Sports Events Visitor Visa
This visa lets you visit New Zealand for a sports event or tour if you are a sports person, a support staff member, a match or tournament official, or a media or broadcasting worker.
Apply online-
Length of stay
Up to
3 months
-
Cost
From
NZD $441
-
Processing time
80% within
6 weeks
To apply you must:
- be coming to New Zealand for short-term activities at a sports event, tour or tournament
- provide evidence of your role at the sports event
- if you are a support staff member or a match or tournament official, provide evidence that you are essential to the success of the sports event, tour or tournament
- if you are with the media, provide evidence that you are accredited by the international governing body of the event
- agree to cover your own health care costs
- meet the other requirements of this visa.
This visa lets you:
- do short-term activities at the sports event you are coming to New Zealand for
- include your partner and children in your visa application.
If you need to be in New Zealand for more than 3 months for your sports event, you will need to apply for a work visa.
Who can apply
Check if you are eligible to apply for this visa and what supporting documents and information you need to provide.
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
Note
Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave New Zealand.
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.
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
Also provide your:
- Hukou (household registration book)
- Chinese identity card.
If you submit 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
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.
When we process your application we let you know if we need you to have a chest X-ray or medical examination.
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.
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.
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:
- you provide to support your application
- we have about your personal circumstances
- you provided in any previous applications.
Sports event
You must be coming to New Zealand to work at a sports event, tour or tournament.
The evidence you need to provide will depend on your role. If you are a sports person,
- of your role in the sports event
- that you are essential to the success of the sports event, tour or tournament.
If you are media or broadcasting personnel, you must provide evidence that you are accredited by the international governing body of the event, or the New Zealand organising committee of the event.
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 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
- traveller's 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
Note
If you are pregnant, there are additional requirements.
Onward travel
If you are not sponsored, you must have a ticket to leave New Zealand.
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.
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.
Note
We recommend that you have full medical insurance for the length of your visit.
Relationship with family
If you include your partner and children in your application, you must have a genuine relationship with them.
You must provide evidence:
- of your relationship with your partner and dependent children, like a marriage certificate and birth certificates
- that your partner and dependent children meet the health, character and identity requirements for this visa, if necessary.
Note
A family can include yourself, your partner, and dependent children 19 and under.
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 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.
How to pay and submit
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When you arrive
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.
Alert
You can be refused entry permission if you:
- do not meet our character requirements
- have had a change in circumstances since we issued your visa
- refuse to let us take your photo, fingerprints or an iris scan.
While you are 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
Check or change your visitor visa conditions
Note
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
You must have a travel ticket or a sponsor.
Note
If you are not sponsored, you may be asked for evidence of your travel arrangements when you check in or arrive in New Zealand.
Funds or sponsorship
You must have enough money to live on while you are in New Zealand or a sponsor.
Note
If your visa label or letter does not say 'Financial evidence not required' or 'The holder of this visa is sponsored', we may ask for evidence of funds when you arrive in New Zealand.
Work
You can only work at the sports event you are in New Zealand for.
While you are in New Zealand, you may be able to work remotely for an employer or client based outside New Zealand.
Visa expiry
You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.
Note
Visa expiry dates are printed on a visa label or included in a visa letter.