Visitor Visa New Zealand

You can come to New Zealand as a visitor. During your stay, you’ll need enough money to support yourself and everyone included in your application. While you’re here, you can enjoy New Zealand’s scenery, adventure, culture, and friendly people.

Overview

Depending on your plans, up to 9 months

With this visa you can

  • Visit friends and family, explore New Zealand or enjoy amateur sports, or adventure activity.
  • Study for up to 3 months.
  • Include your partner, and dependent children aged 19 and under, in your visa application.

Things to note

  • Check if you need to apply for a Visitor Visa – people from certain countries can travel to New Zealand without applying for a visa first, we call this travelling visa waiver.

Overview of General Requirements

  • Bona Fide - must genuinely intend to meet conditions of your visa
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    Bona Fide - must genuinely intend to meet conditions of your visa

  • Funds or Sponsorship - must have sufficient funds or an appropriate sponsor
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    Funds or Sponsorship - must have sufficient funds or an appropriate sponsor

  • Health Care - must agree to pay your health care costs
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    Health Care - must agree to pay your health care costs

  • Onward Travel - must have a ticket to leave NZ
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    Onward Travel - must have a ticket to leave NZ

Bona fide

You must genuinely intend to meet the conditions of your visa

When we decide if your intentions are genuine (bona fide), we consider all the information:

  • you provide to support your application
  • we have about your personal circumstances, and
  • any previous applications.

If you’re coming to New Zealand to take up an offer of employment, you should apply for a Work Visa.

If you’re coming to New Zealand for a special purpose, such as a work requirement, or as a partner or family member, you should first consider the Special Visitor Category.

If you want to conduct business while in New Zealand, you should apply for a Business Visitors Visa.

Funds or sponsorship

You must have enough money to live on while you’re in New Zealand or have an acceptable sponsor

You must have at least NZ $1,000 per month, or NZ $400 per month if you’ve already paid for your accommodation.

Evidence can include:

  • proof of accommodation pre-payment, like hotel pre-paid vouchers or receipts
  • bank statements
  • credit card statements
  • bank drafts
  • travellers’ cheques
  • a ‘Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry’ completed by an acceptable sponsor.

If you are sponsored, your sponsor must provide evidence they can look after you in New Zealand. Evidence can include:

  • recent bank statements
  • pay slips
  • employment agreement
  • accommodation ownership or payment of rent.

If you’re pregnant, there are additional requirements.

Health care

You must agree to pay your own health care costs

You must declare in your visa application that you’ll pay the costs of any health care or medical assistance you receive in New Zealand.

We recommend that you have full medical insurance for the length of your visit.

Onward travel

You must have a ticket to leave New Zealand or be sponsored for the cost of your onward travel

Evidence can include:

  • proof you have enough money to buy a ticket out of New Zealand, in addition to the funds you have to live on
  • your travel ticket
  • a ‘Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry’ completed by an acceptable sponsor.

If you are sponsored, your sponsor must provide evidence they can look after you in New Zealand. Evidence can include:

  • recent bank statements
  • pay slips
  • employment agreement
  • accommodation ownership or payment of rent.

Immigration costs

Application cost

NZD $ 246

This is the fee for Immigration New Zealand to process your application.An immigration levy is payable and is included in the total amount above.

Processing

within 14 months

90% of applications are currently completed within this time. Timeframes are in calendar days.