Protect yourself from immigration scams
Immigration scams to watch out for, and how to protect yourself from these scams and visa fraud.
To board your flight or cruise to New Zealand you need a valid passport or travel document, and have the right visa or an NZeTA.
When you check in you must show that you:
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:
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:
You must hold an NZeTA if you are boarding a flight or cruise that leaves for New Zealand, and you:
Visa waiver countries and territories
You do not need an NZeTA if you:
Travellers who do not need an NZeTA
Holding a permanent resident visa for a visa waiver country is not evidence of your citizenship.
If you hold a Permanent Resident Card (green card) for the USA (a visa waiver country) you would still need a visa to travel to New Zealand — unless the passport you hold is from a visa waiver country. Your eligibility to travel to New Zealand without a visa depends on the passport that you are travelling on.
If you intend to travel to New Zealand on a passport issued by a visa waiver country you:
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.
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).
Paying the International Visitor Tourism and Conservation Levy
After your NZeTA is approved, you can only correct some of the details such as your:
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 for New Zealand, before you leave, check that:
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 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
Gather the documents you need. Bring with you:
Do not buy your ticket before we grant you a visa or your application is approved in principle. You may lose the cost of your ticket or have to rearrange your travel if there is a delay in processing your application or we do not grant you a visa.
As well as checking your passport and visa, there are other things we need to check.
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.
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
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:
We do not need to see this if:
We may want to see evidence of how you will support yourself financially while you are in New Zealand.
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
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.
Immigration scams to watch out for, and how to protect yourself from these scams and visa fraud.
Some people can use an NZeTA to travel to New Zealand without applying for a visa first. This depends on your passport and if you are visiting or only transiting.
Some people can use an NZeTA to travel to New Zealand, and others need to get a visa.
Visa holders and some other travellers do not need an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) before they travel to New Zealand.
If you plan to arrive in New Zealand by cruise ship and do not have a visa, you must hold an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority).
Check the criteria for a transit passenger, and if you need a transit visa or an NZeTA to pass through New Zealand to another country.
Passport holders of some countries and territories do not have to apply for a visa before they travel to NZ but must hold an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority).
Citizens of some countries do not have to apply for a visa before passing through New Zealand as a transit passenger but must request an NZeTA.
Many tourists, people on working holidays, and some students and workers coming to New Zealand must pay an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) of NZD$100.