New Zealand Ranks 3rd Among the Most Peaceful Countries in the World: A Stable, Strategic Destination for Investors

December 19, 2025 · New Zealand · 11 min read

The Global Peace Index (GPI) is one of the factors worth weighing when investors assess the security of their assets and the stability of a long-term residence pathway in a given country. Ranked 3rd worldwide for peace and social stability in 2025, New Zealand is one of the most peaceful countries in the world and offers a secure environment in which families can plan their relocation and preserve their wealth for the next generation.

Enduring stability: New Zealand’s intangible asset

According to the Global Peace Index 2025, New Zealand ranks among the top 3 most peaceful countries in the world. The result reflects a long-term trend: New Zealand has consistently remained among the most stable and secure countries in the world since the index was first published in 2007.

New Zealand ranks 3rd in the Global Peace Index 2025 (Source: Global Peace Index 2025)

Political stability and social order help limit exposure to unexpected disruptions while providing a transparent legal framework for investment and residence. For investors, this is a key factor in helping ensure that their residence and property rights are respected throughout the settlement process.

New Zealand residency by investment: flexible options

Today’s New Zealand investment migration programs are designed to be flexible, matching investors’ differing financial positions and management experience.

Active Investor Plus Visa (AIP)

The Active Investor Plus (AIP) residence program marks a clear repositioning of New Zealand’s immigration policy. It is designed to screen for and attract high-quality capital that drives economic innovation, strengthens the competitiveness of domestic businesses, and builds long-term, substantive ties between international investors and the local economy and community.

• Investment amount: at least NZ$5 million (Growth category) or NZ$10 million (Balanced category).
• Investment period: 3 or 5 years, depending on the category chosen.
• Minimum time in New Zealand:
• Growth category: at least 21 days in New Zealand during the 3-year investment period.
• Balanced category: at least 105 days in New Zealand during the 5-year investment period.
• Program advantages: no age, business experience, or language requirements, giving investors greater flexibility and making the program easier to access.
• Risk management: investors may withdraw their capital once they have been granted a Permanent Resident Visa.

| See full details of the Active Investor Plus Visa

Business Investor Visa

The Business Investor Visa targets individuals with business experience who invest by acquiring all or part of an operating New Zealand business and take an active role in running it.

• Investment amount:
• Fast-track pathway: invest from NZ$2 million and apply for a Resident Visa after just 12 months of running a qualifying business.
• Standard pathway: invest from NZ$1 million and apply for a Resident Visa after 3 years of running a qualifying business.
• Minimum time in New Zealand: at least 184 days per year.
• Genuine commitment: investors must be actively involved in running the business, maintain 5 full-time equivalent jobs, and create 1 new full-time job for a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.
• Program advantages: a faster route to residence (in as little as 12 months); a lower investment threshold than AIP, starting from NZ$1 million.

| See full details of the Business Investor Visa

From residence to New Zealand citizenship, plus the right to live and work in Australia

New Zealand’s pathway from residence to citizenship is clearly structured, designed to support long-term, stable integration for the investor’s whole family.

• With New Zealand residence, investors and their families can access tuition-free public education and international-standard healthcare.
• Once they are granted a Permanent Resident Visa after the investment period, the whole family can live in New Zealand indefinitely and travel in and out freely without needing to apply for further visas.
• There is a pathway to New Zealand citizenship. As New Zealand citizens, investors and their families enjoy visa-free or electronic travel authorization access to 187 destinations worldwide, including the United States, Australia, Canada, and Europe.
• Rights in Australia: as New Zealand citizens, the whole family can live and work in Australia under the Special Category Visa (subclass 444), with a direct pathway to Australian citizenship.

IMM Group: why choose a proven advisory firm?

The global investment migration landscape is constantly shifting and increasingly complex. Investors need an advisory partner who not only helps them build a strong application but also offers reassurance about their family’s future. For New Zealand investment migration programs, as for all of our global investment migration solutions, IMM Group stands out as a strategic advisory partner, supporting you with experience and integrity.

As a pioneer with more than 21 years of hands-on experience in Vietnam, IMM Group does not act as a sales agent. We do more than advise — we design investment migration solutions built on:

• Rigorous due diligence and risk management: Having successfully handled hundreds of applications, including complex cases, we conduct multi-layered project due diligence and protect investors’ interests rigorously, including during periods of market stress.
• In-depth professional advice and full transparency: Every IMM Group consultant and case manager holds an international investment migration advisory certification issued by the Investment Migration Council (IMC). Our team provides a comprehensive analysis of benefits and risks so you can make decisions based on complete and accurate information. We put our clients’ long-term interests first.
• Integrity and commitment at every stage: Guided by our philosophy, “Serving with Authentic Values,” IMM Group commits to supporting you from the first step until you are settled. Integrity is our foundation, reflected in our readiness to protect client interests and to proactively refund service fees when risks beyond the client’s control arise (as set out in the contract).
• Receiving and giving back: Since 2025, IMM Group has officially become a nonprofit enterprise, committing at least 50% of its annual profits to the Be Better Fund. By choosing IMM Group, you also help hundreds of students facing exceptional hardship gain a chance to change their lives.

If you are interested in New Zealand investment migration programs, contact IMM Group or leave your details below. Our experienced advisors will provide detailed guidance and help assess the prospects of your case. We will keep your personal data confidential and use the information you provide only to advise on your family’s case.

IMM Group

• Tags:
• New Zealand immigration
• New Zealand residency by investment
• Active Investor Plus Visa
• Business Investor Visa program

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