Arriving by cruise or cargo ship
If you will arrive in New Zealand as a cruise ship or cargo ship passenger and you do not have a visa, you must hold an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority).
Before you travel to New Zealand
- Protect yourself from immigration scams
- New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)
- Check if you need an NZeTA or visa
- Travellers who do not need an NZeTA
- Arriving by cruise or cargo ship
- Transiting through New Zealand to another country
- Visa waiver countries and territories
- Transit visa waiver countries
- Paying the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL)
Before you join your cruise or board your cargo ship
Apply for your NZeTA before you join your boat. Your NZeTA must be granted before you leave for New Zealand.
If you have a visa, you do not need an NZeTA.
This includes if you are a passenger on a foreign ship authorised under the Maritime Transport Act 1994 to carry coastal cargo.
New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)
If you are flying into New Zealand to join your cruise or cargo ship, you must have:
- an NZeTA if you are from a visa waiver country, or
- a visa if you are from a country that requires a visa to visit New Zealand.
Visa waiver countries and territories
Explore visa options for visiting
Australian permanent residents
If you are an Australian permanent resident you must request an NZeTA before you travel to New Zealand.
Who does not need a visa or an NZeTA
If you are a New Zealand or Australian citizen you do not need a visa or an NZeTA.
Travellers who do not need an NZeTA
New Zealand traveller declaration
All cruise travellers arriving in New Zealand need to complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD). If you are a passenger on a cargo ship, you must complete an NZTD if you are leaving the vessel.
The NZTD asks questions about your travel, including customs, immigration and biosecurity information. It aims to improve the safety and security of New Zealand. Find out how to complete an NZTD on the NZTD website.
New Zealand Traveller Declaration for cruise travellers — NZTD website
Checking in for your cruise or cargo ship
When you check in for your cruise or cargo ship you need to show evidence of your NZeTA or visa to check-in staff.
This can be:
- your NZeTA confirmation email on your mobile phone or on a web app
- a printed copy of your NZeTA confirmation email, or
- a printed copy of your eVisa letter.
Arriving in New Zealand by cruise or cargo ship
When you arrive at your first New Zealand port you will be deemed to hold a visitor visa. This expires 28 days after the ship arrives at its first port of entry in New Zealand or when the ship leaves — whichever happens first.
We will check you meet our entry permission and good character requirements.
Good character for temporary visas
If you leave your ship in New Zealand
You can stay and visit New Zealand while you are deemed to hold a visitor visa.
You must apply for a visa if:
- your cruise or cargo ship trip ends in New Zealand and you want to stay in New Zealand for more than 28 days, or
- you leave your cruise or cargo ship early and you will be in New Zealand for more than 28 days or after your ship leaves New Zealand, whichever happens first.
You must apply for your visa before you leave for New Zealand, or as soon as you know you will be here longer than your deemed visitor visa.
If you are flying out from New Zealand you must show evidence of your onward travel arrangements such as a flight ticket out of New Zealand.
Carol arrives on a cruise ship in Auckland on 10 December. Her ship's trip ended in Auckland, so Carol is deemed to hold a visitor visa until 8 January. If she wants to stay in New Zealand after 8 January, she must apply for a Visitor Visa.
Steve is travelling on a cruise ship that arrives in New Zealand on 1 March and leaves on 10 March. Steve is deemed to hold a visitor visa until 10 March. If Steve leaves his cruise ship, he can travel in New Zealand until 10 March. If he wants to stay in New Zealand longer, he must apply for a visa.
Helen is travelling on a cargo ship as a passenger. She applies for her NZeTA on 15 March before her ship leaves its last port before New Zealand. Her cargo ship will be in New Zealand for 10 days. When she arrives in New Zealand on 7 April, she is deemed to hold a visitor visa until 17 April.