Do I Need a Visa to Travel to New Zealand?

New Zealand is a popular holiday destination, coveted for its stunning scenery and friendly Kiwi hospitality. However, these days many people will need more than just their plane ticket and passport to travel to New Zealand. It really pays to find out the visa requirements in advance.

Currently, if you are coming to New Zealand for a short holiday, depending on where you are from, you may not need to apply for and be granted a Visitor Visa before you travel, but you would need to hold an Electronic Travel Authority (‘ETA’).

At present, all citizens of 60 Visa Waiver countries and all cruise travellers, need to hold an ETA before travelling to New Zealand. An ETA is valid for up to 2 years and requests costs from NZD $17.

This doesn’t mean that all ETA holders will be allowed to stay in New Zealand for 2 years at a time. The maximum periods of stay per visit will depend on the country of citizenship.

New Zealand passport holders

New Zealand passport holders do not need a visa to enter New Zealand.

If you hold New Zealand citizenship and reside outside of New Zealand, one option is for you to obtain your New Zealand passport to give you the right to enter New Zealand.

New Zealand citizens, provided they travel on their New Zealand passports, will continue to be able to enter New Zealand without an ETA.

New Zealand visa holders

Holders of valid New Zealand visas (both resident and temporary visas) are able to travel to New Zealand as per their travel conditions.

Holders of valid New Zealand visas, both resident visas and temporary visas, will continue to be able to enter New Zealand without an ETA.

We recommend that you always check the travel conditions attached to your visa to make sure you are not caught out.

Australian passport holders

Generally, Australian passport holders can travel to New Zealand without a visa and obtain a special Australian Resident Visa upon arrival, giving them a right to indefinitely live, work or study in New Zealand.

Australian citizens may be refused entry into New Zealand if they are not of ‘good character’.

As an Australian citizen, you may need to apply for a visa prior to traveling to New Zealand if you have:

• served time in prison

• been deported, removed or excluded from any country

• been involved in criminal or terrorist groups

• have been refused entry to New Zealand on a prior occasion.

People who may be considered a risk to New Zealand’s security, public order or public interest can be refused entry to New Zealand at the border or be stopped from travelling to New Zealand at check-in.

If you aren’t sure whether you will meet New Zealand’s requirements for good character, we recommend that you seek legal advice before trying to travel to New Zealand.

Australian permanent resident visa holders

Travellers need to ensure that their Australian permanent resident visa is linked to or associated with their current passport.

If an Australian permanent resident has obtained a new passport, and not transferred their Australian visa to that passport, they may not be able to travel to New Zealand.

Australian permanent residents need to hold an ETA before travelling to New Zealand.

An ETA will not be issued if the applicant does not meet the good character requirements.

If you aren’t sure whether you will meet New Zealand’s requirements for good character, we recommend that you seek legal advice before trying to travel to New Zealand.

United Kingdom passport holders

UK passport holders will need to hold an ETA before travelling to New Zealand.

An ETA will not be issued if the applicant does not meet the good character or heath requirements.

Who must apply for a visitor visa prior to arriving in New Zealand

Generally, travellers need to apply for and be granted a visitor visa before boarding the plane for New Zealand, if any of the following apply:

• You have been refused entry to New Zealand on a prior occasion;

• You don’t hold a passport from a ‘Visa Waiver’ country as specified by Immigration New Zealand (see full list of countries here);

• You want to visit for more than 3 months (or 6 months if you’re from the United Kingdom);

• You have a criminal record;

• You have health problems that could be a danger to public health or be expensive for New Zealand’s health services.

Get legal / immigration advice

If you are not sure if you have a right to enter New Zealand or which visa matches what you want to do in New Zealand, get legal/immigration advice before you travel or make your visa application to Immigration New Zealand.

Being refused a visa or entry to New Zealand can be very costly and detrimental to your immigration history.

Talk to us

Contact us for professional legal advice that will give you a peace of mind.

Talk to Elly Fleming, Associate, Pitt & Moore Lawyers.