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quick answer
Can Pakistani students get a fully funded New Zealand scholarship?
No, Pakistani citizens cannot get the fully funded Manaaki New Zealand government degree scholarship, because Pakistan is not on its eligible-country list. Pakistani students fund study in New Zealand through partial university scholarships, such as the University of Auckland award of up to NZ$10,000 toward tuition, and through the PhD domestic-fee scheme, where international doctoral students pay the same low tuition as New Zealanders, around NZ$8,800 a year. These are real and verifiable. None covers everything.
New Zealand scholarships for Pakistani students at a glance
Here is the honest snapshot for a Pakistani applicant: no government fully funded degree route, partial university awards across the eight universities, and one strong tuition subsidy at PhD level.
Government fully funded degree scholarship (Manaaki): Not open to Pakistani citizens. Pakistan is absent from the official eligible-country list at nzscholarships.govt.nz.
What Pakistani students do use: Partial university scholarships, plus the PhD domestic-fee scheme.
University of Auckland International Student Excellence Scholarship: Up to NZ$10,000 toward tuition, undergraduate or postgraduate, up to 50 awarded twice a year.
University of Otago International Master’s Research Scholarship: NZ$18,204 stipend per year plus a one-year tuition waiver capped at NZ$35,000, thesis component only.
PhD domestic-fee scheme: New international PhD students who reside in New Zealand pay domestic tuition. Auckland 2026 rate is NZ$8,847.60 per year; Waikato is NZ$7,567 to NZ$8,037.
Levels covered: Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD, depending on the award. The strongest funding sits at PhD level.
English requirement: Set by each university, commonly IELTS 6.0 to 6.5, confirmed per programme.
Manaaki short-term training (the one Manaaki track Pakistan can use): Professionals only, courses of 2 to 4 weeks, employer endorsement required. Not degree study.
Living costs and insurance: Not covered by these awards. Immigration New Zealand requires proof of around NZ$20,000 per year in living funds. Insurance is compulsory.
MTZ role: Guidance and application support only. MTZ does not award or guarantee any scholarship.
The three real funding routes open to Pakistani students
Three funding routes are open to Pakistani students in New Zealand: the PhD domestic-fee scheme, partial university scholarships, and Manaaki short-term professional training. The first two support degree study; the third does not. The fully funded Manaaki degree scholarship is closed to Pakistani citizens, so it is not a route for you.
The PhD domestic-fee scheme: your strongest lever
New Zealand charges new international PhD students the same tuition as its own citizens, which is the single largest saving a Pakistani student can secure for degree study there. At the University of Auckland the 2026 doctoral tuition fee is NZ$8,847.60 a year, the same rate New Zealand PhD students pay, on the condition that you live in New Zealand for the duration of your doctorate. The University of Waikato sets its 2026 domestic doctoral fee at NZ$7,567 to NZ$8,037 a year. Compare that to the NZ$40,000-plus international rate a Master’s student pays, and the size of the subsidy is clear. The scheme covers tuition only. You still budget for living costs and compulsory insurance, and you must keep New Zealand residence through the programme, with overseas research limited to about 12 months in total.
University tuition scholarships you can actually win
Each of New Zealand’s eight universities runs its own partial scholarships, and Pakistani students apply as international students with no nationality bar. The University of Auckland International Student Excellence Scholarship gives up to NZ$10,000 toward compulsory tuition for new international undergraduate and postgraduate students, with up to 50 awarded twice a year for a one-year tenure. The University of Otago International Master’s Research Scholarship pays an NZ$18,204 stipend a year plus a one-year tuition waiver capped at NZ$35,000, covering the thesis part of a research Master’s only. Otago also runs an undergraduate International Academic Excellence award worth roughly NZ$35,000 across first-year accommodation and later-year tuition. These are partial. Each one trims your cost; none erases it. You apply for admission first, then the scholarship attaches to that offer.
Manaaki short-term training: for working professionals only
The one Manaaki track a Pakistani citizen can access is the Thematic Short Term Training Scholarship, and it is not for students. It funds mid-level and senior professionals to take a short course of 2 to 4 weeks, run in New Zealand or online, and it requires a letter of endorsement from your employer. Pakistan is listed under the South Asia region for this track. If you are a working professional seeking a short skills course, this is open to you. If you want a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD, it is the wrong route, and the degree-level Manaaki scholarship that would fund those is closed to Pakistani citizens.
Who qualifies, and the Manaaki gate that shuts out Pakistani citizens
A Pakistani student qualifies for partial New Zealand university scholarships and the PhD domestic-fee scheme by meeting each university’s own admission and English rules; the only route barred by nationality is the fully funded Manaaki degree scholarship, which excludes Pakistan.
