Visiting New Zealand on business
If you are planning to visit New Zealand on business, check to see if you need a visa or a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA).
When you can do business as a visitor
You can come to New Zealand on business as a visitor if you are staying for less than 3 months and your business is to:
- carry out an official trade mission recognised by the New Zealand government
- sell goods and services in New Zealand
- buy New Zealand goods and services, or
- do business consultations or negotiations with authorised representatives of an overseas company, body or person about:
- the set-up, expansion or wind-up of a business in New Zealand
- carrying out business in New Zealand.
You can either apply for a Business Visitor Visa or request a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before coming to New Zealand, depending on your passport.
When you must have a visa
When you can apply for a Business Visitor Visa
If you are from a country that is not on the list of visa waiver countries, you will need a visa. You can apply for a Business Visitor Visa before you travel if you are:
- staying for less than 3 months, and
- here for acceptable business reasons.
Most people travelling to New Zealand need to get either a visa or a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA). If you are travelling on a passport from a
New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) Visitors who do not need an NZeTA You can holiday for up to 3 months, or up to 6 months if you are travelling on a UK passport. If you want to study, work or live in New Zealand, you need to get an appropriate visa. If you are coming to New Zealand for a medical consultation or treatment, you must apply for a visa. If you need an NZeTA, you must have it before you arrive in New Zealand. When you arrive at the border with your NZeTA, we give you a visitor visa on arrival — but first we will need to see your: We may also ask to see your ticket for travel out of New Zealand, and evidence you have enough money to live on while you are in New Zealand. Warning If you cannot meet any of the requirements or you want to stay longer, you should apply for a visitor visa before you travel, as you may not be allowed to enter with a visa waiver, even if you have an NZeTA. If the passport issuing authority of your country has endorsed your dependent children on your passport, we will accept your endorsed passport as their travel document. When you arrive in New Zealand, your dependent children will still need to complete an NZTD and may need to show:
Visa waiver countries and territories
If you have a passport from a country or territory on the visa waiver list, you can travel to New Zealand without a visa - but you need to get a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) first.
List of visa waiver countries and territories
Visiting New Zealand from a visa waiver country
When you need a visa
When you arrive in New Zealand
If you have dependent children endorsed on your passport
When you must have a work visa
You must apply for a work visa if you:
- have already spent more than 3 months visiting New Zealand in any 1 year
- plan to stay for 3 months or more, or
- are coming to New Zealand on business for less than 3 months but not for an acceptable business reason.
When you must have an NZeTA
You can travel to New Zealand with an NZeTA instead of a visa if you are:
- staying for less than 3 months
- here on business reasons, and
- are a citizen of a country on the list of visa waiver countries.
Visa waiver countries and territories
New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)
You also need to meet the entry requirements for visitors from visa waiver countries. If given entry permission, we give you a Visa Waiver Visitor Visa or an Australian Resident Visa (if you are an Australian permanent resident travelling on an NZeTA or an Australian citizen), when you arrive.
Note
Australian citizens do not need an NZeTA.
If you are from an APEC country travelling on business
If you are a national of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economy, travelling to New Zealand to carry out trade and investment activities, you may be able to access streamlined travel processes.
Members of APEC are:
Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, People's Republic of China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, The Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, The United States, Viet Nam.