Business Visitor Visa

Visa details

Apply if you want to visit New Zealand for business reasons. You must have enough money to live on while you are here or have the financial support of your employer.

Length of stay
Up to

3 months

Cost
From
NZD $211
Processing time
90% within
19 days
With this visa you can
Things to note
  • It is faster and easier to apply online.
  • You can include your partner and dependent children in your online application.
  • If you are from a visa waiver country you do not need a Business Visitor Visa but, you must hold an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) before travelling to New Zealand.
    Visa waiver countries and territories
    Information about NZeTA

Who can apply

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

View All Evidence

Identity

You must provide proof of your identity

  • 1 acceptable photo if you apply online, or 2 photos if you use a paper application form.
  • your passport or certificate of identity.

Acceptable photos

If you submit a paper application, provide your original passport or a certified copy.  We can usually process your application faster if you provide your original passport.

If you apply online, you must upload a copy of your passport when you apply. We will let you know if you need to send your passport after you've applied.

Sending your passport for online applications

Tips

  1. If you are a citizen of China and you submit a paper application form in China, you must also complete a supplementary form.

    Supplementary form for Chinese citizens (INZ 1027) PDF 338KB

  2. If you are submitting a paper application form, you must provide a supplementary form for Hong Kong and Macao visitors, workers and students.

    Supplementary form for Hong Kong and Macao visitors, workers and students (INZ 1220) PDF 240KB

  3. Also provide your:

    • Hukou (household registration book)
    • Chinese identity card.

  4. Also provide a copy of your Identity card.

Character

You must be of good character

You may need to provide police certificates as proof of your good character.

If you are aged 17 or older and plan to stay in New Zealand for more than 24 months (including any time you have already spent in New Zealand), you must provide police certificates from:

  • any country you are a citizen of
  • any country you have spent more than 5 years in since you turned 17.

You do not need to provide police certificates if:

  • you have provided them to us with an earlier visa application, and
  • they were issued in the previous 24 months.

Good character

How to get a police certificate

Partner and dependent children

You can include your partner and any dependent children up to the age of 24 in your application

To bring family:

  • you must provide evidence of your relationship with them, like marriage and birth certificates
  • you must provide proof of their identity
  • they must be of good character
  • they must be in good health.

Partnership
Dependent children

Tips

  1. A family can include yourself, your partner, and dependent children 19 and under.

  2. You should provide copies of identity cards for family members included in your application.

  3. You should provide copies of family members Hukou (household registration book) included in your application.

Business reasons

You must be visiting New Zealand for business reasons

You must provide a letter from your employer, or the New Zealand company you’ll be doing business with, confirming:

Funds or employer support

You must have enough money to live on while you’re in New Zealand, or the financial support of your employer

You must have either:

  • the financial support of your employer
  • at least NZ $1,000 a month for each person, or
  • if you’ve already paid for your accommodation, at least NZ $400 a month.

Evidence of funds can include:

  • bank statements
  • credit card statements
  • bank drafts
  • travellers’ cheques
  • a ‘Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry’ completed by an acceptable sponsor
  • hotel receipts, if you've already paid for your accommodation.

If you are sponsored, your sponsor must provide evidence they can look after you in New Zealand. Evidence can include:

  • recent bank statements
  • pay slips
  • employment agreement
  • accommodation ownership or payment of rent

What sponsors must do – responsibilities and obligations

Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) PDF 414KB

Tips

  1. You may be eligible for streamlined visa processing arrangements.

    Check if you are eligible

  2. If you are pregnant, there are additional requirements.

    Paying for maternity care

Onward travel

You must have a ticket to leave New Zealand or enough funds to purchase one, or be sponsored for the cost of your onward travel.

Evidence can include:

  • proof you have enough money to buy a ticket out of New Zealand, in addition to the funds you have to live on — do not buy your ticket until your visa has been granted or we tell you that your application is approved in principle
  • a 'Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry' completed by an acceptable sponsor.

If you are sponsored, your sponsor must provide evidence they can look after you in New Zealand. Evidence can include:

  • recent bank statements
  • pay slips
  • employment agreement
  • accommodation ownership or payment of rent.

What sponsors must do – responsibilities and obligations

Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) PDF 414KB

Health care

You must agree to pay your own health care costs

You must declare in your visa application that you’ll pay the costs of any health care or medical assistance you receive in New Zealand.

Tips

  1. We recommend that you have full medical insurance for the length of your visit.

Process and costs

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.

Notes

We cannot display any process or costs information until you have provided your country details. Enter your country details in the panel above to view information relevant to your situation.

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How to submit

Payment methods and receiving centre details if applicable.

Notes

We cannot display any receiving centre or payment method information until you have provided your country details. Enter your country details in the panel above to view information relevant to your situation.

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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 an arrival card, which you are given on the way to New Zealand.

Arriving in New Zealand

Onward travel

Unless your visa label or letter says “Return/onward travel not required”, you must have either of the following:

  • a travel ticket to a country you can enter
  • an acceptable sponsor who can pay for your travel ticket out of New Zealand to a country you can enter.

What sponsors must do – responsibilities and obligations

Notes

  • Unless your visa label or letter states “Return/onward travel not required” you must have a ticket to leave New Zealand whenever you travel here.

Funds or sponsorship

You must have enough money to support yourself for the length of your visa or have a sponsor.

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 work in New Zealand on a Business Visitor Visa, but you can carry out the specific business, for which you were granted a visa.

Study

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

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.