Visa requirements for New Zealand

Do you need a visa for New Zealand?

You may need to apply for a visitor visa or permit if you intend to stay temporarily in New Zealand, but you don't intend to study or work. When you are granted a permit, you can stay in New Zealand for up to nine months.

Take the quick check from www.immigration.govt.nz to see whether you need a visitor visa to come to New Zealand, or check their list of visa-free countries.

If your home country is on the list, then you can enter New Zealand without a visa, depending on how long you want to stay and provided that you complete the obligatory electronic visa waiver. If you don't need a visa and have done that, you can start planning your trip!

The NZ eTA electronic visa waiver

Just like in other countries such as the US or Australia, the NZ eTA is an electronic visa waiver, obligatory for citizens of all the visa waiver countries, a simple matter of completing an online application form.

Approval will be given quickly within one business day, but in some cases it can also take 10 days, so doing it early is recommended.

A New Zealand eTA is valid for 2 years and can be used for multiple visits.

Go to www.immigration.govt.nz

New Zealand visa required

If you need a visitor visa to come to New Zealand, you will need to meet some requirements, including funds, health and character.

When you apply for a visitor visa, they want to know that:

• you are in good health
• you are of good character; and
• the visa you are applying for matches your intentions for your visit.

The passport must be valid for at least three months past the date you are to leave New Zealand.

You will need to show proof that you have plans and the means to leave within the period of your permit. Suitable proof may include:

• actual travel tickets (confirmed or open-dated) out of New Zealand to a country which you have the right to enter; or
• written confirmation from an airline or travel agency that onward travel has been booked and paid for.

You will also need to show proof that you have enough money to support yourself during your stay. This means you have a minimum of:

• NZ$1000 per person per month of the visit, or
• NZ$400 per person per month if accommodation has already been paid for – we will require proof of prepayment, such as hotel prepaid vouchers.

Acceptable evidence of sufficient funds can be demonstrated in the form of:

• cash
• travellers' cheques
• bank drafts
• recognised credit cards with sufficient credit available – it is recommended that visitors have an up-to-date credit card statement.

Even if you are only passing through New Zealand, as a traveller in transit, you may need to apply for a transit visa.

International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL)

The growing number of international visitors to New Zealand has a significant impact on infrastructure, such as roading requirements, provision of parking and toilets, water supply, removal of rubbish etc., often paid for by smaller regional communities and councils in remote locations. The Department of Conservation in charge of biodiversity and natural environment also needs additional funding to comply with visitor numbers in popular parks. The levy is designed to help maintaining a high quality visitor experience in future, funding a multitude of valuable conservation and tourism infrastructure projects.

Payment is included in the NZeTA or visa application, with some exemptions (for example Australian and Pacific travellers).