Crew joining a Ship or Plane Visitor Visa

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

Identity

As proof of your identity, you must provide:

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

Visa and NZeTA photos

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 online applications

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.

Citizens of China applying from China

You must also provide your:

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

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

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

You must also provide a copy of your identity card.

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

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 may 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.

If you are aged 16 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.

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.

Genuine intentions

You must genuinely intend a temporary stay in New Zealand for a lawful purpose.

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, and
• you provided in any previous applications.

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in New Zealand

Crew member

You must be a crew member of a ship, aircraft or other vessel.

You must provide evidence of your engagement as a crew member in New Zealand, for example, written confirmation from your employer.

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 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.

Sponsorship process for a visa

Your responsibilities as a sponsor

Travel arrangements

You must arrange to leave New Zealand.

Evidence can include:

• confirmation you will be leaving with your vessel or aircraft
• a travel ticket to leave New Zealand to a

Health care

You must agree to pay your own health care costs.

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

Relationship with family

Your family must meet the requirements for partners and dependent children.

To meet the requirements, they must:

• be your partner, or dependent child aged 19 or under
• provide proof of their identity
• be of good character
• be in good health 
• have genuine intentions.

Partnership and how to prove it

Bringing children

Citizens of China applying from China

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

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

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

English translations

You must provide certified 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

Entry permission

You must apply for permission to enter New Zealand. You do this by completing a New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) form.

You can start your digital declaration any time, but the earliest you can submit it is 24 hours before starting your travel to New Zealand.

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. Your visa conditions are recorded in your eVisa.

Travel

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

Check or change your visitor visa conditions

Onward travel

You must have made arrangements to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay.

You must have onward travel evidence to prove to us you will, or can, leave New Zealand.

Evidence can be any one of these:

• your travel ticket
• a bank or credit card statement showing you have enough money to pay for onward travel
• confirmation from a travel agency that you have booked and paid for travel, or another form of
• proof you have arranged to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay.

Funds or sponsorship

You must have enough money to support yourself while you are in New Zealand or have a sponsor.

Your responsibilities as a sponsor

Join crew

You can only be in New Zealand to join the crew of the vessel or aircraft at the port named in your visa.

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.