Sports Events Visitor Visa

Visa details

This visa allows you to visit New Zealand for a sports event or tour if you are a sports person, a support staff member, a match or tournament official, or a media/broadcasting worker.

Length of stay

3 months

Cost
From
NZD $211
Processing time
90% within
47 days
With this visa you can
  • Visit New Zealand for a sports event or tour.
Things to note
  • You can only work at the sports event you are coming to New Zealand for.
  • If you need to be in New Zealand for more than 3 months for your sports event, you’ll need to apply for a work visa.
  • If you are from a visa waiver country and you meet all the criteria for this visa, you do not need a visa before you travel to New Zealand but you must hold an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority).
    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. Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave New Zealand.

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. Also provide your:

    • Hukou (household registration book)
    • Chinese identity card.
  5. 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

Sports event

You must be coming to New Zealand to work at a sports event, tour or tournament

The evidence you need to provide will depend on your role.  If you’re a sports person, or support staff at a sports event, tour or tournament, you must provide evidence:

  • of your role in the sports event
  • that you’re essential to the success of the sports event, tour or tournament.

If you’re media or broadcasting personnel, you must provide evidence that you’re accredited by the international governing body of the event, or the New Zealand organising committee of the event.

Funds or sponsorship

You must have enough money to live on while you’re in New Zealand or have an acceptable sponsor

You must have at least NZD $1,000 per month, or NZD $400 per month if you’ve already paid for your accommodation.

Evidence can include:

  • proof of accommodation pre-payment, like hotel pre-paid vouchers or receipts
  • bank statements
  • credit card statements
  • bank drafts
  • travellers’ cheques
  • 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.

Criteria and process to become a sponsor

What sponsors must do while you are in New Zealand

Tips
  1. If you are pregnant, there are additional requirements.

    Paying for maternity care

Onward travel

If you’re not sponsored, you must have a ticket to leave New Zealand

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.

Partner and dependent children

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

You must provide evidence:

  • of your relationship with your partner and dependent children, like a marriage certificate and birth certificates
  • that your partner and dependent children meet the health, character and identity requirements for this visa, if necessary.

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.

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

Notes
  • You can be refused entry permission if:

    • you don’t meet our character requirements
    • your circumstances have changed since you were granted a visa
    • you refuse to let us to take your photo, or provide us with your fingerprints or an iris scan, if we ask you for them.

Travel

If travelling in and out of New Zealand, a valid multiple entry travel condition is needed to return to New Zealand.

Changing the conditions of a visitor visa

Notes
  • If applying from inside New Zealand, we will normally give multiple entry travel conditions when we grant a visa.

    If there are no multiple entry travel conditions and you leave New Zealand the visa will expire.

    The travel conditions will be listed on the visa label or in a visa letter.

Onward travel

You must have a travel ticket or a sponsor.

Notes
  • If you’re not sponsored, you may be asked for evidence of your travel arrangements when you check in or arrive in New Zealand.

Funds or sponsorship

You must have enough money to live on while you’re in New Zealand or a sponsor.

Notes
  • If your visa label or letter doesn’t say ‘Financial evidence not required’ or ‘The holder of this visa is sponsored’, we may ask for evidence of funds when you arrive in New Zealand.

Work

You can only work at the sports event you’re in New Zealand for.

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.

Notes
  • Visa expiry dates are printed on a visa label or included in a visa letter.