Some people need a visa to re-enter New Zealand, some people don’t.
You need a Returning Resident’s Visa if you:
- hold a a current residence permit and you wish to leave New Zealand temporarily; or
- you have held a residence permit, you are temporarily overseas, and you want to return to New Zealand; or
- you are a New Zealand citizen using a passport of another country to travel, and you want a residence permit placed in that passport when you return to New Zealand.
If one of these applies to you, you will need a Returning Resident's Visa to re-enter New Zealand.
What's the difference between a visa and permit?
In some circumstances you may not be able to get a visa.