Residents » Documents » Entry Visa

When you enter New Zealand, your passport needs to be valid for three months after your departure date.

If you are visiting for three months or less, you won't need a visa if you are from the following countries: Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, USA, Uruguay, Vatican City. You will however, have to provide travel tickets if asked.

Australian citizens do not need a visa and British passport holders are granted six-month visas automatically on arrival. Any citizens of countries not listed above must apply for a visa before coming to New Zealand. It costs between $80 and $120, depending on which country you are applying from, to obtain a visitor visa.

If you have already arranged residency, when you arrive at immigration, your passport will be stamped accordingly. Alternatively, you can arrive on a visitor visa and then apply for residency within three months.

If you have been recruited by a company from New Zealand, you apply for a work visa before arriving. If you have not been sponsored by a company, the best idea is to arrive on a visitor's visa and then apply for a work visa.

If there is a question mark over whether a friend or family member qualifies for a visa, they should apply in their home country. They need to provide evidence of good health (a medical certificate from a doctor), good character (no police record) and intentions for visiting a friend or family. See www.immigration.govt.nz for more information.