When are you entitled to a refund? Four common scenarios
New Zealand's approach centres on protecting your money before it's spent, rather than only promising a refund after the fact. Every provider that enrols international students must be a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021, administered by NZQA, and must comply with the Student Fee Protection Rules.
1. Your visa is declined before you arrive
Genuine intention is a standard requirement across most New Zealand temporary visas, including student visas — Immigration New Zealand must be satisfied you intend a genuine, temporary stay for the stated purpose. If your visa is declined on this or any other basis before you travel, your provider must refund the tuition fees you've paid. Providers commonly retain a modest registration or administration fee — the exact amount is set by each provider and should be disclosed to you at enrolment.
Visa declined? Ask HOA for help2. Your course becomes unavailable or your offer is withdrawn
If a registered provider stops offering a course — including because it became oversubscribed — students receive a refund for the portion not yet delivered, drawn from the protected fee mechanism rather than left to the provider's discretion.
Course full or offer withdrawn? Ask HOA3. New requirements were introduced that you can no longer meet
Providers must clearly disclose their enrolment terms at the outset. If a genuinely new requirement is introduced afterwards that you can no longer satisfy, put it to the provider in writing — and if it isn't resolved between you, this is exactly the kind of contractual dispute Study Complaints can consider.
Requirements changed on you? Ask HOA4. You withdraw within the provider's stated withdrawal period
For courses of three months or longer, refund entitlements depend on your withdrawal timing and provider type; if you withdraw after the stated withdrawal period, you are not automatically entitled to a refund and it falls to your provider's own withdrawal and refund policy.
What providers must tell you at enrolment
- How your fees are protected, and which approved mechanism is used
- The provider's specific refund and withdrawal policy
- Who to contact with questions about fees or fee protection
Worked example
You paid NZ$18,000 in tuition fees into your provider's fee-protection trust. Your visa is declined before you arrive. Your provider's policy retains a modest registration fee — published examples are commonly around NZ$250:
NZ$18,000 − NZ$250 = NZ$17,750 refunded
At an approximate market rate of NPR 88/NZD, that's roughly NPR 15,62,000 (about 15.62 lakhs) before any bank transfer fees.
Illustrative only — the registration fee and the exchange rate both vary; confirm your provider's exact fee and the live NPR/NZD rate before relying on this figure.
What if you withdraw after you've already arrived and started your course?
Once your provider's stated withdrawal period for the course has passed, you are not automatically entitled to a refund — it falls to the provider's own policy rather than the Code of Practice's baseline protections, so check the specific terms you were given at enrolment.
Choosing to defer instead
- Some providers allow deferral to a later intake instead of a refund
- Keeps your place without a fresh enrolment process
- Only sensible if you're confident about the next intake
Choosing a refund
- Money returns to you now, minus the provider's registration fee
- Frees you to apply to a different provider or country
- Right choice if a visa decline or requirement change affects this specific offer
How to request your refund, step by step
- Check your provider's fee protection and refund policy. Registered providers must supply this at enrolment — locate it in your offer pack or ask their international office directly.
- Gather your evidence. Your visa decline letter from Immigration New Zealand, your offer or enrolment confirmation, and proof of the fees you paid — or the provider's written notice if your course became unavailable.
- Submit a written refund request. Send it to your provider's international student office along with your supporting documents, using the ready-to-send email below.
- Confirm the registration fee that applies. Ask in writing exactly how much will be retained, since providers set this individually.
- Follow up in writing and keep records. This becomes important evidence if you later need to raise a dispute.
- Escalate if unresolved. Raise Code of Practice concerns with NZQA, and financial or contractual disputes — including refund amounts — with Study Complaints | Ngā Amuamu Tauira.
Ready-to-send refund request email
Copy this, fill in the bracketed details, and attach the evidence relevant to your scenario.
Subject: Refund Request – [Your Full Name] – [Student / Offer Reference]
Dear [Provider] International Office,
I am writing to request a refund of the tuition fees I paid for [Course Name], [Month Year] intake, under offer/enrolment reference [reference number].
[Select the line that applies:]
• My student visa application was declined by Immigration New Zealand. I have attached the official decision letter dated [date].
• I have been informed my place / course is no longer available. I have attached your notification dated [date].
• [Describe your situation.]
Under the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 and your fee protection arrangement, I understand I am entitled to a refund of my fees, less any registration or administration fee stated in your enrolment terms. I have attached the following supporting documents: [list]. Please confirm the refund amount and expected payment date.
My payment was made from [bank name / account details]; please advise if you need further details to process the transfer back to this account.
Kind regards,
[Your Full Name]
[Student / Offer Reference]
[Phone number]
[Email address]
Documents commonly requested
| Scenario | Documents usually required |
|---|---|
| Visa declined before arrival | Immigration New Zealand decline letter, offer confirmation, fee receipts |
| Course unavailable / offer withdrawn | Provider's written notice; the fee protection mechanism handles the refund |
| Changed requirement | Offer documentation, written correspondence showing the change |
| Withdrawal within the provider's stated period | Written withdrawal notice within the provider's specified timeframe |
What about your NOC and your education loan?
Two Nepal-specific practicalities to sort out alongside your refund:
- NOC (No Objection Certificate): mandatory for Nepali students going to any country, including New Zealand. Your NOC was issued against your specific offer, so if you plan to apply elsewhere afterwards you'll typically need an updated NOC referencing the new offer — confirm current requirements directly on HOA's NOC guide or the MoEST portal. The NPR 2,000 NOC fee is a government processing charge, separate from any provider refund.
- Education loan: if you've taken an education loan and funds were already disbursed, redirect the refunded amount toward the loan promptly to limit interest accruing on money no longer needed for its original purpose. If the loan was sanctioned but not yet disbursed, contact your bank to pause or cancel disbursement, and keep your provider's refund confirmation as documentation.
If your refund is refused or delayed
Raise the issue with your provider first — the Code of Practice requires every signatory provider to have an internal complaint process. If it remains unresolved:
- Code of Practice breaches (such as a provider failing to disclose its fee protection mechanism) are raised with NZQA, which can investigate and, where a breach is confirmed, consider claims for redress.
- Financial and contractual disputes — including how much of a refund you're owed — go to Study Complaints | Ngā Amuamu Tauira, a free, independent scheme that has combined the former iStudent Complaints and Tertiary Education Dispute Resolution services since 1 January 2024.
Your New Zealand plan fell through — is the UK worth a second look?
Nepali students who lose a New Zealand place to a visa decline, an unavailable course, or a changed requirement often find UK admissions run on a different rhythm — and HOA's guidance is entirely free.
- 153 UK partner universities — HOA has placed students across all 24 Russell Group universities
- An IELTS-waiver (MOI) route accepted by 25+ UK universities for many Nepali academic backgrounds
- £2M+ in scholarships secured for HOA-guided students since 2016
How this compares to other study destinations
| Destination | Governing framework | Typical refund deadline | External dispute body |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | ILEP / TrustEd Ireland (QQI) | 20 working days of written claim | Ombudsman (public only) |
| New Zealand | Education Code of Practice 2021 + Fee Protection Rules | Set per provider | Study Complaints | Ngā Amuamu Tauira |
| United Kingdom | Institution's own policy + CMA consumer law guidance | Set per university | OIA (England/Wales), SPSO (Scotland) |
| Australia | ESOS Act 2000 + National Code 2018 | 28 days of written claim | National Student Ombudsman |
| Canada | Each Designated Learning Institution's own policy | Set per institution (often ~30 days) | Varies by province |
Weighing more than one country? Compare with UK university refunds, Irish university refunds, Australian university refunds, or Canadian university refunds.