Visa Waiver Visitor Visa

If you are from a visa waiver country you may be able to visit New Zealand without a visa. You will need to prove that you can fund your stay, and that you have travel booked to leave New Zealand.

Length of stay

3 to 6 months

Cost

NZD $0

Processing time
Visa granted at
New Zealand border
With this visa you can
  • Stay for 3 months — 6 months for visitors from the UK.
  • Travel to New Zealand without first applying for a visa — you must be from a visa waiver country to do this.
    Visa waiver countries and territories
  • Bring your family, if they meet our criteria for visa waiver travel.
  • Holiday and sightsee, visit family and friends, shop and enjoy New Zealand as a visitor.
  • Study for a short time.
Things to note
  • If you are from a visa waiver country you must request an NZeTA before you travel. It costs NZD $17 on our free app, or NZD $23 if completed online.
  • You must also pay an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL). The IVL costs NZD $35 and is paid at the same time as the NZeTA.

New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)

Note

You can enter New Zealand if you are a visa waiver traveller and hold an NZeTA (unless you are exempt).

Who can apply

The criteria and evidence below will provide you with the information you need to meet the requirements of this visa.

View All Evidence

You must travel on the passport you used to request your NZeTA. When you check in for your trip present that passport so your airline can check that you hold NZeTA.

They may also ask to see your ticket for travel out of New Zealand at the end of your visit.

We use your passport details to check your identity.

Tips

Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave New Zealand.

You must be of good health. When you complete your arrival card you’ll be asked whether you’re coming to New Zealand for medical consultation or treatment. 

Tips

If you want to come for medical consultation or treatment, you need to apply for a ‘Medical Treatment Visitor Visa’ before travelling to New Zealand.

When you complete your arrival card, you’ll be asked some questions about your character.

You won’t meet our good character requirements if any of the following apply:

  • you have a criminal conviction,
  • you have been deported, removed or excluded from another country,
  • we have reason to believe you may be a risk to New Zealand's security, public order or public interest.

Good Character

Tips

People who may be considered a risk to New Zealand’s security, public order or public interest, include those who are registered sex offenders or associated with a gang.

If we have reason to believe you are not of good character, we can stop you from travelling to New Zealand at check-in, or refuse you entry permission when you get here.

If you are not sure you will meet our requirements for good character, you should apply for a visa before coming to New Zealand.

When you complete your arrival card, you’ll be asked about the purpose of your trip.

We also consider any other information we have about your circumstances and reasons for travelling to New Zealand.

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in NZ

Evidence that you are a genuine visitor

Tips

Lawful purposes for a visitor include:

  • holidaying
  • sightseeing
  • visiting family and friends
  • amateur sports

If you intend to undertake employment in New Zealand you can’t travel visa waiver.

If you haven’t complied with the conditions of your visa on any previous visit to New Zealand, you can be stopped from travelling to New Zealand or refused entry permission when you get here.

We’ll use your passport to check you are a citizen of a visa waiver country when you check-in for your travel and again when you arrive in New Zealand.

Visa waiver countries and territories

Tips

You can only travel visa waiver if you’re travelling on a citizen passport. You can’t travel visa waiver on a non-citizen or alien passport.

You can only travel visa waiver if you’re a resident and travel on one of the following passports:

  • Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
  • British National (Overseas).

You can only travel visa waiver if you’re a resident and travel on a Macau Special Administrative Region passport.

You can only travel visa waiver, if you have the right to live in Portugal permanently.

You can only travel visa waiver, if you a permanent resident of Taiwan and travel on a Taiwan passport. We’ll use the personal identity number on your Taiwan passport to confirm your permanent residence.

USA nationals can also travel visa waiver.

You must have at least NZD$1,000 for each month of your stay, or if you have already paid for your accommodation, NZD$400 for each month of your stay.

You may be asked for evidence you will have access to your funds when you check-in or arrive in New Zealand.

Tips

If you are pregnant, there are additional requirements.

Paying for maternity care

You cannot meet the funds requirement for visa waiver travel by arranging a sponsor. If you want to arrange sponsorship, you have to apply for a visa before you travel to New Zealand.

When you check-in, you will be asked to present your travel ticket out of New Zealand to a country you have the right to enter.

Your departure date must be within 3 months of your arrival, or if you are from the United Kingdom, within 6 months.

If after you leave New Zealand you will be travelling to a country that also has an onward travel requirement, we may ask to see that ticket too.

Tips

Your tickets must be paid for before your travel.

