Transferring your visa to a new passport

If you have renewed your passport, you need to transfer your valid visa into your new passport before you use it to travel. This applies for both physical visa labels and eVisas.

Managing your visa and passport

Visas that are issued by letter are known as eVisas. Visa labels are physical labels for your passport. Both are recorded against your passport in our system.

We recommend you request an eVisa, as this is the quickest way to transfer your visa to your new passport and there is no application fee. You can do this online.

You must inform us if you get a new passport issued so that your records can be updated and you can travel to and from New Zealand.

Note

There is no application fee for an eVisa. There is a fee for a visa label.

Transferring an eVisa

To request a transfer of your visa and get an eVisa, complete the Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa form and include:

  • a copy of your new passport
  • a copy of your old passport, if available.

Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa form

Transferring a visa label

To request a transfer of your visa and get a visa label, complete the Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa form and include:

  • a copy of your new passport
  • a copy of your old passport, if available.

After you have completed the online form and paid the fee, you must send your new passport with a copy of your application confirmation email to Immigration New Zealand. Further instructions will be provided to you after you have completed the online form.

Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa form
Fee for Transfer a visa label to a new passport

Where to send your new passport if you want a physical visa label

After you have submitted an application online for a physical visa label, you must send us your passport and a copy of your application confirmation email.

We recommend you courier your passport to us. If you are outside New Zealand, include a pre-paid return courier bag.

Within New Zealand

Immigration New Zealand
DX Box: EP71514
20 Fairfax Avenue
Penrose
Auckland 1061

We will courier your passport back to you as soon as your visa transfer has been completed.

How long it takes to process an application

Outside New Zealand

Immigration New Zealand
DX Box: EP71514
20 Fairfax Avenue
Penrose
Auckland 1061

Applying for the balance of your visa

If your temporary visa was granted for a shorter length than requested because your passport was about to expire, you can apply for the balance of the visa to be transferred to your new passport.

The balance can be transferred as an eVisa or a visa label. If you want a visa label, you will need to send your passport to Immigration New Zealand and pay a fee.

To apply, complete the Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa form and include:

  • a copy of your new passport
  • a copy of your old passport, if available
  • the letter from Immigration New Zealand confirming your visa balance.

Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa form 

If you do not have your old passport

If your old passport was lost or stolen, upload or include a copy of a police report, showing that the loss was reported.

If your old passport was not returned to you with the new passport, provide a cover letter with your application to let us know.

If your old passport was damaged

If your old passport was damaged, upload a letter confirming this from your embassy or high commission.

If your name has changed

If your name is different in your old passport, you will need to provide evidence of a name change — for example, a copy of your marriage certificate or a deed poll.

If you are making a request for more than one person

If more than one family member is requesting a visa transfer at the same time, a separate completed application form and a separate fee (if requesting a physical visa label) is required for each person requesting a transfer.

If you are a New Zealand citizen but also hold a foreign passport

A resident or permanent resident visa cannot be transferred into a new foreign passport if you are now a New Zealand citizen. This is because a New Zealand citizen is not able to hold a visa under the Immigration Act 2009.

To use your foreign passport for travel and still be allowed to return to New Zealand as a citizen, request a New Zealand Citizen Endorsement in your foreign passport before you travel.

Request a New Zealand Citizen Endorsement

If you do not want to apply online

If you do not want to apply online or you cannot apply online, download and complete the Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa (INZ1023) form.

You must send us:

  • your completed application form
  • a certified copy of your new passport, if you are requesting an eVisa
  • your new passport, if you are requesting a visa label
  • a certified copy of your old passport, if available
  • the processing fee, if you are requesting a visa label.

Application for Transfer or Confirmation of a Visa form (INZ1023) PDF 381KB