New Zealand is a bucket-list destination for outdoor adventurers from all over the world. There are endless walking and hiking trails all around New Zealand filled with rare wildlife, as well as opportunities for bungy jumping, zip-lining, sky diving, whitewater rafting, skiing, snowboarding, and even stargazing under the clear New Zealand skies.
As you plan your holiday in New Zealand, use the following information to apply for your New Zealand visa.
Summary
| Requirement type | Mandatory for UK travellers
|
| Purpose of travel | Tourism, business trips, amateur sports
|
| Valid | 2 years from issue; up to 6 months from arrival for UK citizens (3 months per visit)
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| Entry/exit | Unlimited
|
| Processing time | Normal processing: Up to 72 hours
Urgent processing: 1 hour
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| Cost | Normal processing: £49.95
Urgent processing: +£17.50 |
| Application method | Online only |
| Payment method | Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal |
What Is the New Zealand Visa?
The New Zealand visa, or the NZeTA, is an electronic travel authorisation that allows travellers to visit New Zealand without a traditional embassy visa. NZeTA stands for New Zealand electronic Travel Authority, which is essentially a visa waiver for tourists visiting New Zealand.
You need the NZeTA to enter New Zealand by air or cruise ship. At this time (June 2021), no tourists can travel to New Zealand due to Covid-19 regulations.
Types Of New Zealand Visas
The visitor visa is ideal for tourists, visiting family and friends, or studying for 3 months or less in New Zealand. The UK working holiday visa is another type of NZeTA that allows travellers from the UK to work or study in New Zealand. It is ideal for UK residents aged 18 to 30 who would like to work in New Zealand for up to 12 months or study for up to 6 months.
If you’d like to seek medical treatment in New Zealand, you can opt for the quarantine-free travel NZeTA, allowing you to stay for up to 6 months. If your condition requires you to have someone by your side such as a family member, friend or doctor, they will need to apply for their visitor NZeTA visa.
This guide will focus on the New Zealand visitor NZeTA visa. If you’d like more information about other types of New Zealand visas, check the New Zealand immigration website.
Requirements For a New Zealand Visa
You can get a New Zealand visa if you meet the following basic requirements:
- Passport with at least 3 months validity from the date of your departure from New Zealand
- A passport-size photograph
- A transit or return ticket on arrival
- Proof of funds to sustain your visit, either personal funds or through a sponsor
- Proof of accommodation
- An active email address
- A mobile phone number
- A debit or credit card for the processing fee
Your passport-size photo for your NZeTA application should be:
- Less than 6 months old
- Clear on a plain, light-coloured background (light blue, grey or cream)
- JPEG image between 500 KB and 3 MB file size
- Minimum 900×1200 pixels, maximum 2250×3000 pixels
- Mouth closed, no smile, and eyes open and clearly visible.
Other additional requirements for the New Zealand NZeTA include:
- No serious communicable diseases
- No risk to the safety or public order of New Zealand
- No criminal convictions or jail time
- Demonstrate your intention to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay
- No engagement in commercial or volunteer activities during your stay in New Zealand
Who Needs a New Zealand Visa?
All UK travellers who would like to stay in New Zealand for 6 months or less require an NZeTA visa. You can include your partner and dependent children aged under 19 years old under one visa application.
How Long Does the New Zealand Visa Last?
The New Zealand NZeTA visit visa is valid for two years after the issue, allowing an unlimited number of entries and exit into the country. Within every 12 months, you can stay in New Zealand for a total of 6 months, ideally for a maximum of 3 months at a time.
At the end of your NZeTA visa, you could apply for another visitor visa or a student or work visa if you would like to stay in New Zealand for longer.
How Long Does It Take to Get a New Zealand Visa?
An NZeTA visa takes about 72 hours to process, but you should apply as early as possible even if you have not booked your flight or secured accommodation in New Zealand yet. The online New Zealand visa application usually takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Once your NZeTA application gets the green light, you will receive a text message and your visa in your email.
How Much Does a New Zealand Visa Cost?
The New Zealand NZeTA visa costs £49.95, including the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, a tourist tax changed for all visitors to New Zealand. You can also get your NZeTA within an hour at an extra fee of £17.50. The NZeTA visa accepts payment through Visa, Mastercard, American Express and PayPal.
Extra Tips
- UK travellers must have proof of funds between NZ $400 (£202) per month if you have secured your accommodation and NZ $1,000 (£506) per month without pre-booked accommodation.
- Before you travel to New Zealand, you should first book a place in a managed isolation facility through the Managed Isolation Allocation System. There are limited places, and you can only plan your flight to New Zealand after you secure a voucher for managed isolation on arrival.
- Foreign travellers cater for managed isolation charges in New Zealand as outlined in the official Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) website.
- On your flight to New Zealand, you will receive a Passenger Arrival Card to fill out. If it is not available in flight, these cards will be in the arrival area before going through New Zealand customs.
- All travellers must submit to at least 3 PCR tests on arrival in New Zealand: the first on the day you land, the second test on the third day, the final test on the 12th day in your managed isolation facility.
- If you are travelling from the State of Victoria in Australia to New Zealand, you need a negative Covid-19 PCR test within 72 hours of your departure from Australia. This only applies to travellers who have been in Victoria before 20 May 2021. Anyone who is in Victoria since 25 May 2021 cannot enter New Zealand at all at this time (June 2021).
- If you plan to travel between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, you should spend 14 full days of self-isolation before you depart from any of these locations, followed by a negative Covid-19 PCR test 72 hours before departure.
- No transit visa is necessary if your stay in New Zealand will be less than 24 hours. Any longer stay in New Zealand will require an NZeTA visa.
- You may also require an Australian transit visa if you will be travelling to New Zealand through Australia, so check with your travel agent as you plan your holiday.
Plan Your New Zealand Holiday Today
Millions of travellers from around the world are waiting to visit New Zealand as soon as borders open, so you can plan your vacation in the meantime. Click on this link for updates on the New Zealand visa today.