How long are English test results valid for a New Zealand visa?
Not more than 2 years old, counted from the issue date, on the day you submit your application.
Two details in INZ's sentence do the work. The clock runs from the issue date on the results, not from the test date or the day you received them. And INZ states explicitly that evidence of a booking you have not yet sat does not count — so a test scheduled before your submission does not hold the requirement open.
“English language test results cannot be more than 2 years old (from the issue date) when you submit your application. You cannot provide evidence of a future booking.”
Source: INZ — Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa · last checked 2026-09-01
When this answer doesn’t apply
- · A test is only one of the ways INZ accepts. Citizenship of certain countries, or qualifications taught in English, can be used instead, and those have no expiry.
- · This is INZ's rule for the Skilled Migrant Category. Other countries and other NZ visas state their own.
These are limits of the answer, not a judgment about any reader’s situation. Working out which apply is yours to do.
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