Check if you need a visitor visa or an NZeTA
If you are not a New Zealand or Australian citizen, you may need to apply for a visa or a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) to enter New Zealand.
You need a visitor visa if any of the following is true
- are not travelling on a passport from a visa-waiver country or territory
- want to visit for more than 3 months (or 6 months if you’re from the UK)
- have a criminal history
- have health problems that could be a danger to public health or be expensive for NZ’s health services.
You do not need both an NZeTA and a visitor visa.
For more information on how to apply visitor visa, please click here.
New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)
The NZeTa is a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority. Having an NZeTA shows you’re allowed to travel to NZ. It is to help increase security at NZ borders. For more information on how to request an NZeTA, please click here.
Do Australians need the NZeTA?
Permanent residents: Yes.
Citizens: No — you do not need a visitor visa either.
Permanent residents and citizens both get an Australian Resident Visa when they arrive in New Zealand.
You need an NZeTA if you’re travelling on a passport from a visa-waiver country
Check if your passport is from a visa-waiver country or territory.
Even if your passport is from a visa-waiver country, there are still some conditions to your travel.
Your passport must also be valid: Is my passport acceptable for travel to New Zealand?
If you have a criminal history or health problems
No matter where you’re from, you might have to apply if you’ve:
- served time in prison
- been deported from any country
- been involved in criminal or terrorist groups
- have a serious health problem.
- Good character for temporary visas
Before you come to New Zealand
If you do not need a visitor visa before you arrive, you’ll still need to give information to border officials about why you’re visiting.
You need to be able to prove that you:
- have a ticket out of New Zealand, and
- enough money to live on while you’re here.
COVID-19 and the border travel restrictions and exemptions
For information about visas and COVID-19, visit the Immigration NZ website.