Before you travel to New Zealand

Checking in for your trip

When you check in you must show that you:

• have a valid passport or travel document, and
• hold the right visa or an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority).

Check your passport

You may not be allowed to check in if your passport is not valid for travel to New Zealand. Check that it will not expire until:

• 3 months after the date you plan to leave New Zealand, or
• 1 month after the date you plan to leave New Zealand — if your passport was issued by a country that has a New Zealand embassy or consulate that issues passports of that country.

Embassies - Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade

If you live in New Zealand permanently — for example, if you have a resident visa — your passport only needs to be valid for travel to New Zealand.

Make sure that your passport has not been:

• damaged
• reported as lost or stolen, or
• invalidated by the government that issued it.

If you need an NZeTA

You must hold an NZeTA if you are boarding a flight or cruise that leaves for New Zealand, and you:

• are visiting on a passport from a visa waiver country — that is, a country whose passport holders do not need to get a visa before they travel to New Zealand
• are a cruise ship passenger
• are passing through Auckland International Airport to another country and travelling on a passport from a visa waiver country or a transit visa waiver country
• are passing through Auckland International Airport as a transit passenger to or from Australia, or
• have a permanent resident visa for Australia that lets you return to Australia from another country. 

Visa waiver countries and territories

Transit visa waiver countries

Arriving by cruise ship

If you do not need an NZeTA

You do not need an NZeTA if you:

• hold a visa for New Zealand
• are an Australian or New Zealand citizen travelling on an Australian or New Zealand passport, or
• are a New Zealand citizen travelling on a passport that has a New Zealand citizen endorsement.

Travellers who do not need an NZeTA

Permanent residents of visa waiver countries

Holding a permanent resident visa for a visa waiver country is not evidence of your citizenship.

If you intend to travel to New Zealand on a passport issued by a visa waiver country you:

• may travel to New Zealand without applying for a visa first
• still must get an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) before you travel.

If you are going to travel to New Zealand on a passport from a country not on the visa waiver list, you need a visa before you travel.

Requesting an NZeTA

You request an NZeTA using our mobile app or online form. You may also need to pay an International Visitor Tourism and Conservation Levy (IVL).

Information about NZeTA

Paying the International Visitor Tourism and Conservation Levy

Correct errors on your NZeTA

After your NZeTA is approved, you can only correct some of the details such as your:

• passport number — for example, if you had to replace your passport
• email address, or
• small spelling mistakes or numerical errors.

Use our online form to request these changes to your NZeTA.

How to request a change to your NZeTA

If you want to make other changes, you must request a new NZeTA.

If you have a visa to come to New Zealand

If you have a visa for New Zealand, before you leave, check that:

• your passport details match the details on your eVisa (if you have an eVisa), and
• you have the right visa for what you plan to do in New Zealand.

If you travel on a different passport

If you do not plan to use the same passport to travel to New Zealand that you used when you applied for your visa, you must apply to transfer your visa to the new passport before you travel. Your visa details are linked to the passport you used to apply so if they do not match, your travel may be delayed.

Transfer your visa to a new passport

I'm a New Zealand citizen but travel on my foreign passport

Check your visa conditions

Check your visa to find out what the conditions are. You may not be allowed to enter New Zealand if you cannot provide evidence that you meet the conditions of your visa. For example, the money you must have to live on in New Zealand can vary depending on the visa you have.

Check the conditions of your visa

Bring evidence to support your travel

Gather the documents you need. Bring with you:

• a copy of your eVisa letter (unless you have a visa label in the passport you are travelling on), and
• evidence that you can meet the conditions of your visa — for example you can use:
• your travel ticket to show that you are planning to leave New Zealand, and
• bank statements to show that you have enough money to live on while you are here.

Checks we need to do 

As well as checking your passport and visa, there are other things we need to check.

Before you board your plane or cruise ship

When you check in to travel to New Zealand, we receive information from your airline or cruise line that we use to check our records to make sure you are allowed to travel here. 

How we collect and use information about people flying in and out of NZ

We may need to ask you some questions before you board or when you arrive. This applies to everyone, including people who already hold a visa, an NZeTA or are in transit.

Arriving in New Zealand

Checking your reasons for travelling

As well as checking your passport and visa, we check that you have a genuine reason for coming to New Zealand.

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in New Zealand

If you do not answer the questions truthfully, you may not be allowed to come here.

If you are refused entry to New Zealand

Onward travel

We may want to see your ticket showing when you will leave New Zealand. We may ask to see other travel tickets or visas if you leave to go to a country that you:

• need to have a visa or onward travel ticket for, or
• are not a citizen of — you need to show that you have the right to enter that country.

We do not need to see this if:

• your eVisa says 'return/onward travel not required'
• your eVisa says 'the holder of this visa is sponsored', or
• you hold a current resident or permanent resident visa for New Zealand.

Supporting yourself in New Zealand

We may want to see evidence of how you will support yourself financially while you are in New Zealand.

Your character

We may want to check that you are of good character and will comply with the conditions of your visa. This could include questions about any convictions you have or whether you have been deported from another country.

Good character for temporary visas

Good character for residence visas

Your health

We may ask for evidence about your health. Before you can enter New Zealand you must be in good health or be granted a medical waiver.

Who needs an x-ray or medical examination

Medical waivers for visa applications

If you are coming to New Zealand on a Medical Treatment Visitor Visa we may ask to see evidence about your health.

Medical Treatment Visitor Visa