Most NZeTA requests are approved automatically. When one is not, it is either referred for a manual check — which simply takes longer — or declined. The two are different, and the response to each is different.
First, check which one it is
- Still processing: decisions usually take 72 hours, and some take longer. Wait rather than reapplying
- Declined: you have been assessed and refused. Requesting another NZeTA with the same information will produce the same answer
Why NZeTAs are declined
- Your passport is not eligible for the visa-waiver arrangement
- Details entered do not match the passport
- Character or immigration history questions that need a full assessment
- You have already used your allowance of visitor time
What to do instead
If the reason is a data-entry error, correcting it and requesting again is legitimate. If the reason is that you are not eligible for the NZeTA, the route is a visitor visa, which is a fuller application assessed by a person. Do not keep submitting NZeTA requests in the hope of a different result — the pattern itself becomes part of your record.
Do not use a third party to 'fix' it
No agent has influence over the decision, and none can appeal it for you. Applications are made only through Immigration New Zealand, at NZ$17 in the app or NZ$23 on the website.
Source: Immigration New Zealand — NZeTA
An approved NZeTA is still not a guarantee of entry. The border officer decides on arrival, and being refused entry is a separate outcome from being declined an NZeTA.
More on the NZeTA
What is the NZeTA
The NZeTA is a pre-travel authorisation for visa-waiver passports, not a visa. What it covers, who needs one, and what it does not do.
How to apply
Applying takes about ten minutes in the official app (NZ$17) or on the Immigration New Zealand website (NZ$23). Here is the order of the steps and what trips people up.
Cost
The NZeTA request fee is NZ$17 in the app or NZ$23 online, plus the NZ$100 IVL — about NZ$117–NZ$123 in total.
What you need
A valid passport, a photo of your face, an email address and a payment card. What the photo has to look like and what else is asked.
Processing time
Most NZeTA requests are decided in minutes, but Immigration New Zealand asks you to allow up to 72 hours. What makes an application take longer.
Validity
An NZeTA lasts 2 years from the date it is issued, or until your passport expires — whichever comes first — and allows multiple entries.