Pānui – February 2026 

Kia ora koutou  

Welcome to Pānui for February 2026.  

As you will be aware, the Overseas Investment (National Interest and Other Matters) Amendment Bill comes into effect on 6 March 2026. Until then the current law continues to apply.

The changes include consolidating the national interest, benefit to New Zealand, and investor tests into a single test for all assets other than farmland, fishing quota, and residential land. The changes will also allow investor class visa holders to apply for consent to buy or build a house worth more than $5million.  

We are continuing to make information on the changes available on our website to assist investors and their advisers. More detail of what is available now is set out below.  

Thank you to everyone who attended the Ngā Hui Whakamārama session on the changes to the Act. It was a valuable discussion, with thoughtful questions asked.

I hope you all managed to avoid serious damage during the recent severe weather. If events outside of your control, such as a storm or flooding, impact your ability to meet conditions of consent, please contact us so we can work with you on what options may be available.  

This is my final Pānui as I am leaving LINZ to take up a new role. It has been a pleasure to lead LINZ’s regulatory function, which includes Overseas Investment. I have appreciated the positive and constructive engagement I have had with investors and the people in this professional community.  

Daniel White is taking up the role of Head of Regulatory Practice and Delivery on an Acting basis while a permanent appointment is made. Daniel is a former Overseas Investment Assessment Manager and LINZ Policy Leader who is very familiar with the regime. You will be hearing from him in the next Pānui.    

Ngā mihi      
Rebecca McAtamney

Head of Regulatory Practice and Delivery
Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand

Law change resources

Please visit the law reforms page of the LINZ website to access resources and information to assist in preparing for the changes to the Overseas Investment Act.  

Reform of the Overseas Investment Act

LINZ is implementing three new consent pathways. These are a primary consent pathway for significant business assets and sensitive land, a production forestry pathway for sensitive land used for forestry, and a $5million plus house pathway for qualifying investor visa holders.

Primary consent and production forestry

We have published a new application form, primary consent standard conditions, production forestry standard and special conditions, and production forestry investment plan.  

These new forms and conditions will apply from 6 March 2026. Applications made before 6 March 2026 should be made using the existing forms.  

Investor class visa holders

Applications for investor class visa holders to buy or build a house worth more than $5million can be accepted from 6 March 2026.  

A new application webform will be available on 6 March. The form will request details of the investor visa holder including their passport and visa, the address of the property being purchased, as well as ownership and control information if the investor is buying the land through a trust or company.

Invoicing and fees

Updated fees for applications under the new rules will also come into effect on 6 March 2026.  

Our webform to request an invoice will be updated on 2 March 2026 to allow applicants to request the new fees for the new pathways.  

The current relevant fees apply to any applications relating to significant business assets, special forestry, or sensitive land being made before 6 March.  

If you have already requested a lodgement invoice for an application you intend to file after 6 March 2026, please contact us at oio@linz.govt.nz.

In response to feedback, we are updating our 'request an invoice' webform (How to pay overseas investment fees and penalties) so investors can request an invoice for the full application fee before submitting an application. This option will be available for all application types, including consents, variations, and exemptions.

Applicants will be able to choose either to:

• request and pay the full application fee invoice before submitting their application, or
• receive an invoice for the assessment and monitoring portion of their fee after their application has been accepted for processing.

Please note that lodgement fees — or, for applications under the primary consent pathway, the full application fee — must be paid before an application is considered received.

Decision summaries  

Benefit to New Zealand

202500710 - AW Holdings 2021 (LP) Limited Partnership

202500762 - Vasily Korovkin

202500696 - Oceana Gold (New Zealand) Limited

202500586 - Dannevirke SF Limited Partnership

Residential land development

202500765 - Neil Construction Limited

202500535 - Neo Anderson Limited Partnership

Significant business assets only

202500811 - Kodiak BidCo B.V.

Exemption – Discretionary

202500690 - Fisher Funds Management Limited

202500780 - Withheld under section 9(2)(b)(ii).

202500718 - New Ground Capital Limited

Notification under standing consent – Forestry  

202200134 - Totara Forestry Services Limited

202300424 - Matariki Forests and Matariki Forests Trading Limited