Whether visiting New Zealand for a short period to explore its majesty or intending to move there permanently, it’s important for every traveler to understand New Zealand’s entry procedures before they plan their visit.
This guide will help you understand the documents you’ll need upon arrival so you’re confident as you prepare for a holiday or a big move across the world.
Understanding New Zealand Visas
There are several visas based on what your purpose is visiting New Zealand, as well as how long you will be staying. If you want to stay in NZ long-term, you must be in decent health, have no criminal record, and be able to sustain yourself with your savings or wages from your job.
Most visitors there for a short vacation will need to apply for a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) endorsement, with some exceptions. This simple visa application can be completed online and approved in a few days. However, if you are planning to stay for longer, you will need to apply online for a different visa that lasts longer.
Types of New Zealand Visas
New Zealand has a few different visas based on your purpose for coming to the country. These include options for those coming for vacation, working for an NZ company, studying at a university, or coming to live with their spouse or relative.
A tourism visa allows travellers to stay in the country for up to 9 months if they stay in the country, or 6 months if they intend to leave multiple times. It is not a work visa, but it does allow visitors to study for up to 3 months.
Work visas let a foreign citizen work in NZ for an employer, while a student visa enables travellers to enroll in a NZ university and complete studies longer than 3 months.
Family visas are for foreign citizens who would like to stay with a family member, partner, or other relative. A permanent resident visa lets foreign citizens take up residence in the country, including working, re-entering New Zealand, and taking advantage of some benefits.
Visa Waivers and the NZeTA
Those arriving from certain countries do not need to apply for a visa if they would like to stay for up to 3 months or six months for UK nationals. This includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and most of Europe; you can view the complete list of visa waiver countries at New Zealand Immigration.
However, most people who are not citizens of Australia or New Zealand and who are not arriving on a cruise ship that departed from a foreign port prior to arrival will need a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) endorsement.
In general, though, if your first port of call is Auckland or another major NZ city, you must have the NZeTA endorsement. This costs USD $17 and takes about three days to be approved.
At the same time as receiving your NZeTA, you’ll also likely pay an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, which helps to support New Zealand’s efforts to reduce biosecurity risk to their endemic species. This will cost $35.
Before you arrive, you will complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration, which collects travel, customs, immigration, and biosecurity information. To avoid delays, you should try to complete this about 24 hours in advance of your arrival.
At passport control, a border officer will review your documents and let you know if you’re welcome to enter the Land of the Long White Cloud. Your NZeTA is valid for two years and can be used multiple times.
New Zealand Visa Application Requirements
Completing the visa application form requires you to submit accurate information about your reasons for visiting New Zealand. You’ll also need a RealMe account, the free portal used to apply for visas.
Documentation
Most visas require these documents:
- Valid passport
- A visa photo
- Birth certificate
- Proof of supporting funds
- Medical certificate
- Police certificate
- Itinerary, including departing airline tickets and accommodation
- Proof of relationship, such as an employer or university
Character Requirements
New Zealand Immigration may not approve your visa if you have a criminal record, as they require all applicants to be of good character. You can prove good character with a police certificate, which you will request from the proper authority in your region. This should be no more than six months old and include a full description of any police record.
Health Requirements
Some visa applicants will need a health exam and medical certificate to prove they will not burden New Zealand’s healthcare system during their trip. You may require a chest X-ray to test for tuberculosis and blood tests to ensure you do not have any infectious diseases like Hepatitis B or HIV.
You will present a medical examination and chest X-ray as part of your application, and New Zealand medical assessors will determine whether they feel you should be allowed entry based on what type of visa you applied for.
Specific Requirements for Each Visa Category
Additional documents may be required for specific visas, such as evidence of enrollment for students or supporting documents from a family member for a family visa. The New Zealand Immigration website provides further details for each visa.
Specific New Zealand Visa Categories
Students, family members, and workers will all need to look carefully at the different types of visas available to them in order to ensure they pick the right one for their needs. Available visa categories include the following.
Visitor Visa
A visitor visa enables you to explore this beautiful land, stay with family, or attend conferences. Most visitor visas are valid for six months or nine months if you are from the UK. They permit you to study for up to 3 months, but you cannot work on this type of visa.
Work Visa
If you intend to work during your trip, you must request a work visa. There are working holiday visas for those aged 18-30 who are citizens of certain countries, such as the US or most EU countries. There are also specific visas for skilled workers, individuals in the caring professions, religious workers, entertainers, and even fishermen.
New Zealand provides both a Straight-to-residence visa for those with in-demand jobs and a Work-to-residence visa for those who have been in New Zealand for at least 24 months.
Study Visa
If you are doing one semester abroad, you may only need a visitor visa, but if you intend to stay for longer, you will need a student visa. This is typically valid for only the time that you will be in the country, but some of these visas will let you work part-time during your visit.
Those who intend to do both an undergraduate and graduate degree should pursue the Pathway Visa, which lets you complete up to three study programs for up to 5 years. However, they must be preapproved.
For any of these visas, you must show that you have been accepted by an accredited program ahead of time.
Family Visa
Relatives of New Zealand citizens, such as partners, spouses, children, and parents, can apply for a visa that will allow them to remain in the country, and it may also give them an easier pathway to citizenship.
You must be able to demonstrate your relationship with the NZ citizen and affirm that they will be supporting you during your stay or that you have enough funds to support yourself during that time.
Permanent Resident Visa
A permanent resident visa is available to those who have had a resident visa for at least two years. This entitles you to live, work, and travel in and out of NZ as you like, and you can also include partners and children on your application.
You must also prove a commitment to New Zealand by living there, opening or investing in a business, working full-time for at least nine months, purchasing property, or paying taxes.
New Zealand Visa Application Fees and Processing Times
NZeTAs are the fastest and easiest approval to receive, as they cost only $17 and take up to 72 hours to be approved. Fees and processing times for different visas are as follows:
- Visitor Visa: $211 fee; approximately three-week processing time
- Work Visa: approximately $4290 fee; processing times vary from 6 weeks to 3 months
- Family Visa: approximately $2750 fee; processing times vary but are around eight months
- Permanent Resident Visa: $240 fee; processing time is around one week. You must previously have had a resident visa.
Once you apply, you can visit the NZ Immigrant page at any time to check on the status of your application. Additionally, you may choose to speak to an experienced immigration lawyer for more specific advice about your application, such as how to bring a pet with you or how to prove a relationship for a family visa.