Non–New Zealand citizens wishing to enter the Realm of New Zealand must obtain a visa unless they are a citizen or permanent resident of Australia or a citizen of one of the 60 visa waiver eligible countries and territories a holder of the United Nations laissez-passer or eligible for visa-free travel under other specific provisions (visiting force, cruise ship passengers and crew, aircraft crew, etc.).
Both Australian citizens travelling on a valid Australian Passport and permanent residents of Australia that present a valid Permanent Visa or Resident Return Visa are deemed to hold resident status in New Zealand upon arrival under the Trans-Tasman travel arrangement.
Visitors must hold passports that are valid for at least 3 months beyond the period of intended stay. Visitors are required to hold proof of sufficient funds to cover their stay: NZ$1,000 per person per month of stay or NZ$400 if accommodation has been prepaid. Visitors are required to hold documents required for their next destination.
Visa policy map
Visa exemption New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority
Since 1 October 2019, travellers that are visa waiver must request a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) prior to travel.
The NZeTA is mandatory for all sea and air arrivals, including transit, unless exempt. When issued, it remains valid for the period of 2 years.
As of 1 October 2019, the following people are eligible to travel without a visa but with an NZeTA:
people granted a visa waiver by special direction; members of a visiting force (including members of the civilian component of the visiting force) as defined in the Visiting Forces Act 2004, but only if: each person is travelling to New Zealand in the ordinary course of the person's duty or employment; each person is seeking a temporary entry class visa at an immigration control area; the craft transporting the visiting force is a commercial craft; cruise ship passengers; cruise ship crew travelling in the ordinary course of business of the ship; positioning cruise ship crew; aircraft crew of an aircraft on a flight between any other country and New Zealand in the course of a scheduled international service; positioning aircraft crew; British citizens, and any other British passport holder who can produce evidence of the right to reside permanently in the United Kingdom, but only if the person concerned is seeking a Visitor Visa current for not more than 6 months and the purposes of the visit do not include medical consultation or treatment; citizens of the following countries, but only if the person concerned is seeking a Visitor Visa current for not more than three months and the purposes of the visit is not for medical consultation or treatment: All European Union member states All European Free Trade Association member states All Gulf Cooperation Council member states member states (with Australian Visa) (with Australian Visa) people with passports from and countries can visit New Zealand from Australia without a visa. Instead of applying for a visa, if they have a valid eligible Australian visa,UR160 — Business Owner (provisional)、UR161 — Senior Executive (provisional)、UR162 — Investor (provisional)、UR163 — State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner (provisional)、UR164 — State/Territory Sponsored Senior Executive (provisional)、UR165 — State/Territory Sponsored Investor (provisional)、UT173 — Contributory Parent (temporary)、EB188 — Business, Innovation and Investment (provisional)、TO300 — Prospective Marriage、UF309 — Partner (provisional) visa、GA400 — Temporary Work (short stay specialist)、UY405 — Investor Retirement、GF407 — Training、TQ410 — Retirement、TZ417 — Working Holiday、TK445 — Dependent Child visa、UP461 — New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship、US462 — Work and Holiday、UC457 — Business (long stay)、VF476 — Skilled – Recognised Graduate、GK482 — Skills in Demand、VC485 — Temporary Graduate visa、SP489 — Skilled Regional (provisional)、PS491 — Skilled Work Regional (provisional)、PE494 — Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (provisional)、TU500 — Student、TU590 — Student Guardian、FA600 — Visitor、TV651 — e-Visitor、UK820 — Partner Visa (temporary)、GH870 — Sponsored Parent、UU884 — Contributory Aged Parent they will be able to travel to New Zealand on a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), and stay for up to 3 months. This does not include people transiting through Australia, and applicants will still need to meet the criteria for an NZeTA.This will be trialled for 12-months. people travelling on a United Nations laissez-passer who are seeking a Visitor Visa current for not more than three months; any other class of persons specified in the Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010;
Exemption from NZeTA The following visa waiver travellers are exempt from the requirement to hold a NZeTA before travelling to New Zealand: Under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia Holders of a current Permanent Residence Visa issued by the Government of Australia, and holders of a current Resident Return Visa issued by the Government of Australia do require an NZeTA but may obtain it free of charge members of, or any person associated with, a scientific programme or expedition under a Contracting Party to the Antarctic Treaty (within the meaning of the Antarctica Act 1960) or any person to whom section 5 of the Act applies, but only if: the person concerned is seeking a temporary entry class visa; the application is made at an immigration control area;
Notes Visa waiver does not apply to people travelling on alien's (non-citizen's) passports issued by Estonia and Latvia. Residents of Hong Kong travelling on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or British National (Overseas) passports. Residents of Macao travelling on Macao Special Administrative Region passports. Portuguese passport holders must also have the right to live permanently in Portugal. Permanent residents of Taiwan travelling on a Taiwan passport. A personal identity number printed within the visible section of the biographical page of the Taiwan passport demonstrates that the holder is a permanent resident of Taiwan. Including nationals of the USA.
