If you fall under one of the following categories, check to see what extra evidence or conditions are required, or what allowances are provided.
Antarctic travellers
For the purposes of visas and permits, the Ross Dependency and Operation Deep Freeze are New Zealand territory, and visitors do not require additional visas or permits to go to these destinations, once they have legally entered New Zealand.
Applicants seeking occupational registration
Applicants seeking entry to New Zealand to obtain occupational registration may be issued with a visitor's visa (or in the case of a Philippines nurse, a work visa). Those lawfully in New Zealand waiting on a residence application can undertake the necessary training for New Zealand registration on a visitor's permit. The training can be for up to three months: if you need longer you must apply for a student visa or permit.
Business visitors
Those here to discuss or negotiate business arrangements and who stay no longer than three months in any year need not apply for a work visa. Instead, they can get a visitor visa by meeting the general visitor requirements.
Children adopted overseas
Children aged under 14 years of age, adopted by New Zealand citizens, must be approved NZ citizenship before they can travel to New Zealand. Go to Department of Internal Affairs at www.dia.govt.nz for citizenship application forms and country specific information and timeframes.
Children to be adopted
The adoption must be supported by Child Youth and Family of the Ministry for Social Development. We’ll also need to see the child’s birth certificate and proof of the adoptive parents’ New Zealand citizenship or residence. The initial permit will allow a stay of six months.
Conference delegate
Conference organisers usually arrange for the arrival of delegates. Contact your conference organiser for details.
Crew members joining vessels or aircraft
Visitors from visa-required countries can be issued a visa of 28 days while they travel to New Zealand to join their craft.
Culturally-arranged marriage
Your visa will allow you to stay for three months, during which time you must be married. Your intended partner must be in New Zealand for the time you are here and must complete a Form for supporting partnership-based temporary entry applications (INZ 1146) PDF, and your intended partner must meet the character requirement for partners supporting ‘partnership-based temporary entry applications’. There must be no legal obstacle to the marriage and you need to prove that it follows an accepted cultural tradition.
Dependent children of New Zealand citizens and residents
Dependent children can be issued with visitor visas or permits if their parent will be in New Zealand for the same length of time and supports the children’s application. If a child is travelling alone or with one parent we may need proof of their right to leave their home country, such as custody or guardianship papers. We may allow dependent children to stay for up to 2 years.
German law students and graduates
We may grant law students and graduates of the Federal Republic of Germany a visitor’s permit for up to six months if they are to be an unpaid observer in a New Zealand law firm. They will need to provide proof of an offer of the position.
Group visas
It is possible to get a single visa for a group that shares the same travel plans and itinerary. All group members must be travelling together and be here for the same purpose. The group must also leave New Zealand together and have a group leader to take care of the travel arrangements. Each group member will be issued with an individual permit.
Tour guides
If you are a tour guide, leader or escort and you will be working while you are in New Zealand, you will need to apply for a Specific Purpose work visa before you arrive. Working is any activity resulting in gain or reward, including any form of payment or benefit that can be valued in terms of money, such as board and lodging, goods (eg, food or clothes) and services (eg, transport).
Multiple entry visitor’s visa for parents and grandparents of New Zealand citizens/residents
If you have family members in New Zealand and you wish to visit them, you may apply for a visitor’s visa under normal visitor policy to allow you to travel to New Zealand, or you may travel to New Zealand visa-free if you are a ‘visa waiver visitor’.
However, if you are the parent or grandparent of a New Zealand citizen or resident you may like to have the flexibility of a multiple entry visa, to allow you to visit your child or grandchild several times over a three-year period. To do this, you may apply for a visitor’s visa under the parent and grandparent multiple entry visitor’s visa policy.
To be eligible for a visa under this policy, you must apply from outside New Zealand, and you will need to complete full medicals and meet normal character requirements (you may include your partner in the application but not your children). Your New Zealand sponsor* will need to complete the Sponsorship Form for Visiting New Zealand (INZ 1025) PDF and must guarantee to meet the cost of your maintenance, accommodation, repatriation (if necessary) and healthcare costs (if required).
If the application is approved you will be issued a three-year multiple entry visitor’s visa, authorising a permit for a visit of six months from your date of arrival. You will not be able to extend the permit, however you will be able to enter and leave New Zealand during the validity of your visa, as long as you do not remain in New Zealand for more that 18 months during the validity of the visa.
