Visa waiver countries and territories
If you have a passport from a country or territory on the visa waiver list, you can travel to New Zealand without a visa - but you need to get a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) first.
List of visa waiver countries and territories
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia (citizens only)
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece (only for Greek passports issued on and after 1 Jan 2006)
- Hong Kong (residents travelling on HKSAR or British National–Overseas passports only)
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Korea, South
- Kuwait
- Latvia (citizens only)
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania (citizens only)
- Luxembourg
- Macau (residents travelling on Macau Special Administrative Region passports)
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Oman
- Poland
- Portugal (passport holders who have the right to live permanently in Portugal)
- Qatar
- Romania
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan (permanent residents travelling on Taiwan passports)
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom (UK) (citizens and other British passport holders who have the right to reside permanently in the UK)
- United States of America (USA) (including USA nationals)
- Uruguay
- Vatican City
Visiting New Zealand from a visa waiver country
Most people travelling to New Zealand need to get either a visa or a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA).
If you are travelling on a passport from a
New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)
Visitors who do not need an NZeTA
You can holiday for up to 3 months, or up to 6 months if you are travelling on a UK passport.
When you need a visa
If you want to study, work or live in New Zealand, you need to get an appropriate visa.
If you are coming to New Zealand for a medical consultation or treatment, you must apply for a visa.
When you arrive in New Zealand
If you need an NZeTA, you must have it before you arrive in New Zealand.
When you arrive at the border with your NZeTA, we give you a visitor visa on arrival — but first we will need to see your:
- passport
- NZeTA confirmation letter, and
- completed New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) — as part of your declaration, you apply for this visa on entry and for entry permission.
We may also ask to see your ticket for travel out of New Zealand, and evidence you have enough money to live on while you are in New Zealand.
Warning
If you cannot meet any of the requirements or you want to stay longer, you should apply for a visitor visa before you travel, as you may not be allowed to enter with a visa waiver, even if you have an NZeTA.
If you have dependent children endorsed on your passport
If the passport issuing authority of your country has endorsed your dependent children on your passport, we will accept your endorsed passport as their travel document.
When you arrive in New Zealand, your dependent children will still need to complete an NZTD and may need to show:
- return tickets
- evidence of enough money for their stay in New Zealand.
How the New Zealand Government decides visa waiver countries
When considering a visa waiver agreement with individual countries, the New Zealand Government considers a number of factors including any long-standing international relationships with the individual country, any risks related to immigration harm or security, and anything else deemed relevant.
A number of agencies, including the Ministry of Innovation, Business and Employment (MBIE) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) give advice, and the final decision about visa-free travel is made by the Government.