Update - February 2026
The Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Act was introduced into Parliament on 18 June and was passed by Parliament on Friday 12 December.
The reforms will come into effect on Friday 6 March 2026.
The current rules continue to apply until this time.
Information on the new provisions is available at
Overseas investment factsheets
About the Amendment Act
The Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Act amends 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 scope of what is screened is not proposed to change, but how certain less sensitive assets are screened will. The reforms aim to target screening towards more sensitive transactions, which will make it simpler and faster to invest in New Zealand.
Key changes include:
- allowing overseas based investors with an ‘Active Investor Plus’, Investor 1, or Investor 2 residency visa to buy or build a house valued at $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)
- 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.
While the statutory timeframe for the new pathways will be 15 working days, LINZ will aim to assess most applications under the new pathways within five working days.
You can find the Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Act on the New Zealand legislation website:
Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Act
Overseas investment policy is led by The Treasury, with LINZ providing operational support and advice as the reforms progress.
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