Group Visitor Visa

How long you can stay depends on your travel plans and the purpose of your trip. 

We normally give you a stay of up to 1 month, but you may be able to stay for longer, for example, if you are here for a short-term study tour.

To apply for this visa, you must:

• be travelling in a group to New Zealand for the same purpose and with the same travel arrangements
• have a group administrator submit the Group Visitor Visa application, with a Visitor Visa application for each individual group member
• provide a group contact who we will communicate with about the group's travel details
• be aware that all group members must give permission for group administrators to view, edit and submit their applications, and communicate health and character requests if needed
• make sure each group member has enough money to pay for their expenses or has a sponsor
• make sure each group member meets the requirements of their Visitor Visa
• show us that each group member can leave New Zealand at the end of their stay.

Group roles and responsibilities

The Group Visitor Visa application can be accessed by more than 1 person. The process involves different roles, with different responsibilities and access permissions.

• Group administrators, including:
  • Group creators
  • Group contacts
• Applicants

Someone should also be chosen as a group leader to be responsible for the group when they arrive in New Zealand.

The group creator, group administrator, and group contact can all be different people, or they can be the same person. There can be more than 1 group administrator.

Check more information about the application process and different roles:

Applying for a Group Visitor Visa

For more detailed instructions on how to apply, see the enhanced Immigration Online user guide:

Group travel

A group administrator applies for the Group Visitor Visa on behalf of the group.

The Group Visitor Visa application must include a group travel itinerary and a signed declaration confirming that the group members intend to travel to and arrive in New Zealand together for the same purpose.

The travel itinerary should include:

• the date the group will arrive in New Zealand together
• the details of anyone else involved in the travel who is not included in the Group Visitor Visa, such as a tour escort
• each place the group will be staying and for how long
• planned activities and accommodation
• the date each group member will leave New Zealand, and
• any other details about the trip that might be relevant.

Applying for a Group Visitor Visa

Visiting New Zealand as part of an organised event

If you are visiting New Zealand for a conference or another organised event and your group involves 30 or more international visitors, we recommend your event organiser lets us know. We can help them to assist attendees in applying for the right visa and travelling to New Zealand.

Bringing groups of people to New Zealand for an event

Individual Visitor Visas

We need an individual Visitor Visa application for each group member. These can be completed either by a group administrator, or by the applicants themselves once the group creator has created and shared their visa application with them. An individual visa application must be created by a group administrator in the first instance.

Each individual applicant must meet the requirements of their Visitor Visa. If an individual does not meet the requirements, their visa application could be declined and removed from the group. This will not affect the other applications in the Group Visitor Visa application.

You can add up to 50 Visitor Visa applications to 1 Group Visitor Visa application.

A group administrator must submit the individual Visitor Visa applications with the Group Visitor Visa application.

If your group has a , they must apply separately for a Tour Escort Visitor Visa. This cannot be added to the Group Visitor Visa.

Tour Escort Visitor Visa

Visas for tour guides or tour escorts

Each applicant must declare that they understand the group process and give permission to the group administrator to submit their application as part of the group. See our Immigration Online terms of use for more information on group sharing.

Immigration Online terms of use

Enough money to live on

Each member of the group needs to show that they have enough money to cover their living expenses while they are in New Zealand or have a sponsor.

If group members are paying for themselves

Each group member must have at least NZD $1,000 a month, or NZD $400 a month if they have already paid for accommodation.

Evidence can include:

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

If group members have a sponsor

The sponsor is responsible for group members while they are in New Zealand — they can be an organisation or an individual.

What sponsors must do while a visa holder is in New Zealand

Your responsibilities as a sponsor

Sponsorship process for a visa

The sponsor must complete a Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry.

The sponsor can provide supporting documents including:

• recent bank statements
• pay slips
• their employment agreement
• ownership papers for accommodation or receipts for rent payments.

Leaving New Zealand

You must be able to show that the group members intend to leave the country at the end of their stay.

If the group members are paying for themselves, they will need to provide:

• tickets for travel out of New Zealand at the end of the group's stay to a , or
• documents, such as bank or credit card statements, that show the group members have enough money to buy tickets.

When you apply

When you apply, you will need to provide for each group member:

• a copy of their passport or — if you apply on paper, it must be a
• 1 acceptable photo if you apply online, or 2 photos if you apply on paper
• a completed Visitor Visa application
• a Visitor Visa Declaration Form (INZ 1224), if applying online
• a copy of the completed Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025), 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 documents if they are not in English.

If going through a designated Approved Destination Status (ADS) agent, the agent needs to provide a cover letter in English.

Providing English translations of supporting documents

Visa and NZeTA photos

Applying for a Group Visitor Visa

Each group member's passport or certificate of identity must be valid for at least 3 months after the date they plan to leave New Zealand.

When you arrive

The group leader must keep the group together and provide any information (for example, travel documents) if we need it when the group arrives together in New Zealand.

All group members must arrive together in New Zealand.

Group members must come to New Zealand in line with the travel conditions on their group eVisa.

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

Your visa conditions are recorded in your group eVisa.

Work

You cannot in New Zealand on a Visitor Visa, however, you may be able to or work remotely for an employer or client based outside New Zealand.

Working remotely in New Zealand on a visitor visa

For more information about individual Visitor Visa conditions, check the Visitor Visa information page:

Visitor Visa – While you are in New Zealand