Travel disrupted by
the Middle East
situation
Issued: Monday 02 Mar 2026, 07:10 pm NZDT
We have established a priority phone line from Monday to Friday for people to contact us about this specific situation. Call 0508 558 855 (toll free from NZ landlines) or +64 9 914 4100 and press option 7. For information about what options are available to you, check:
Middle East: advice for temporary visa holders in New Zealand affected by travel disruptions
Visitor Visa
People travelling on a passport from some countries must apply for a Visitor Visa to visit New Zealand. You can stay for up to either 6 months or 9 months. You cannot work, but you can study for up to 3 months.
Up to either
6 months or 9 months
From
NZD $441
80% within
2 weeks
To apply you must:
- have plans to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay
- have enough money to pay your living expenses or have an acceptable sponsor
- not plan to work in New Zealand, unless you work remotely for a business overseas
- meet the other requirements of this visa.
This visa lets you:
- holiday in New Zealand
- visit family and friends in New Zealand
- study for up to 3 months
- include your partner and dependent children in your visa application.
We recommend that travellers do not book any non-refundable travel until after their Visitor Visa is approved.
Some people, including citizens of visa waiver countries or territories, can travel to New Zealand with a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) instead of a visa.
You do not need a Visitor Visa or an NZeTA if you are an Australian citizen travelling on an Australian passport.
Note
If you have a passport from China or a Pacific Islands Forum country and are travelling to New Zealand from Australia with an eligible Australian visa, you can now travel to New Zealand on an NZeTA instead of applying for a Visitor Visa.
Chinese and Pacific Island visitors travelling from AustraliaHow long you can stay
We will issue you either a multiple-entry or a single-entry visa, based on our assessment of your application.
How long you can stay on a Visitor Visa depends on whether you have a multiple-entry or a single-entry visa.
You can stay up to a maximum of 9 months in an 18-month period.
Multiple-entry Visitor Visa
A multiple-entry visa allows you to:
- visit New Zealand as a tourist as many times as you want while your visa is valid, and
- stay for up to a total of 9 months in each 12-month period.
The 12-month period is calculated back from the last day you intend to be in New Zealand (your intended departure date).
For example, if the last day you plan to be in New Zealand is 1 December 2024, your 12-month period will begin on 1 December 2023.
To be eligible, you must have been out of New Zealand for at least 9 months in the 18-month period before you apply.
Visitors from the Pacific
If you have a passport from a Pacific Islands Forum country, you may be eligible for a 24-month multiple-entry Visitor Visa. If your passport is close to expiring or if you do not meet all the requirements for a Visitor Visa, you may not be eligible. Check the full requirements on this page before applying.
Single-entry Visitor Visa
We may give you a single-entry visa if:
- you want to visit New Zealand for more than 6 months
- you have applied to extend your current stay in New Zealand, or
- we decide you do not need a multiple-entry visa.
This lets you enter New Zealand once and stay for up to 9 months in an 18-month period.
Who can apply
Health
You must be in good health.
We may ask you to have a chest X-ray, a medical examination or both as proof of your health.
If you are staying less than:
- 6 months, you do not normally need a chest X-ray
- 12 months, you do not normally need a medical certificate.
When you apply, you must answer questions about your health. This helps to decide if you need to provide evidence of a chest X-ray or medical examination. Even if you do not need these when you apply, we may ask for them when we process your application.
Who needs an X-ray or medical examinationCharacter
You must be of good character.
You may need to provide police certificates as proof of your good character.
If you have a criminal conviction, or are a security risk to New Zealand, we might not give you a visa.
Character requirements for New Zealand visasYou must provide police certificates that are less than 6 months old when you apply, if:
- you are aged 17 or older, and
- your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer — this includes time you spent in New Zealand in the past on other visas.
Genuine intentions
You must be a genuine visitor to New Zealand and intend to leave at the end of your visit.
When we decide if your intentions are genuine, we will consider all the information that:
- you provide to support your application
- we have about your personal circumstances
- you have previously given to us.
Note
If you are visiting New Zealand for a conference and your group involves 20 or more international visitors, we recommend your event organiser lets Immigration New Zealand know. We can help them to assist attendees in applying for the right visa and travelling to New Zealand.
Bringing groups of people to New Zealand for an eventCheck that you are applying for the right visa. You can use our tool to explore and compare visa options for your situation.
Find and choose a visaHow to apply online
Follow these steps to complete your application online.
Gather your documents
The section 'Who can apply' explains the requirements for this visa and what you will need as proof.
Our guides and checklists for applying for a visitor visa can also help. These are also available in other languages.
- Visitor Visa application guide for citizens of China
- Guides to applying for a visitor visa — Document search
Alert
If there are any mistakes in your identity details, your application will be delayed. We may also decline your application or refuse you entry to New Zealand.
Submit your application and pay the fee
To apply online, log in to your account or set up an account if you do not have one already.
You can then fill in your application, upload your documents and pay the applicable fees.
Note
Those applying online for a Visitor Visa as part of a Group Visitor Visa application can apply on a different system to the normal way to make processing easier. Use the following link.
Apply online for a Visitor Visa as part of a groupWait for our decision
We will let you know if we need more information to process your application.
Waiting for a visaCheck your application status
Log in to your account to check the status of your application.
Checking your visa application statusWe will email you when we make a decision.
If we approve your application, we will give you an eVisa and send you a copy.
Using eVisas and visa labelsHow to apply on paper
Follow these steps to complete your application on paper.
Notes
To help prevent delays with processing, make sure your application contains all the required documents.
If you are from a Pacific Islands Forum country (excluding Australia), you must apply for your Visitor Visa online.
Gather your documents
The section 'Who can apply' explains the requirements for this visa and what you will need as proof.
Complete the application form
Complete the application form and attach all supporting documents.
Visitor Visa Application (INZ 1017) (PDF, 771 KB)Submit your application and pay the fee
Check the 'How to pay and submit' section for fees and where to submit your application.
How to pay and submit
We cannot display any process or costs information until you have provided your country details.
Enter your details so we can show information that is relevant to you.
When you get your visa
Your visa is valid from:
- the date you enter New Zealand, if you are outside New Zealand when we approve your application, or
- the date you get your visa, if you are already in New Zealand.
You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.
When you arrive
Entry requirements
As part of New Zealand's entry requirements, everyone must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD). This form collects information about your travel, including customs, immigration, and biosecurity details.
Alert
You can be refused entry permission if you:
- are not a genuine visitor
- do not meet our character requirements
- have had a change in circumstances since we issued your visa
- refuse to let us take your photo, fingerprints or an iris scan
- cannot provide evidence of any onward travel or the money required to leave New Zealand.
Staying longer
If you are in New Zealand now with a Visitor Visa and need more time for a genuine reason, you can apply to extend your visit.
You must apply for a new Visitor Visa before your current visa expires.
Note
If your current temporary visa is going to expire while you are waiting for our decision, we will normally issue you an Interim Visa to let you stay in New Zealand lawfully.
Interim Visa