This page provides guidance to New Zealand providers seeking to deliver a programme offshore.
These guidelines set out the New Zealand Qualifications Authority’s quality assurance process for approval, and explain the special criteria in the:
Offshore Programme Delivery Rules
Changes since January 2026
This guide has been updated to remove reference to:
- external evaluation and review (EER), given the Quality Assurance (including External Evaluation and Review (EER)) Rules 2022 were revoked in January 2026.
- Workforce Development Council (WDC), and replace this with Industry Skill Boards (ISBs)
- Education (Pastoral Care of International and Domestic Tertiary Students) Code of Practice 2021, and replace this with the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021
- tertiary education organisations (TEOs) and replace this with tertiary education providers.
Please send feedback or questions to qaadmin@nzqa.govt.nz.
On this page
What is offshore delivery?
Offshore programme delivery means delivery in a country (other than New Zealand, or a Realm Country, Cook Islands, Niue, or Tokelau) of all or part of an NZQA-approved programme by an offshore provider.
- ‘Offshore provider’ means a a tertiary education provider as defined in section 10 of the Act.
- ‘Programme’ means a programme that leads to the award of a qualification listed on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF).
Delivery may be provided by the offshore provider themselves or in partnership with one or more other offshore providers or partner organisations.
- ‘Offshore partner’ means an organisation that is used, or is to be used, by an offshore provider for offshore: teaching, training, or supervision of learning activities; assessment; practical training; academic or pastoral support.
Typically, but not always, a programme will have a history of successful delivery within New Zealand before a tertiary education provider considers applying to NZQA to deliver it offshore.
The Offshore Programme Delivery Rules do not apply to:
- delivery of the programme via distance or online modes of delivery only, where the programme has been approved for distance or online mode of delivery in New Zealand
- offshore delivery of all or part of a tertiary education provider’s programme leading to the award of an overseas (i.e., non-NZQCF) qualification
- articulation arrangements where a tertiary education provider cross-credits part of an overseas qualification towards a New Zealand qualification.
Who can apply?
Tertiary education providers can apply for offshore programme approval.
Tertiary education providers include:
- private training establishments (PTEs)
- New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST)
- polytechnics and institutes of technology
- wānanga
- government training establishments.
Tertiary education providers seeking to be offshore providers must be signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021.
Tertiary education providers seeking to be offshore providers must submit for approval either:
- an existing approved programme that they have adapted for offshore delivery that also meets the Offshore Programme Delivery Rules, or
- a new programme that meets both the Programme Approval, Recognition, and Accreditation Rules, and the Offshore Programme Delivery Rules.
Offshore approval for programmes delivered by New Zealand universities is the responsibility of the:
Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP) (external link)
NZQA rules and guidelines
The following apply:
Offshore Programme Delivery Rules
Programme Approval, Recognition, and Accreditation Rules (Programme Rules)
Guidelines for approving and maintaining degrees and related qualifications
Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 (the Code)
Quality assurance
NZQA quality assures applications for offshore programme delivery based on the evidence provided to meet Offshore Programme Delivery Rule 7.1.
Applications must meet the following criteria.
- Describe how the offshore programme delivery meets the special criteria set out in the Offshore Programme Delivery Rules. These are set out and explained below. There is one Approval criterion and nine Accreditation criteria.
- Where the language of instruction, assessment or training is not Te Reo Māori or English, explain how that will be communicated to potential students and how that will feature on the certificate of award.
- Where practical training arrangements are involved, explain how they will be overseen, verified, and assessed, and explain the responsibilities and accountabilities of each party.
- Where work placements are involved, explain how the employer and workplace are assessed and how the student's safety and well-being during the work placement will be supported.
NZQA will be clear about the information and evidence on which decisions have been made. An application outcome of approved, not approved, or request for information (RFI) will be provided based on the overall quality of the application.
Te Hono o Te Kahurangi quality assurance
Te Hono o Te Kahurangi is a whare ako framework and methodology NZQA uses for quality assurance in the non-university tertiary sector.
If your organisation uses kaupapa Māori and teaches mātauranga Māori, Te Hono o Te Kahurangi lets you engage with NZQA using Māori approaches and values.
Te Hono o Te Kahurangi guidelines for evaluative quality assurance
These guidelines inform TEOs about how NZQA quality assures educational outcomes. They also show how NZQA prioritises Mātauranga Māori and the acceleration of Māori learner success in the tertiary education context.
Special approval criteria
Special accreditation criteria
How to apply
Tertiary education organisations may submit an existing approved programme that they have adapted for offshore delivery, or a new programme.
If adapting an existing programme please provide a tracked changes copy of the programme documentation.
How to apply online
- Log in to the providers portal.
- Select TEO Applications.
- Create an application.
- Select ‘Other’.
- Click on contact details. The contact details page is prepopulated with your organisation’s details. You should make any changes necessary to ensure the details are appropriate for the programme.
- Follow the instructions and guided application template.
- On the supporting documents page, attach and upload the documents that support the application.
- Submit.
An email acknowledging receipt of your application will be generated automatically and sent to you.
When the application is received
When the application is received, an email quoting an NZQA case number will be sent to the applicant. This number stays with the application through to its outcome.
The application will be assigned to the Approvals and Accreditation team or Quality Assurance Māori team. Another email will advise the applicant of the Evaluator’s name and contact details.
The Evaluator will commence evaluation and will contact the applicant if the submission lacks sufficient evidence for the evaluation to be conducted.
Timeframes
NZQA will process applications within 45 working days. This does not include requests for further information.
Supporting documents
This guide offers suggestions for supporting documents. Please indicate how the documents support the application if it is not obvious.
There is a simple template for a programme document:
Appendix 4 Programme document example [DOCX, 18 KB]
Evaluation
The Evaluator will assess the application against the special criteria in the offshore Rules, and the criteria in the Programme Rules, depending on whether it is a new or adapted programme.
Request for further information (RFI)
What does it mean?
Overall, the Evaluator has deemed the application potentially meets the criteria and is supported by documentation of sufficient quality that an RFI should resolve any questions.
An RFI will not be sent if significant changes are needed to meet the criteria.
The RFI may include questions about missing documentation if, in the Evaluator’s view, it is clear that something is missing that the applicant clearly intended to provide.
It may also include questions of clarification, if parts of what is provided is ambiguous or unclear.
The findings of the evaluation will be set out in a report and the Evaluator will be available to explain or clarify it.
If the Evaluator concludes that the response to the RFI has not addressed the issues raised, then the application will not be approved.
Outcome
Applications will be approved or not approved.
If the application is not approved, the reasons will be set out in a detailed report linked to the criteria in the NZQA Rules. The Evaluator will be available for a phone call or meeting, or will provide clarification via email, in response to the outcome letter and report.
If applications are approved the tertiary education organisation will receive an approval letter including a copy of the approved programme summary.
What will it cost?
The work on the application is charged at a rate of $240 per hour plus GST.