New Zealand NZeTA
Everything you need to apply for your New Zealand NZeTA: the requirements, the documents, and the steps from start to approval.
Official New Zealand government portalOverview
The New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, or NZeTA, is New Zealand's online travel authorisation for visitors who do not need a visa. It is not a visa: it is an electronic permission to board a carrier and request entry for a short stay, linked to the passport you apply with and checked against immigration records before you travel. An approved NZeTA is valid for up to two years and allows multiple visits in that period.
Each visit may last up to three months for tourism, business meetings or transit, and visitors who hold a British passport may stay up to six months per visit. The NZeTA does not authorise paid work or long-term residence, which require the appropriate work or residence visa. Two groups need it: nationals of New Zealand's visa-waiver countries, which include most of the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Japan, and cruise ship passengers visiting New Zealand, who need an NZeTA regardless of their nationality.
Travellers who already require a visitor visa apply through a different route. The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, the IVL, is a separate New Zealand government charge collected alongside the NZeTA government fee, and it funds conservation and tourism infrastructure across the country.
Requirements in detail
Gather these before you begin, so your NZeTA application goes through on the first attempt. You need a passport from a visa-waiver country, valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure from New Zealand, because the authorisation is linked to that passport electronically; keep its number and its issue and expiry dates beside you. There is no photograph requirement for an NZeTA, unlike a visitor visa.
Have your travel dates and a New Zealand accommodation address ready, along with a working email address that receives the decision. A short set of eligibility questions covers your immigration and character history; answer them honestly, since an inaccurate answer is a common reason for refusal. A payment card covers the single all-inclusive price, which covers the NZeTA government fee and the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, the IVL, both paid to New Zealand and funding conservation and tourism infrastructure, with the government and levy portions itemised on your receipt.
Every traveller, including each child and infant, needs their own NZeTA.
What you'll need
Have these ready before you begin your application. Requirements can vary by nationality and trip purpose.
- Passport from a visa-waiver country with at least three months validity beyond planned departure
- Email address for NZeTA delivery
- Travel dates and New Zealand accommodation address
- Payment method (one all-inclusive price covering the government fee and the IVL)
How to apply
Applying for the NZeTA is done entirely online, step by step. First, confirm who needs it: nationals of New Zealand's visa-waiver countries and all cruise ship passengers regardless of nationality, with every traveller, including children and infants, needing their own. Second, gather your passport and trip details as listed above.
Third, complete the form, entering your name and passport number exactly as printed in the passport, since a one-character mismatch is the usual reason an application is held up at the airport. Fourth, review the single all-inclusive price and pay; the application is checked for completeness before it reaches New Zealand Immigration. Finally, the approved NZeTA arrives by email with a tracking code and is linked to your passport electronically, so there is nothing to print, though many travellers keep a copy.
Travel on the same passport you applied with.
On arrival
Your approved NZeTA is held electronically against your passport, so there is no printout to carry; the airline checks your authorisation when you check in, and the border system reads it on arrival. Even so, it is sensible to save the approval email or your application reference in case of a systems issue. Travel on the exact passport you applied with.
An NZeTA lets you board and request entry; the final admission decision is made by an immigration officer at the New Zealand border, who may ask about your trip. Have your return or onward ticket and your accommodation address ready to show, and be prepared to confirm that your visit is for tourism, business or transit rather than work.
Government processing time
What the issuing authority typically takes once the application is submitted.
Government processing: New Zealand Immigration decides most NZeTAs within 72 hours of submission, and clean applications are often approved within minutes. VisitPass review: Standard under 24h; Priority under 6h; Urgent under 30 min, during which the application is checked for completeness, submitted to the authority, and the confirmation issued. When to apply: request your NZeTA as soon as your trip is booked and at least 72 hours before departure, because the approval is linked to your passport and an airline can decline boarding without it.
If you are travelling within a day or two, choose Priority or Urgent so the immigration clock starts without delay.
At a glance
- Validity
- 2 years
- Maximum stay
- 3 months per visit
- Entry type
- Multiple
Who can apply
Required for nationals of visa-waiver countries and for cruise ship passengers regardless of nationality. The NZeTA is valid for two years from approval with multiple entries up to three months per visit; UK passport holders may stay up to six months. The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) is charged alongside the NZeTA government fee at the New Zealand Immigration portal.
Is this the official application?
VisitPass is an independent travel-document service, not a government website and not affiliated with New Zealand Immigration. Your application is submitted to the official NZeTA system, the government fee and the IVL are paid in full to New Zealand and itemised on your receipt; the service fee covers preparing the application, reviewing it for completeness before submission, and email support. You can always apply directly on the government portal yourself; many travellers choose a guided form to complete it in their own language and have it checked before it is sent.
The decision rests solely with the New Zealand government.
New Zealand help desk
Have questions about your NZeTA? Email the New Zealand desk and we reply within 24 hours.
newzealand@visitpass-online.comVisitPass is an independent visa-application service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any government. Government fees go directly to the issuing authority and are listed separately in your receipt.