Introduction
Do you need a visa for your trip to New Zealand? All travelers that want to travel to New Zealand by plane or by cruise ship require a visa to do so. Only travelers with a New Zealand or Australian passport are exempt from this. Applying for the NZeTA online is the cheapest, fastest, and easiest way to meet this requirement. Check before applying if all the requirements are met, such as the maximum length of stay of 3 months.
What is an NZeTA? An NZeTA is an electronic travel permit (visa waiver) for New Zealand. The abbreviation stands for “New Zealand Online Travel Authority”. If you apply for an NZeTA online, you will not need to visit the embassy to have a visa applied to your passport. After approval, an NZeTA is digitally linked to the passport, and can thus be compared to the ETA for Australia and the eTA for Canada. When this website mentions the New Zealand visa it refers to the NZeTA, unless otherwise specified.
New Zealand visa requirements and the validity term
To make use of the simple online application procedure for the NZeTA visa for New Zealand, the requirements listed below need to be met. It is also important to take into account the validity term and the overall length of stay per trip.
Other requirements to travel with an NZeTA include the traveler:
- possesses a passport that is valid for at least 3 more months after the planned date of departure from New Zealand
- needs to possess a return or transit ticket on arrival
- must be able to prove on arrival that they possess sufficient financial means to complete the trip
- cannot enter into employment with an organization in New Zealand (both salaried work and volunteer work fall under this)
- cannot have any serious transmittable diseases and is not expecting any serious medical problems
- cannot pose a risk to the safety, public order, or law enforcement of New Zealand
- cannot have been sentenced to jail time, or be suspected of a fact that can lead to this
New Zealand visa application
How can I submit a NEW ZEALAND VISA APPLICATION? Applying for a visa for a holiday or business trip to New Zealand (the NZeTA) can be done entirely online, through the online application form on this website. After filling in the application form and making the payment, a passport photo must be uploaded. The application is then processed by the New Zealand immigration service. As soon as the application is approved, this will be confirmed by text message and the visa will be sent to you by e-mail. It can be used right away.
Conclusion:
However, no guarantees can be provided whatsoever regarding delivery times, including with urgent cases. There is also a chance that the application is denied, though that chance is very small. If the application is denied, another visa type needs to be applied for, which can sometimes take several weeks. The New Zealand immigration service, therefore, recommends applying for the NZeTA as early as possible. It is not necessary to have already booked a flight or accommodation to apply for a visa.
