Document checklist
China → Cook Islands: International Worker Visa and Permit
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
12 itemsIdentity
Evidence of your identity
RequiredYour passport and any other document Immigration needs to confirm who you are.
Financial
Evidence of sufficient funds
RequiredProof you can support yourself, and your spouse and dependent children if they're joining you, while in the Cook Islands, unless you have a sponsor instead.
Sponsor declaration
You can apply for a work permit without a sponsor. If you don't have your own sufficient funds, a sponsor in the Cook Islands can support you instead by providing a sponsorship number, or you must upload evidence of sufficient funds so an immigration officer can assess whether you can cover the costs yourself.
Source: Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Frequently Asked Questions
Employment
Evidence your employer advertised and couldn't fill the role locally
RequiredEvidence your prospective employer publicly advertised the vacancy, couldn't fill it with a suitable Cook Islander or permanent resident on the same terms, and agreed to enrol you in (and give you time off for) a values or language programme, unless you've already completed one.
Written offer of employment
RequiredA written offer of employment in the Cook Islands that meets the minimum terms and conditions of the Employment Relations Act 2012 and the Immigration Regulations 2023.
Travel
Evidence of onward travel, or a bond
RequiredProof of your plan to travel onward after your permit ends, for yourself and any spouse or dependent children joining you, or paying a bond instead.
Other
Curriculum vitae
RequiredA CV or similar document setting out your qualifications, skills, and experience for the position you're filling.
Evidence of English language proficiency
RequiredProof you can work in English, for example an English-speaking background, other evidence you're a competent English user, or an accepted test result such as IELTS.
Evidence of an acceptable standard of health
RequiredIf you'll stay 6 months or more, a medical clearance letter from the Cook Islands Ministry of Health. Your medical exam must be done offshore by a doctor recognised for immigration purposes, with the results sent to the Ministry of Health for approval before you get the clearance letter.
Source: Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Frequently Asked Questions
Evidence of good character
RequiredIf you plan to stay more than six months, a police certificate showing your criminal record, issued by a national or federal police department, no older than 6 months, in English or with an official English translation.
Source: Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Frequently Asked Questions
Evidence you met your obligations on a previous International Worker Permit
If you've held an International Worker Permit before, evidence you held a revenue division management number and paid any required taxes and superannuation, and completed a values or language programme. You must also have spent at least 1 month offshore during each previous permit's term.
Translations of any documents not in English
If any of your supporting documents aren't in English, you need a certified English translation of them.
Why applications on this route get refused
Vacancy not genuinely advertised to local workers
If your employer can't show they publicly advertised the role and failed to fill it with a suitable Cook Islander or permanent resident on the same terms offered to you, the application doesn't meet the employment requirement.
How to avoid it: Check with your employer that the advertising and local-recruitment steps were properly documented before you apply.
Maximum International Worker Permits already held
Unless you qualify under a special skills category or a more favourable international agreement (e.g. Pacer Plus), you can't hold more than two International Worker Permits in a row without a break of more than one year offshore, meaning a continuous stay can't exceed six years.
How to avoid it: Track how many consecutive permits you've held, and plan an offshore break longer than a year before applying again if you're near the limit.
Missing the required offshore break during a previous permit
You must have spent at least 1 month outside the Cook Islands during the term of each previous International Worker Permit you held.
How to avoid it: Plan at least one month offshore during your permit's validity period, and keep evidence of your travel dates.
Incomplete or uncertified documents
Incomplete applications, insufficient or unauthenticated documentation, and foreign documents without a certified translation are stated causes of processing delay, and an incomplete application may be declined without a refund of fees paid.
How to avoid it: Make sure every document is complete, authenticated where needed, and that foreign-language documents carry a certified English translation before you submit.
Sources
Check your documents against this list before you pay the Cook Islands application fee.
Answer a few questions, add what you have, and get a report of what is missing or needs fixing. Documents you add are read on your device, never uploaded.
Check my documents