Planning a trip to New Zealand? Unless you’re an Australian citizen, you’ll need to obtain either a traditional visitor visa or an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority). Read on for a comprehensive guide to obtaining a visa to travel to New Zealand.
What Is an NZeTA?
An NZeTA is a New Zealand electronic travel authority that you can apply for online. If you are traveling to New Zealand on holiday and meet certain criteria, you may be able to acquire an NZeTA instead of applying for a visitor visa.
Who Needs an NZeTA?
Any visitor traveling to New Zealand with a passport from a visa-waiver country or territory will need to apply for an NZeTA. Visa-waiver countries include the United States, the United Kingdom, and European Union member states. You can find a full list of visa-waiver countries here.
While Australian citizens are not required to obtain a visitor visa or an NZeTA, permanent residents of Australia must present an NZeTA when traveling to New Zealand.
An NZeTA is good for visitors planning to stay in New Zealand for up to three months, or six months for visitors from the United Kingdom. You will need to present an onward ticket to an immigration officer on arrival. If you plan to stay longer than three months, you need to apply for a visitor visa instead. You must also apply for a visa if you are already in New Zealand and wish to extend your stay.
You must obtain an NZeTA whether you are arriving through Auckland Airport or by cruise ship. Regardless of where they are arriving from, transit passengers going through Auckland Airport on their way to Australia can also apply for an NZeTA. Transit passengers on their way to another country can apply for an NZeTA only if they are from a visa-waiver country or a transit visa-waiver country.
How to Apply for an NZeTA
You can apply for an NZeTA online and complete the application in your own language. The eTA will be sent to your email, and you must print it out and present it with your passport on arrival.
Applications are typically processed within 72 hours, but you should apply well in advance in case of complications or delays.
NZeTA applications cost $17 NZD (about $10.65 USD) on the free app and $23 NZD online. You also need to pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy – an additional $35 NZD – at the time of application.
How Long Is an NZeTA Valid?
An NZeTA is valid for multiple visits within up to two years.
We hope this guide answered some of your questions about the New Zealand eTA application process. For more information and answers to frequently asked questions, check out the NZeTA page of the official website of the government of New Zealand.
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