Changes to the Overseas Investment Act came into force on 6 March 2026.
The Government has changed the Overseas Investment Act to better reflect the benefits international investment can bring to New Zealand’s economy, while providing the appropriate regulatory tools to proportionately manage risks to New Zealand’s national interest.
The reforms are designed to target screening towards more sensitive transactions, which will make it simpler and faster to invest in New Zealand.
Key changes include:
- revising the Act’s purpose statement to explicitly acknowledge the role of overseas investment in increasing economic opportunity, while continuing to acknowledge that it is a privilege for overseas persons to own or control sensitive New Zealand assets.
- allowing overseas based investors with an ‘Active Investor Plus’, Investor 1, or Investor 2 residency visa to buy or build a house worth $5 million or more
- 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 (for which the existing consent pathways remain)
A new Ministerial Directive Letter has also been issued and sets out the Government’s expectations of LINZ when administering the Overseas Investment Act and assessing applications.
More information
View more information on the reforms, as well as updated forms and supporting information:
Reform of the Overseas Investment Act
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Email: media@linz.govt.nz