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E2.1 People to whom a visa waiver applies

See also Immigration Act 2009, ss 4, 69

See also Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010, Part 4A, and Schedule 2

A visa waiver means a waiver of the requirement to hold a visa permitting travel to New Zealand in relation to any class of persons. From 1 October 2019, a person travelling to New Zealand visa waiver is required to hold an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) unless exempt (see E12 Electronic Travel Authority). A visa waiver applies to, but is not limited to, the following people:

  1. citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia; and
  2. people who hold:
    1. a current permanent residence visa issued by the Government of Australia; or
    2. a current resident return visa issued by the Government of Australia; and
  3. people granted a visa waiver by special direction; and
  4. members of a visiting force (including members of the civilian component of the visiting force) but only if:
    1. each person is travelling to New Zealand in the ordinary course of the person’s duty or employment; and
    2. each person is seeking a temporary entry class visa at an immigration control area; and
    3. the craft transporting the visiting force is a commercial craft; and
  5. members of, or any person associated with, a scientific programme or expedition under the auspices of a Contracting Party to the Antarctic Treaty (within the meaning of the Antarctica Act 1960) or any person to whom section 5 of that Act applies, but only if:
    1. the person concerned is seeking a temporary entry class visa; and
    2. the application is made at an immigration control area; and
  6. Cruise ship passengers (from 1 October 2019 onwards); and
  7. Cruise ship crew travelling in the ordinary course of business of the ship (from 1 October 2019 onwards); and
  8. Positioning cruise ship crew (from 1 October 2019 onwards); and
  9. Aircraft crew of an aircraft on a flight between any other country and New Zealand in the course of a scheduled international service (from 1 October 2019 onwards); and
  10. Positioning aircraft crew (from 1 October 2019 onwards); and
  11. British citizens, and other British passport holders who produce evidence of the right to reside permanently in the United Kingdom, but only if the person concerned is seeking a visitor visa current for not more than six months and the purposes of the visit do not include medical consultation or treatment; and
  12. people travelling on a United Nations (UN) laissez-passer who are seeking a visitor visa current for not more than three months; and
  13. any other class of persons specified in the Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010; and
  14. citizens of the following countries, but only if the person concerned is seeking a visitor visa current for not more than three months and the purposes of the visit is not for medical consultation or treatment:

    Andorra

    Argentina

    Austria

    Bahrain

    Belgium

    Brazil

    Brunei

    Bulgaria

    Canada

    Chile

    Croatia

    Cyprus

    Czech Republic

    Denmark

    Estonia1

    Finland

    France

    Germany

    Greece 2

    Hong Kong 3

    Hungary

    Iceland

    Ireland

    Israel

    Italy

    Japan

    Korea (South)

    Kuwait

    Latvia1

    Liechtenstein

    Lithuania1

    Luxembourg

    Macau 4

    Malaysia

    Malta

    Mauritius

    Mexico

    Monaco

    Netherlands

    Norway

    Oman

    Poland

    Portugal5

    Qatar

    Romania

    San Marino

    Saudi Arabia

    Seychelles

    Singapore

    Slovak Republic

    Slovenia

    Spain

    Sweden

    Switzerland

    Taiwan6

    United Arab Emirates

    United States of America7

    Uruguay

    Vatican City

1 Visa waiver does not apply to people travelling on alien's (non-citizen's) passports issued by these countries.

2 Greek passport holders whose passports were issued on and after 1 January 2006. (Greek passports issued before 1 January 2006 are not acceptable for travel after 1 January 2007, see A2.10.50)

3 Residents of Hong Kong travelling on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or British National (Overseas) passports.

4 Residents of Macau travelling on Macau Special Administrative Region passports.

5 Portuguese passport holders must also have the right to live permanently in Portugal.

6 Permanent residents of Taiwan travelling on Taiwan passports. A personal identity number printed within the visible section of the biographical page of the Taiwan passport demonstrates that the holder is a permanent resident of Taiwan (see A2.10.40).

7 including nationals of the USA.

 Effective 01/07/2019

IN THIS SECTION

E2.3 Australian temporary visa holders to whom a temporary visa waiver applies (to 06/04/2015)

E2.5 Who needs a temporary entry class visa to travel to and be in New Zealand

E2.10 Who may apply for a temporary visa

E2.15 Who may not apply for a temporary visa to be in New Zealand

E2.20 Special directions

E2.25 Immigration officers to act in accordance with special direction

E2.30 Who may apply for a limited visa

E2.35 Who must be granted a temporary entry class visa

E2.40 Who is not eligible for a temporary entry class visa (to 25/09/2023)

E2.45 Eligibility for visa pending liability for deportation

E2.50 Restrictions on the grant of temporary entry class visas for students holding a New Zealand scholarship administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and their dependants

E2.55 Restriction on the grant of visas to Grace Mugabe, the wife of the late Robert Mugabe, former President of Zimbabwe

E2.60 Restrictions on the grant of a visa to certain groups as designated by the United Nations Security Council

E2.65 Ban on the grant of visas to leading members of the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) including Serbia and their supporters

E2.70 Ban on the grant of visas to individuals named on the list held at Z8 (to 03/04/2014)

E2.75 Ban on the grant of visas to individuals associated with the December 2006 Fiji coup (to 03/04/2014)

E2.80 Ban on the grant of work visas to Fijian citizens for the purpose of taking up work of a temporary seasonal nature (to 03/04/2014)

E2.85 Sporting contacts with Fiji (to 06/10/2013)

E2.90 Sporting contacts with Zimbabwe (to 25/08/2014)

E2.95 Temporary entry class visas deemed to be held

E2.100 Ban on the grant of visas to leading members of the Syrian regime

E2.105 Ban on the grant of visas to individuals associated with the Ukraine crisis

E2.110 Ban on the grant of visas with work rights to DPRK nationals

E2.115 Ban on the grant of visas to Russian individuals expelled from certain countries for activities incompatible with their diplomatic status

E2.120 Ban on the grant of visas to certain Saudi Arabian individuals

E2.125 Ban on the grant of visas to certain Tatmadaw and other individuals identified as being involved in or associated with the military’s seizure of power in Myanmar in 2021 or otherwise responsible for human rights violations in Myanmar

E2.130 Ban on the grant of visas to certain Belarusian individuals linked to the Lukashenko regime

E2.135 Ban on the grant of visas to certain Iranian individuals

E2.140 Ban on the grant of visas to certain individuals undermining stability and security in the West Bank

PREVIOUS IMMIGRATION INSTRUCTIONS

E2.1 People to whom a visa waiver applies (19/06/2017)

E2.1 People to whom a visa waiver applies (21/11/2016)

E2.1 People to whom a visa waiver applies (25/08/2014)

E2.1 People to whom a visa waiver applies (30/06/2014)

E2.1 People to whom a visa waiver applies (01/07/2013)

E2.1 People to whom a visa waiver applies (07/11/2011)

E2.1 People to whom a visa waiver applies (29/11/2010)

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