation dates and plan accordingly.