Pakistani citizens are eligible for university scholarships and the PhD domestic-fee scheme as international students. The eight universities apply no Pakistan-specific bar. The exception is the Manaaki government degree scholarship, whose official eligible Asian list runs Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam, and does not include Pakistan.
University scholarships span Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD depending on the award. The PhD domestic-fee scheme applies to doctoral study only. Manaaki short-term training applies to working professionals, not to any degree.
Each university sets its own English requirement, commonly IELTS 6.0 to 6.5 depending on the programme. Some programmes accept a medium-of-instruction route or alternative tests; you confirm the exact rule on your chosen university’s admission page before you apply.
There is no government Sending Partner for degree study, because Pakistan cannot apply for the Manaaki degree scholarship. You apply directly to the university for admission, then attach the university scholarship to that offer. For a PhD, you secure a supervisor and an admission offer, then claim the domestic-fee rate once enrolled and resident in New Zealand. This direct, university-first path is the defining feature of studying in New Zealand from Pakistan.
University scholarships are open across most disciplines, set award by award. The Otago Master’s research award is limited to thesis-based research Master’s in eligible divisions. There is no development-sector field restriction for you, because the development-themed Manaaki scholarship that carries those preferred fields is not a route Pakistani students can use.
The universities publish no general age cap for these scholarships. MTZ does not state an age limit where the official body does not publish one. Confirm any age condition for your specific award on the official university page before applying
The New Zealand rule that changes the maths: domestic fees for international PhD students
New Zealand is one of very few countries that charges international PhD students the same tuition as its own citizens, a government scheme that turns doctoral study into the cheapest serious route for a Pakistani student.
This is the New Zealand equivalent of the country-specific gate other destinations carry, and for once it works in your favour rather than against you. Under the scheme, a new international doctoral student pays the domestic rate, NZ$8,847.60 a year at the University of Auckland for 2026, instead of the full international fee. The conditions are strict and worth stating plainly. You must reside in New Zealand for the length of the doctorate. Overseas research is allowed but capped at a cumulative 12 months. The rate covers tuition only, so living costs and insurance remain yours to fund, and Immigration New Zealand expects proof of around NZ$20,000 a year in living funds. Pair this scheme with a university doctoral scholarship or a supervisor’s research funding and the total cost falls further, though no part of it is automatic and none of it is guaranteed at admission.
The documents a New Zealand university will ask you to submit
A Pakistani applicant to a New Zealand university scholarship submits an admission application first, and the scholarship attaches to it, so the document set is the university’s standard international file plus a few research items for postgraduate awards.
⚫ Completed online application through the university’s own admission portal, with your chosen programme selected.
⚫ Academic transcripts and degree or matriculation certificates, with certified English translations where the original is not in English.
⚫ Proof of English proficiency, commonly an IELTS or TOEFL result, or evidence of a recognised medium-of-instruction route where the university accepts it.
⚫ Passport bio-data page, valid for the period of study.
⚫ Curriculum vitae, required for Master’s and PhD scholarship consideration.
⚫ A research proposal and a confirmed supervisor, required for a PhD and for research Master’s awards such as the Otago International Master’s Research Scholarship.
⚫ Academic references, the number set by the university and the specific award.
Financial evidence is not a scholarship document. You provide proof of funds later, to Immigration New Zealand for the student visa, not to the scholarship committee. The Documents block above is only about the scholarship and admission file
What each route pays for, in New Zealand dollars
Each open route pays for a different slice of your costs: the PhD domestic-fee scheme cuts tuition to the New Zealand citizen rate, university scholarships give a partial tuition credit, and none of them covers living costs or insurance.
covered:
⚫ PhD domestic-fee scheme: tuition charged at the New Zealand domestic rate, NZ$8,847.60 a year at the University of Auckland for 2026, and NZ$7,567 to NZ$8,037 a year at the University of Waikato.
⚫ University of Auckland International Student Excellence Scholarship: up to NZ$10,000 credited toward compulsory tuition fees, one-year tenure.
⚫ University of Otago International Master’s Research Scholarship: an NZ$18,204 stipend for the year plus a tuition fee waiver capped at NZ$35,000, covering the research Master’s thesis year.
⚫ Manaaki Thematic Short Term Training (professionals only): the short course costs for the 2 to 4 week training, not degree tuition.
Not covered:
⚫ Living costs. Immigration New Zealand expects proof of about NZ$20,000 a year in living funds, and that figure sits on you, not on any of these awards.
⚫ Compulsory health and travel insurance for the full study period.
⚫ The student services levy, around NZ$1,133 a year for full-time study, charged on top of tuition.
