Visitor Visas

You may need to apply for a Visitor visa in NZ if you intend to stay for more than 24 hours and want to sightsee. Normally visitors can be issued upto a maximum of 9 months in an 18 month period of time.

Passport requirements for Tourists

• Travel to New Zealand without first applying for a visa – you must be from a visa waiver country to do this.
• Bring your family, if they meet our criteria for visa waiver travel.
• Holiday and sightsee, visit family and friends, shop and enjoy New Zealand as a visitor.
• Study for a short time.

Visa Waiver Agreements
Countries who have visa waiver agreements with New Zealand:
Andorra	Argentina	Austria	Bahrain
Belgium	Brazil	Brunei	Bulgaria
Canada	Chile	Cyprus	Czech Republic
Denmark	Estonia*	Finland	France
Germany	Greece*****	Hong Kong	Hungary
Iceland	Ireland	Israel	Italy
Latvia*	Korea (South)	Kuwait	Latvia
Liechenstein	Lithuania*	Luxembourg	Malaysia
Malta	Mexico	Monaco	Netherlands
Norway	Oman	Poland	Portugal***
Qatar	Romania	San Marino	Saudi Arabia
Singapore	Slovak Republic	Slovenia	South Africa
Spain	Sweden	Switzerland	United Arab Emirates
United States of America****	Uruguay	Vatican City

 

For citizens who aren’t on the visa waiver chart, they are required to make an application at their nearest branch or check with an immigration agent. As of 2016, online NZ visitor visa applications are now allowed and this can rapidly decrease waiting time. Other purposes for making an application at a branch including more than one person ie. a family. This includes people who may have previous criminal records under section 15 and 16 of the Immigration Act and need clearance before travel.

Tourism in NZ is currently at a record high. The biggest destinations are Auckland, Queenstown, Rotorua and the capital city Wellington. Visitors especially enjoy the café culture and spectacular scenery which has featured in movies such as Lord of the Rings. Tourism has now overtaken the dairy industry as being New Zealand’s largest economic contributor.