People from other countries may need to get a visa and permit to work temporarily in New Zealand.
Some people need a visa to enter New Zealand, some people don’t.
People who may not need a visa or permit
A prospective employee won’t need a temporary Work Visa or Permit if they’re:
- a New Zealand citizen, or
- a New Zealand resident, or
- the holder of a valid Australian passport, or
- the holder of a current Australian permanent residence visa including a current Australian resident return visa. (If there are conditions on the residence visa/resident return visa, the worker will need to apply for a work visa.)
All other prospective employees from overseas will need a Work Visa or Permit to work temporarily in New Zealand.
What's the difference between a visa and permit?
In some circumstances a person from overseas may not be able to get a visa or permit. To protect the interests of New Zealanders we do not issue visas to people involved in certain activities, for example, a person who has been involved in criminal or terrorist activities.