⚫ Airfares, visa fees, and the international tuition gap on any Master’s or undergraduate award, since these scholarships are partial credits, not full coverage.
these awards are decided by the universities and the New Zealand Government, not by MTZ. Meeting the criteria does not guarantee an award. The PhD domestic-fee rate is conditional on you residing in New Zealand for the doctorate, with overseas research capped at a cumulative 12 months.
figures here are in New Zealand dollars, the currency the universities publish. As a rough guide in June 2026, 1 NZD is about PKR 162 to 167. Exchange rates move, so budget conservatively at around PKR 175 per NZD and confirm the live rate with MTZ Islamabad or Lahore before you make any payment decision. MTZ does not publish a fixed rupee fee table.
How to apply, step by step
You apply to a New Zealand university directly, because there is no government Sending Partner for Pakistani degree applicants, and the scholarship or the PhD domestic-fee rate attaches to your admission once you have an offer.
step-1 →
Choose your programme and university. Shortlist from the eight universities by your field and budget. For a PhD, this step is mostly about finding a supervisor whose research matches yours, since the doctorate and the domestic-fee rate both depend on a supervisor accepting you.
step-2 →
Apply for admission. Submit the university’s online admission application with your academic and English documents. This is the step that matters most, because every scholarship route here builds on a live admission offer, not the other way round.
step-3 →
Flag yourself for scholarships. On most university portals you tick a box or complete a short scholarship section during or just after admission. The University of Auckland Excellence Scholarship and the Otago research awards are claimed this way; some attach automatically to your admission assessment.
step-4 →
Secure the PhD domestic-fee rate, if doctoral. Once you hold a PhD offer and enrol while resident in New Zealand, the university applies the domestic tuition rate. Confirm the residence condition with the university before you commit, so the rate holds for all your doctoral years.
step-5
Plan the visa and funds. After an offer, prepare your Immigration New Zealand student visa, including proof of living funds and insurance. MTZ helps you sequence admission, scholarship, and visa so nothing stalls.
Timing: university scholarship windows follow an annual or twice-yearly pattern. The University of Auckland Excellence Scholarship, for example, closes on 1 April and 21 October for its two 2026 intakes. Dates shift year to year, so MTZ confirms the live dates for your intake before you apply.
How MTZ supports your New Zealand application
MTZ guides a Pakistani student through the whole New Zealand application, from picking a fundable programme to filing the student visa, without ever awarding or promising a scholarship.
We start by reading your grades, degree, and English level against what New Zealand universities actually fund, then tell you plainly whether a partial award or the PhD domestic-fee route is realistic for you. If New Zealand is the wrong fit, we say so.
For taught degrees we shortlist universities where your profile competes for the partial scholarships. For a PhD, we help you find a supervisor whose research lines up with yours, since that match decides both your admission and your domestic-fee rate.
We help you assemble the admission file, the transcripts, English evidence, CV, and for research degrees the proposal, and we make sure each piece meets the specific university’s format before you submit.
We help you lodge the admission application on the university portal and complete the scholarship section so you are assessed for every award you qualify for, on time for your intake.
Once you hold an offer, we help you prepare the Immigration New Zealand student visa, including the proof-of-funds and insurance evidence, and sequence it so admission, scholarship, and visa move in the right order.
Start with the free scholarship eligibility assessment:
The honest limits you should know before you apply
Be clear on four limits before you spend time on a New Zealand application: there is no government fully funded degree scholarship for Pakistani citizens, the university awards are partial, the strong PhD subsidy is tuition only, and no award is guaranteed.
Read these limits before you apply.
The fully funded Manaaki New Zealand government degree scholarship is closed to Pakistani citizens. Pakistan is not on its eligible-country list, so no amount of preparation opens that door. Anyone telling a Pakistani family otherwise is working from an old list.
The university scholarships that are open to you are partial. An award of up to NZ$10,000 toward tuition is real and worth having, but it is a credit against a much larger fee, not a free degree. You fund the rest.
The PhD domestic-fee scheme is the strongest lever, and even it covers tuition only. Living costs, insurance, and the student services levy stay with you, and the rate holds only while you reside in New Zealand for the doctorate.
MTZ does not award or guarantee any scholarship. The universities and the New Zealand Government make these decisions. We improve how well your application is put together and how well it is timed. We cannot change who wins.
