Crew of planes, cruise ships and cargo ships
Crew of passenger airlines, cruise ships and cargo ships must have a Crew ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) before they leave for New Zealand.
Who needs a Crew ETA
All working and
- are Australian or New Zealand citizens, or
- already hold a visa for New Zealand that allows them to work as crew.
Positioning crew can use their Crew ETA to fly to New Zealand to meet a plane or ship.
How we define crew
Your staff must have a Crew ETA if they are employed by:
- a passenger airline
- a cruise operator
- a manning agent — that is, a company that recruits crew for cruise ships or other vessels
- a concessionaire that employs or engages staff on behalf of a cruise operator to provide services — for example, a musician who provides entertainment for passengers
- a cargo operator.
Crew members on a cargo ship travelling from a foreign port to New Zealand, regardless of nationality, must have a Crew ETA before they start their travel to New Zealand.
This includes crew who are:
- travelling to New Zealand by air to join their ship, or
- on ships authorised by the Ministry of Transport to carry coastal cargo.
Crew ETAs must be requested by the cargo operator (or their representative) via Immigration New Zealand's online Batch ETA System.
Cargo operators should contact their New Zealand based shipping agents for information on how to register to access the Batch ETA system.
Note
If you are a cargo vessel owner, you may have received information from an industry association in New Zealand on how to request NZeTAs for crew. If this work is outsourced to ship or crew management agencies, you will need to nominate a representative so they can access the Batch ETA system.
How long crew can stay in NZ if they have a Crew ETA
From the date they arrive:
- airline crew are
for 7 days - cruise ship crew who travel by sea and hold a Crew ETA are deemed to hold a visa for up to 28 days or when the ship leaves — whichever happens first
- cargo ship crew who travel by sea are deemed to hold a visa for up to 28 days or when the ship leaves — whichever happens first
- cruise and cargo ship crew who travel by air to join their ship at its berth in New Zealand apply for a visa and entry permission when they arrive in New Zealand — their visa is valid for 35 days.
Visiting New Zealand as a tourist or for other reasons
Your crew cannot use their Crew ETA to come to New Zealand for a holiday. They must have an NZeTA or a visa, depending on which country they are from.
Crew ETA cost, length and processing time
A Crew ETA costs NZD $17.00, which is paid by the employer.
The visa is valid for up to 5 years, but is no longer valid if the crew member's employment ends before the 5-year period finishes.
Most Crew ETA requests are processed within 72 hours.
How to request a Crew ETA
A crew member's employer or the employer’s nominated representative requests Crew ETAs using our Batch ETA system.
We accept requests to use the Batch ETA system from:
- cruise companies
- airlines
- manning agents
- concessionaires, and
- cargo ship operators.
Note
If you are a crew member and need to get a Crew ETA, ask your employer or their representative to request one for you.
Crew of other vessels or private craft
Different rules apply to the crews of:
- fishing vessels
- private yachts and planes
- commercial flights that are not a scheduled service.