E2.1 People to whom a visa waiver applies (29/11/2010)

See also Immigration Act 2009, ss 4, 69

See also Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010 Schedule 2

A visa waiver means a waiver of the requirement to hold a visa permitting travel to New Zealand in relation to any class of persons. A visa waiver applies to, but is not limited to, the following people:

1. citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia; and
2. people who hold:
   1. a current permanent residence visa issued by the Government of Australia; or
   2. a current resident return visa issued by the Government of Australia; and
3. people granted a visa waiver by special direction; and
4. members of a visiting force (including members of the civilian component of the visiting force) as defined in the Visiting Forces Act 2004, or crew members of any craft transporting the visiting force who are coming to New Zealand, and are in New Zealand:
   1. at the request or with consent of the Government of New Zealand; and
   2. in the ordinary course of the person's duty or employment; and
5. for periods of 28 days, crew or passengers on any ship carrying passengers (including cruise ship passengers) or cargo or both (in the ordinary course of business of the craft) between any foreign port and New Zealand; and
6. for periods of 28 days, crew on any foreign ship authorised by the Minister of Transport under section 198(2) of the Maritime Transport Act 1994 to carry coastal cargo(within the meaning of subsection (6) of that section); and
7. for periods of 7 days, beginning with the day on which the aircraft arrived in New Zealand, aircraft crew on any commercial aircraft flying between any other country and New Zealand; and
8. members of, or any person associated with, any scientific programme or expedition under the auspices of a Contracting Party to the Antarctic Treaty within the meaning of the Antarctica Act 1960, or a person to whom section 5 of that Act applies; and
9. British citizens, and other British passport holders who produce evidence of the right to reside permanently in the United Kingdom, but only if the person concerned is seeking a visitor visa current for not more than six months and the purposes of the visit do not include medical consultation or treatment; and
10. people travelling on a United Nations (UN) laissez-passer who are seeking a visitor visa current for not more than three months; and
11. any other class of persons specified in the Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010; and
12. citizens of the following countries, but only if the person concerned is seeking a visitor visa current for not more than three months and the purposes of the visit is not for medical consultation or treatment:

    Andorra Argentina Austria Bahrain Belgium Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Canada Chile Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia**** Finland France Germany Greece ***** Hong Kong ***

    Hungary Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Japan Korea (South) Kuwait Latvia**** Liechtenstein Lithuania**** Luxembourg Malaysia Malta Mexico Monaco Netherlands Norway Oman

    Poland Portugal* Romania Qatar San Marino Saudi Arabia Singapore Slovak Republic Slovenia South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan****** United Arab Emirates United States of America** Uruguay Vatican City

    * Portuguese passport holders must also have the right to live permanently in Portugal.

    ** Including nationals of the USA.

    *** Residents of Hong Kong travelling on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or British National (Overseas) passports.

    **** Visa waiver does not apply to people travelling on alien's (non-citizen's) passports issued by these countries.

    ***** Greek passport holders whose passports were issued on and after 1 January 2006. (Greek passports issued before 1 January 2006 are not acceptable for travel after 1 January 2007, see A2.10.50.)

    ****** Permanent residents of Taiwan travelling on Taiwan passports (see A2.10.40)

Note: for the purpose of these instructions a 'member of a visiting force' can be an individual travelling alone.

Effective 29/11/2010