Further applications under this policy:
- A further visa will not normally be issued under this policy within three years of the date that the most recent visa was issued.
- If you have previously been issued a visa under this policy and your sponsor was not in New Zealand during the period(s) of your visit(s) to New Zealand, or if you exceeded the 18-month maximum stay on your previous visa, you will not normally be eligible for a subsequent multiple entry visitor’s visa under this policy.
*Notes:
- The sponsor must be your child or grandchild aged 17 years or older, or the New Zealand parent of your child or grandchild.
- Evidence of the family relationship(s) must be provided.
- The sponsor may sponsor only one person or one family unit (principal applicant and their partner) at one time.
For more information, see our FAQs.
Parents and guardians of students
If you are the parent or legal guardian of a student enrolling in school years 1 to 13, or who is aged 17 years or younger, you may be issued a guardian visa so you can live with and care for the student. If you need to stay longer than 12 months, your permit can be renewed for further 12-month periods as long as the student continues his or her studies, until that student reaches the age of 18 years.
If you fail to live with and care for the student, either by withdrawing your support or moving away, your permit may be revoked. If the student you are caring for is required to be accompanied by a guardian, that student’s permit may also be revoked, and you will both have to leave the country.
Guardians who hold visitor permits are prohibited from being granted a student permit or a work permit. However, they are eligible to apply for a variation of conditions to their visitor permit for part time work or study.
Partners and dependent children of student or work visa/permit holders
Most partners and dependent children of student or work visa/permit holders can be issued with a visitor visa/permit for the same duration as their partner or parents' stay. However, this does not apply to you if your partner or parent holds a work permit granted under either:
- our policy for crew of foreign chartered fishing vessels, or
- Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Work Policy.
If your partner or parent holds a work permit granted under either of these policies, you must meet our general requirements for a visitor visa or permit.
Partners of New Zealand residents and citizens
To apply for a visitor visa, partners must show they are in a genuine and stable relationship, and the New Zealand resident or citizen must complete a Form for supporting partnership-based temporary entry applications (INZ 1146) PDF.
Players in tournaments
Players and their support staff will be able to remain on visitor visas, as long as their stay is for three months or less. Longer stays will require work visas.
Seeking medical treatment or consultation
If you are coming to New Zealand for medical treatment or consultation you will need a visa, even if you are from a visa-free country. You will need to complete the Details of Intended Medical Treatment form (NZIS 1009) PDF. We also require evidence to show that you have been accepted for medical treatment, information about the cost of your treatment, and evidence of how it will be paid for. If the medical treatment requires it, we may extend the permit beyond the initial six months.
Travelling by private yacht or aircraft
Visitors who arrive at a New Zealand entry point that does not have Customs service must report immediately to an immigration officer to complete an arrival card. Visitors may be permitted to stay longer than usual if they need to make repairs or to wait out the hurricane season.
Visiting Media Programme
Journalists on the Visiting Media Programme can work in New Zealand for up to one month on a visitor permit. If they are from a visa-required country, they will need to provide a letter of introduction from the New Zealand Tourism Board with their visa application.
Work permit holders dismissed during a trial period
If your employer is named on your work permit and you have received a dismissal notice during the 90-day trial period under section 67A of the Employment Relations Act 2000 you may be eligible for a visitor’s permit under the special category visitor’s permit policy.
To be eligible for a permit under this policy, you are required to hold a work permit which specifies your employer, have an employment agreement which includes a trial period and have received a dismissal notice within that trial period. Applicants applying under this policy must also meet general visitor’s permit requirements.
Visitor’s permits under this policy may be granted for up to three months. You can only be granted a permit under this policy once.
Partners
Partners of dismissed work permit holders will no longer be eligible to hold a visitor’s, work or student permit granted on the basis of their partner’s employer-specific work permit. Therefore, partners of dismissed work permit holders may be included in their partner’s visitor’s permit application under this policy.
School-age dependent children
Student policy allows school-age dependent children of holders of a special category visitor’s permit to continue to hold their student permit and attend school as domestic students for the duration of their parents’ special visitor’s permit.
View the Operations Manual to see the wording of these policies.