Visitor Visa

Visa details

This visa lets you come to New Zealand as a visitor. You can also study for a short time on this visa or attend a job interview. You will need enough money to support yourself during your stay.

Length of stay
Up to

9 months

Cost
From
NZD $211
Processing time
90% within
44 days
With this visa you can
  • Visit friends and family, explore New Zealand or enjoy amateur sports, or adventure activity.
  • Study for up to 3 months.
  • Include your partner, and dependent children aged 19 and under, in your visa application.
Things to note
  • Check if you need to apply for a Visitor Visa – people from visa waiver countries can travel to New Zealand without a visa but you must hold an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority).
    Visa waiver countries and territories

Information about NZeTA
Visa Waiver for Visitor Visa
FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 – Information for spectators

Note

Due to the large number of applications, processing times are longer than expected. We advise travellers not to book travel until their visa has been approved.

Who can apply

The criteria and evidence below will provide you with the information you need 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.

Health

You must be in good health

You may need to have a chest x-ray, a medical examination or both as proof of your good health.

Who needs an x-ray or medical examination

Update on medical certificate requests on Immigration Online

Tips

  1. You must provide a chest x-ray completed in the last 3 months, even if you've provided one to us previously, if:

    • you have spent 6 consecutive months in China since the last x-ray certificate was issued, and
    • you are now coming to NZ for more than 6 months.

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

Genuine intentions

You must genuinely intend to meet the conditions of your visa

When we decide if your intentions are genuine (bona fide), we consider all the information:

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

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in NZ

Evidence that you are a genuine visitor

Tips

  1. If you will return to a Schengen member state after your visit, but are not a citizen of a member state,  you should provide evidence of your right to return to that country.

    Evidence of your right to return to that country is a current copy of your Schengen visa.

  2. If you’re coming to New Zealand to take up an offer of employment, you should apply for a Work Visa.

    If you’re coming to New Zealand for a special purpose, such as a work requirement, or as a partner or family member, you should first consider the Special Visitor Category.

    If you want to conduct business while in New Zealand, you should apply for a Business Visitors Visa.

  3. Evidence of genuine intention for Chinese applicants.

    Evidence that you are a genuine visitor

Partner and dependent children

You can include your partner and any dependent children up to the age of 19 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 family members Hukou (household registration book) included in your application.

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

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.

You must have your sponsor's Sharing ID to complete your online application. You do not need a Sharing ID if you are travelling from the Pacific.

Criteria and process to become a sponsor

What sponsors must do while you are in New Zealand

Travelling from the Pacific

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

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.

Onward travel

You must provide evidence that you can leave New Zealand, such as enough funds to purchase a return ticket, 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

Tips

  1. If you are not a citizen of the country you will return to after your visit, you must provide evidence of your legal right to enter that country.

  2. If you will return to Schengen member state after your visit, but are not a citizen of a member state, evidence of your right to enter that country is a current copy of your Schengen visa.

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 do not meet our character requirements
    • your circumstances have changed since you were granted a visa
    • you refuse to let us take your photo or to provide us with your fingerprints or an iris scan, if asked for them
    • you are unable to provide evidence of any onward travel or funds required by the conditions of your visa.

    If you are refused entry to New Zealand

    Before you travel to New Zealand

Duration – Visitors and tourists

You can visit New Zealand as a genuine tourist for up to 9 months in an 18-month period.

  • The 18-month period is calculated backwards from the last day you intend to be in New Zealand.
  • If the last day you’ll be here is 1 December, then your 18-month period will begin on 1 June of the year before.
Notes

  • You can apply for another 3 months’ stay and extend your stay to 12 months in a 24-month period, if:

    • you need more time to complete your tourist itinerary
    • you can’t leave New Zealand for reasons beyond your control
    • you’ve applied for residence for the first time.

    To apply for another 3 months’ stay, you must have financially supported yourself and not worked, studied or been sponsored during your stay.

    If you’ve recently visited New Zealand for a total of 12 months, you have to remain outside New Zealand for 12 months before you can apply for another Visitor Visa.

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.

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

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 while you are in New Zealand or have a sponsor.

What sponsors must do – responsibilities and obligations

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 cannot work in New Zealand on this visa.

Notes

  • If you’re coming to New Zealand to take up an offer of employment, you should apply for a Work Visa.

    If you’re coming to New Zealand for a special purpose, such as a work requirement, or as a partner or family member, you should first consider the Special Category Visitor Visas.

    If you want to conduct business while in New Zealand, you should apply for a Business Visitor Visa.

    Business Visitor Visa

Study

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

Notes