Announcement
Changes to welcome visitors from China
15 June 2025
The Government has announced changes to make it easier for Chinese tourists to travel to New Zealand.
China is one of New Zealand’s most important markets, providing opportunities for our tourism sector, boosting trade and business relationships, and connecting friends and family.
New Zealand already has generous visitor visa offerings for Chinese nationals, reflecting the importance of the relationship with China. Most Chinese visitors receive a 5-year multiple entry visitor visa, making it easier for Chinese visitors to return to New Zealand.
To increase the number of Chinese tourists coming to New Zealand, from November 2025 Chinese tourists travelling from Australia with a valid Australian visitor, work, student or family visa will be able to travel to New Zealand for up to 3 months with a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), rather than applying for a visa.
This does not include people transiting through Australia, and applicants will still need to meet the criteria for an NZeTA.
This will be trialled for 12-months.
New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)
Additional support
The changes will also be supplemented by additional support to make it easier for Chinese tourists applying for a visa.
This includes:
- Additional dedicated contact points for the Chinese travel industry with staff based in China, and a phone number they can call for direct support between 07:00 and 18:00 NZT (02:00 to 13:00 CST) Monday to Friday.
- Specific web content now available in Simplified Chinese.
Visitor Visa application guide for citizens of China
These changes also complement the work we have been doing to improve visa processing times. Visitor Visa applications for Chinese nationals are currently being processed in just 5 days on average as at June 2025 and we are working hard to further improve these times.
This information is also available in a PDF fact sheet:
Fact sheet: Trial of Australian visa recognition for eligible Chinese visitors
Learn more on the Beehive website: