Essential Skills Visa For New Zealand
An in depth description of everything you need to know about New Zealand's work visas. This will help you with when you have to apply and gather all the documents required for the visa.
Mar 1, 2023
7 min read
Are you planning on traveling to NZ, but you’re unsure about how the New Zealand visitors visa works? Let me explain.
US citizens don’t need a New Zealand Visitors visa but however, require a NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority).
There are only 60 countries exempt from the Visitor visa. Citizens who apply for a visitor visa will have to apply online, where the cost will be around $100 - $125. After your application, the waiting time is around 12 - 30 working days before you receive your visa.
So let’s go into detail.
This section will answer the most important question, “Do I as a US citizen need a visa for New Zealand?”.
No, US citizens are on the list of visa waiver countries and, therefore only need to apply for a NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority).
See New Zealand Visa for US Citizens - How To Get Your NZeTA for more information on the NZeTA.
If your passport is from a country that is not on the visa waiver list, then yes you will need to apply for a visitor's visa.
The list of visa waiver countries are:
Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia (citizens only), Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong (residents with HKSAR or British National–Overseas passports only), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, South, Kuwait, Latvia (citizens only), Liechtenstein, Lithuania (citizens only), Luxembourg, Macau (only if you have a Macau Special Administrative Region passport), Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal (if you have the right to live permanently in Portugal), Qatar, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (if you are a permanent resident), United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (UK) (if you are travelling on a UK or British passport that shows you have the right to reside permanently in the UK), United States of America (USA) (including USA nationals), Uruguay, and Vatican City.
This section gives an overview of everything you would like to know about the visitor visa for NZ.
This New Zealand visitors visa allows a person to travel to the NZ border and allows a person to enter NZ and stay there for a specified period of time. Hence a visa grants you permission to enter New Zealand.
It allows you to:
The visitor visa is limited to a maximum stay of nine months in an 18-month period.
The 18-month period is calculated backward from the last day you intend to be in New Zealand. For example, if the last day you'll be here is 1 December, your 18-month period will begin on 1 June of the year before.
The visitor visa fees are:
Additionally, you will have to pay these 2 mandatory fees:
However, fees are subject to change without notice; check your application fee here.
The processing time is about 12 - 30 working days.
Yes, the visitor's visa can be extended for another 3 months to stay 12 months in a 24 month period if:
In this section, we will discuss all the required documents you need for your New Zealand visitor visa application.
The required documents include the following:
If you do not have a sponsor, you must proof you have enough money by showing:
If you have a sponsor, you will need to complete the Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025).
The photo requirements include the following:
This section will cover an in-depth step-by-step guide on how to apply for your visa.
You can start your NZ visitor visa application online.
Once you start your online application with the link above, you will be redirected to this page to create a RealMe login account.
Next, you must enter your email address and verify that email address. RealMe will send the verification code to your email. You also need to provide a username and a password.
Under the 'My visas' tab, you can click on the button that says ‘Apply For A visa’.
Now you will need to fill in all the details of the online application form, including personal details, passport details, health declarations, employment details, and upload supporting documents such as your passport photos, passport, bank statements, and itineraries.
In some countries, you may not be able to apply for your tourist visa online. Instead, it would be best to apply to a Embassy of New Zealand or Consular.
The fees can be paid by various debit and credit cards during your application process. Now you can submit your application.
Now the waiting game starts. Keep a look out in your email for notifications about your visa status. Alternatively, log in to your realMe account again to view your application status.
When you applied for your visa, you had to set up an online RealMe account. You can log in to that account to find out if the officials need more information from you and other information about your application's progress.
Or you can contact the customer care line at +64 9 914 4100.
When you arrive in NZ, make sure to have all your supporting documents ready when you reach the immigration counters.
The most important being your passport, visa, and proof of payment for the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL).
If the immigration officer is satisfied with your documents, he will stamp your passport, and you will gain entry into New Zealand.
Now you know everything about the tourist visa! Get ready to have a seamless application process! All that is left to do is to pack your bags!
All information was found on reputable sources such as such as travel.state.gov and 100% Pure New Zealand and New Zealand Immigration.
No, US Citizens need to get a New Zealand ETA.
The visa options are:
No, you aren't allowed to work on a tourist visa.
NZD 1,000 per month is proof of enough money.
No, only citizens applying for a student visa might have an interview.
60 countries.
Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia (citizens only), Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong (residents with HKSAR or British National–Overseas passports only), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, South, Kuwait, Latvia (citizens only), Liechtenstein, Lithuania (citizens only), Luxembourg, Macau (only if you have a Macau Special Administrative Region passport), Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal (if you have the right to live permanently in Portugal), Qatar, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (if you are a permanent resident), United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (UK) (if you are travelling on a UK or British passport that shows you have the right to reside permanently in the UK), United States of America (USA) (including USA nationals), Uruguay, Vatican City.
The Tourist Visa for New Zealand allows you to stay in the country for 9 months.
The New Zealand Visa processing time is usually 12 - 30 working days.
No. You will have to apply for a New Zealand Work Visa before you can work in the country.
A New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority shows that you are allowed to travel to New Zealand.
The New Zealand ETA can take up to 72 hours, but it can also take as little as 10 min.
You can request a New Zealand ETA using the ETA website.
The easiest way to apply for a ETA is by applying on the Atlys app. Start your application now
A work visa enables you to enter a nation (in this case, New Zealand) and engage in employment there. Numerous visas let you work in New Zealand under various visa categories.
Work visas for New Zealand are only temporary; some are convertible to permanent residence. i.e., you are free to study, live, and work there at any time.
Although some countries only offer 1 type of work visa, New Zealand has the option of 2 work visas, namely: