Tour Escort Visitor Visa

How long you can stay depends on your travel plans. We normally give you a stay of up to 3 months.

Check if you are eligible to apply for this visa and what supporting documents and information you need to provide.

Work as a tour escort

A tour escort is someone who:

• arrives, leaves and travels within New Zealand with a tour group
• lives outside New Zealand
• is employed by an employer outside New Zealand – for example, an overseas travel agent
• mainly provides day-to-day assistance to the tour group.

Day-to-day assistance could include planning and organisational support, such as organising the group’s arrival and departure and providing translation. It must not include leading activities or providing in-depth local knowledge. These services can only be provided by a tour guide, who must have the legal right to work in New Zealand.

 You must provide a letter from your employer that confirms your work as a . This letter must:

• be on your employer's letterhead
• include your name and nationality, and the passport number, and expiry date of the passport you will be travelling on to New Zealand
• describe your duties and responsibilities while in New Zealand
• include a copy of the tour itinerary
• be written or translated in English.
• include your employer’s name and contact details
• be signed by your employer.

The letter must be no older than 12 months from the date your tour group will arrive in New Zealand.

Non-New Zealand Employer

Your employer must be located outside New Zealand.

We will check your employer’s information to confirm they are based outside New Zealand.

Live outside New Zealand

You must live outside New Zealand.

We will check your address and travel history to confirm where you live.

Funds or sponsorship

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

You must have at least NZD $1,000 a month, or NZD $400 a month if you have 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.

Sponsorship process for a visa

Your responsibilities as a sponsor

Identity

As proof of identity, you must provide:

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

Acceptable photos for a visa or NZeTA

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 have applied.

Providing your passport for an online application

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.

Health

You must be in good health.

We may ask you to have a chest X-ray, a medical examination or both as proof of your good health.

If you are staying less than:

• 6 months you do not normally need a chest X-ray
• 12 months you do not normally need a medical certificate. 

Who needs an X-ray or medical examination

When we process your application, we let you know if we need you to have a chest X-ray or medical examination.

Why you need to provide evidence you are in good health

Applicants from China, Hong Kong or Macao applying within China, Hong Kong or Macao

You must provide a chest X-ray completed in the last 3 months, even if you have provided one to us previously, if:

• you have spent 6 months in a row in China since the last X-ray certificate was issued, and
• you are now coming to New Zealand for more than 6 months.

Character

You must be of good character.

If you have a criminal conviction or are a security risk to New Zealand we may not be able to grant you a visa.

Character requirements for New Zealand visas

You must provide police certificates if your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer across all visits. This includes any time you have spent in New Zealand in the past on other visas, even if you have been out of the country since then.

You also must provide police certificates if we ask for them.

Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when you submit your application. They must be from any country you are a citizen of, or have spent more than 5 years in since you turned 17.

If you are 16 years old or younger you do not need to provide police certificates.

Police certificates

How to get a police certificate

If you have already sent us police certificates with a previous visa application and they are less than 24 months old, you do not need to send them again.

Genuine intentions

You must genuinely intend to meet the conditions of your visa.

When we decide if your intentions are genuine, we consider all the information that:

• you provide to support your application
• we have about your personal circumstances
• you provided in any previous applications.

Genuine intentions to visit or work in New Zealand

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.

When you arrive in New Zealand, you may be asked to show that you intend to leave the country — for example, a return ticket or proof you have enough money to buy a ticket out of New Zealand. This is in addition to the funds you have to live on.

If you are sponsored and you do not have a return ticket, your sponsor can provide recent bank statements to show they have enough money to buy you a ticket out of New Zealand.

English translations

You must provide full English translations of any documents that are not in English.

Documents must be translated by someone who meets our requirements for providing English translations.

Providing English translations of supporting documents

When you apply

When you apply, you will need to provide:

• a copy of your passport or — if you apply on paper, you can provide a , but it can prevent delays if you provide the original
• 1 acceptable photo if you apply online, or 2 photos if you apply on paper
• police certificates, if required
• evidence of a chest X-ray, if required
• evidence of a medical examination, if required
• proof you have enough money to live on
• a letter from your employer that confirms your work as a
• proof you can leave New Zealand at the end of your stay
• documents to show your relationship with your partner and dependent children, proof of their identity and acceptable photos, if you are including them
• a copy of the completed Additional Dependants for a Visitor Visa form, if required
• a copy of the completed Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry, if you have a sponsor and are applying on paper
• your sponsor's , if you have a sponsor and are applying online
• translated versions of all your documents if they are not in English.

Providing your passport for an online visa application

Acceptable photos for a visa or NZeTA

Your passport or certificate of identity must be valid for at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave New Zealand.

After you apply

After you apply, we may contact you and ask for:

• evidence of a medical examination or chest X-ray
• police certificates as proof of your good character.

When you arrive

When you arrive, you will need to have:

• a ticket to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay, proof you have enough money to buy one, or agreement that a sponsor will pay for one
• proof you have enough money to live on for your stay in New Zealand.

Entry requirements

As part of New Zealand’s entry requirements, everyone must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD). This form collects information about your travel, including customs, immigration, and biosecurity details.

When you can submit your NZTD depends on how you're travelling:

• By air: You can submit it from 24 hours before your journey begins.
• By sea: You can submit it from 24 hours before your ship leaves its last overseas port heading to New Zealand. 

If you have an NZeTA, you can specify in your declaration that you are applying for a visa on arrival.

A paper declaration form is available for travellers who cannot complete it online.

New Zealand Traveller Declaration

New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity also check that you meet their entry requirements.

Arriving in New Zealand

These are the conditions that you must meet once you have your visa.

Travel with a tour group

You must arrive, depart and travel in New Zealand with a tour group.

If you want to travel in and out of New Zealand, you must have valid to return to New Zealand.

Check or change your visitor visa conditions

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.

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