If you will be leaving on a private craft or cruise ship, we will accept a letter from the craft owner or a cruise itinerary as proof of your travel arrangements.

If your only reason for coming to New Zealand is to renew a visa for another country, we recommend that you apply for a visa before travelling.

We will check our records to see how much time you have spent in New Zealand.

Tips

If you do not meet this requirement, you must apply for a visitor visa and have it before you travel to New Zealand.

To travel to New Zealand with an NZeTA, your family must:

  • be in good health
  • be of good character
  • be bona fide applicants
  • be citizens of a visa waiver country – except if arriving by cruise ship
  • have enough money to live on while in New Zealand
  • have a ticket out of New Zealand to a country they have the right to enter.

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in NZ

Evidence that you are a genuine visitor

Tips

If family members do not meet the requirements they should apply for a visa before visiting New Zealand.

Process and cost

The information below will help you understand the process, timeframes and costs involved in applying for this visa, so you can plan ahead and have the best chance of submitting a complete application.

1
Check the criteria and conditions to travel visa waiver

You must meet all the requirements for visa waiver travel. If you are not sure you meet the requirements, apply for a visa before you travel.

You must also have:

  • complied with the conditions of your visa if you have been to New Zealand before
  • not spent more than 6 months in New Zealand in the 12 months before your visa will expire.

2
You request an NZeTA

You must hold an NZeTA before you leave for New Zealand.

Information for NZeTA

Timeframes - Processing
Allow 72 hours

Allow 72 hours for your NZeTA request to be processed. Many requests will be processed more quickly.

3
Arrange your travel ticket and spending money

You must:

  • have a ticket for travel to another country you have the right to enter at the end of your stay in New Zealand
  • leave New Zealand no later than 3 months after your arrival date or, if you are a British citizen, 6 months after
  • make sure you have enough money to cover the cost of your stay.

4
Travel to New Zealand

When you check in for your trip, you must hold an NZeTA.

Your airline will check your passport and may also check your ticket for travel out of New Zealand.

On your way to New Zealand, you will be given an arrival card to fill in. Present your completed arrival card and passport when you arrive.

Immigration costs

Application cost – You do not need to pay a fee when granted a visa waiver visitor visa on arrival in New Zealand.

Timeframes - Processing
Visa granted at New Zealand border

Your visa is granted when you arrive in New Zealand.

Conditions

These are the conditions that you must meet once you have your visa.

Entry permission

You must apply for entry permission when you arrive in New Zealand. You can do this by completing a paper arrival card or a digital traveller declaration. If you are completing a paper arrival card you will be given this on the way to New Zealand.

New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity also check that you meet their entry requirements.

Arriving in New Zealand

Notes

You can be refused entry permission if:

  • you do not meet our health or character requirements 
  • you are unable to provide evidence you have any onward travel or funds required by the conditions of your visa
  • an immigration officer considers that you are not a bona fide visitor
  • you refuse to let us take your photo or to provide us with your fingerprints or an iris scan, if asked for them
  • you provide (or have provided) false or misleading information in a visa application, to an immigration officer or on any part of your arrival card.

Good character

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in NZ

Before you travel to New Zealand

Travel

You will be issued single entry travel conditions.

Notes

If you leave New Zealand your visitor visa will expire.

Onward travel

You must have a travel ticket out of New Zealand to a country you have the right to enter at all times during your visit.

Notes

You’ll be asked to show us your travel ticket when you check-in or arrive in New Zealand.

Funds

You must have enough money to live on while in New Zealand.

Notes

You may be asked for evidence you have enough funds to support yourself when you check in or arrive in New Zealand.

Work

You can’t undertake employment in New Zealand.

Notes

You can travel to New Zealand visa waiver to assess the job market or to attend a pre-arranged job interview, but if you’re travelling to New Zealand to take up an offer of employment, you must apply for a work visa.

You can apply for more visas to allow you to stay up to 12 months.

Study

You may study for up to 3 months in any 12 month period.

Notes

School-aged children can study for up to 3 months in any calendar year. Children studying for more than 2 weeks must attend a school that is signatory to the ‘Code of Pastoral Care for International Students’.

Code of Pastoral Care for International Students

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.

Notes

Your visa will be issued electronically and there will be no label in your passport.

Your visa expires 3 months after you arrive in New Zealand (or 6 months, if you are from the United Kingdom), or when you leave New Zealand, whichever happens first.

If you are an Australian citizen or resident your visa will not expire and you can stay in New Zealand indefinitely.