Date of visa changesAustralian, British, Canadian and Irish citizens have never needed a visa to gain access to New Zealand 1 December 1947: France (Metropolitan France residents) 1 July 1948: Sweden 1 August 1948: Liechtenstein and Switzerland 1 January 1949: Denmark 1 April 1949: Netherlands 1 January 1950: Norway 1 July 1951: Luxembourg 15 November 1951: Belgium 1 July 1952: Monaco 15 June 1970: Japan 1 August 1972: Germany (as West Germany until 2 October 1990) 1 April 1973: Finland 1 February 1974: Iceland 1 January 1986: Italy 1 November 1986: Singapore 1 November 1987: Austria, France (New Caledonia and Tahiti residents), Greece, Malaysia, Malta, Portugal,Having the right of permanent residence in Portugal Spain and United States (not including Nationals of USA) 1 July 1993: Brunei, South Korea and United States (Nationals of USA) 23 March 1995: France (all Overseas France residents) 16 July 1998: Israel 1 October 1998: Hong Kong and British Nationals (Overseas) 30 October 1998: Argentina 1 January 1999: Brazil, Chile and Uruguay 1 July 1999: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates 1 March 2000: Andorra, Hungary, San Marino, Slovenia and Vatican 1 December 2000: Mexico 1 October 2001: United Nations laissez-passer 1 January 2003: Czech Republic (resumed) 1 April 2005: Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia 30 July 2007: Bulgaria and Romania 30 November 2009: Taiwan 1 July 2013: Croatia 30 June 2014: Macao 21 November 2016: Mauritius and Seychelles 3 November 2025: China, Pacific Islands Forum(conditional)
Cancelled: Fiji, Samoa and Tonga: 18 February 1987Exchange of Notes between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga constituting an Agreement on the Waiver of Visas , Exchange of Letters between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of Fiji constituting an Agreement on the Waiver of Visas . Indonesia: 21 October 1998Was applied from 1 November 1987 Czech Republic: 1 January 2001Was applied from 1 October 1996. Immigration Regulations 1991 Amendment No. 7 1996 , . (was resumed in 2003) Thailand: 1 January 2001Was applied from 1 November 1987. Zimbabwe: 21 February 2003Was applied from 1 March 2000. , . Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu: 8 December 2003Exchange of Letters between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of Kiribati constituting an Agreement on the Waiver of Visas , Exchange of Letters between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of Nauru constituting an Agreement on the Waiver of Visas , Exchange of Letters between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of Tuvalu constituting an Agreement on the Waiver of Visas . South Africa: 21 November 2016Was applied from 1 October 1996. Immigration Regulations 1991 Amendment No. 7 1996 , .
Online Visa New Zealand issues Online Visa for countries, that are not included of visa waiver countries.
Visa types
Any person who is not a New Zealand citizen may only travel to New Zealand if holding a valid visa or is a person to whom a visa waiver applies.
While there are many different categories of visa, they can be fundamentally broken down into three classes:
Residence class visas allows the holder to work, study and remain in New Zealand indefinitely, and does not expire while the holder remains in New Zealand. Conditions may be placed on a Resident Visa: most commonly, these conditions specify a period of time where one may leave and re-enter New Zealand as a resident, but may also relate to other matters (for example, a migrant applying for residence under the Skilled Migrant Category may have a condition imposed of taking up an offer of skilled employment within 3 months of arrival). It is, however, possible for the holder of a Resident Visa to obtain a Permanent Resident Visa upon meeting all conditions and upon demonstrating a commitment to New Zealand, which allows the holder to work, study and remain in New Zealand unconditionally, as well as leave and re-enter New Zealand at any time, and the Permanent Resident Visa itself never expires. Temporary entry class visas have a set expiry date, and conditions placed upon them based on the category under which the holder applied for a visa. Visas intended for tourism, long-term study or foreign employment in New Zealand are typical examples of a temporary entry class visa. Transit visas allow the holder to pass through New Zealand on a journey between 2 sovereign states.
Holding a visa, or taking advantage of a visa waiver, does not in itself entitle a person to enter New Zealand itself: it only entitles the person to travel to New Zealand and apply for entry permission.
Entry permission to New Zealand must be granted to a person for that person to be able to enter New Zealand; this is typically done by an immigration officer at the border. Refusal of entry permission results in automatic visa cancellation, and the person being made liable for turnaround if the person has arrived at the border.
While most foreign nationals must apply for, and be granted, entry permission at the border, holders of a Permanent Resident Visa, a Resident Visa granted in New Zealand, or a Resident Visa granted outside New Zealand where the holder has previously travelled to New Zealand are granted entry permission as of right.
New Zealand does not stamp passports of New Zealand citizens, residence class visa holders, or Australian citizens and permanent residents.