New Zealand funding routes compared for Pakistani students
Compared side by side, the three open routes split cleanly: the PhD domestic-fee scheme gives the deepest tuition saving, the university scholarships give a partial credit at any level, and Manaaki short-term training is not degree study at all.
| Route | Open to Pakistani students | Level | What it gives | Honest limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhD domestic-fee scheme | Yes | PhD only | Tuition at the NZ domestic rate, about NZ$7,567 to NZ$8,847 a year | Tuition only; must reside in New Zealand for the doctorate |
| University scholarships (e.g. Auckland, Otago) | Yes | Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD | Partial tuition credit, up to NZ$10,000 at Auckland; Otago research Master’s adds an NZ$18,204 stipend | Partial only; you fund the remaining fee and all living costs |
| Manaaki Thematic Short Term Training | Yes, professionals only | Short course, no degree | Funded 2 to 4 week professional course | Not degree study; needs employer endorsement |
| Manaaki fully funded degree scholarship | Yes | Bachelor’s to PhD | Would cover tuition, stipend, travel | Pakistan is not on the eligible-country list |
New Zealand scholarship questions Pakistani families ask
Short, honest answers to what Pakistani students and parents most often ask about funding study in New Zealand, each based on official New Zealand and university sources.
No, there is no fully funded New Zealand government degree scholarship open to Pakistani citizens in 2026. Pakistani students fund study in New Zealand through partial university scholarships and the PhD domestic-fee scheme, which charges international doctoral students the same low tuition as New Zealanders.
No, the Manaaki degree scholarship is not open to Pakistani citizens. Its official eligible Asian list covers Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam, and Pakistan is not on it. Websites that still list Pakistan are using an older country list.
Three routes are open to you: partial university scholarships at the eight New Zealand universities, the PhD domestic-fee scheme for doctoral study, and Manaaki short-term training for working professionals. The first two support degree study, the third does not.
The University of Auckland International Student Excellence Scholarship is worth up to NZ$10,000 toward compulsory tuition fees. It is open to new international undergraduate and postgraduate students, including Pakistanis, with up to 50 awarded twice a year for a one-year tenure.
It is a New Zealand Government scheme that charges new international PhD students the same tuition as domestic students. At the University of Auckland the 2026 doctoral fee is NZ$8,847.60 a year, on the condition that you live in New Zealand for the doctorate.
Yes, new international PhD students pay the domestic tuition rate as long as they reside in New Zealand for the programme. Overseas research is allowed but capped at a cumulative 12 months. The rate covers tuition only, so living costs and insurance remain yours.
There is no confirmed open New Zealand Commonwealth Scholarship cycle for Pakistani students. New Zealand has consolidated its international scholarships under the Manaaki programme, which does not include Pakistan, and the older Commonwealth pages reflect past cycles. Confirm any live cycle directly with the Higher Education Commission before relying on it.
Usually yes, most New Zealand universities ask for IELTS around 6.0 to 6.5, set by the programme. Some programmes accept a medium-of-instruction route or another recognised test, so check your chosen university’s admission page for the exact rule before you apply.
Yes, but it is usually partial. The University of Otago International Master’s Research Scholarship pays an NZ$18,204 stipend plus a one-year tuition waiver capped at NZ$35,000 for a research Master’s thesis year. Taught Master’s students rely on partial tuition awards such as the Auckland Excellence Scholarship.
Most university scholarships are partial and cover only part of your tuition. They do not cover living costs, compulsory insurance, the student services levy of around NZ$1,133 a year, airfares, or your visa. You budget for these yourself.
Yes, a Pakistani professional can apply for the Manaaki Thematic Short Term Training Scholarship, listed for South Asia. It funds a short course of 2 to 4 weeks, run in New Zealand or online, and needs an endorsement letter from your employer. It is not a degree and not for students.
Immigration New Zealand expects proof of about NZ$20,000 a year in living funds for the student visa, separate from your tuition. A partial scholarship reduces your tuition but does not remove this living-funds requirement.
No, MTZ does not award or guarantee any scholarship. The universities and the New Zealand Government decide who is funded. MTZ helps you choose a fundable programme, build a strong application, and apply on time, which improves your chances without promising an outcome.
Apply as early as your intake allows, because most awards follow an annual or twice-yearly window tied to admission. The University of Auckland Excellence Scholarship, for example, closed on 1 April and 21 October for its two 2026 intakes. Dates move each year, so MTZ confirms the live dates for your intake before you apply.
Talk to MTZ about studying in New Zealand
If you want an honest read on whether a New Zealand partial scholarship or the PhD domestic-fee route fits your profile, MTZ will tell you plainly and help you apply.
About the author
Author: Mubbashir Qureshi, CEO, MTZ Global Visa Consultants Pvt Ltd. 25+ years personal experience guiding Pakistani students into study abroad and international education.
Last verified: 14 June 2026. Next review: 14 December 2026, or sooner if the Manaaki eligible-country list changes.
