The New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) is a pre-travel authorisation. It is required before you board if you hold a passport from a visa-waiver country or territory, if you are a cruise passenger, or if you are transiting through Auckland.
It is not a visa
A visa gives permission to travel to and stay in a country under set conditions. The NZeTA is lighter than that: it confirms in advance that you are eligible to board a flight to New Zealand. If your passport is not on the visa-waiver list, an NZeTA is not available to you and you need a visitor visa instead.
Who needs one
- Visa-waiver passport holders travelling for tourism or business visits
- Cruise ship passengers, regardless of nationality
- Most passengers transiting through Auckland International Airport
- Every traveller individually, including infants
What it does not do
- It does not guarantee entry — the border officer decides on arrival
- It does not extend your stay: up to three months per visit, or 6 months on a UK passport
- It does not permit work for a New Zealand employer
The authorisation is linked electronically to the passport you applied with and lasts 2 years. A new passport means a new application.
More on the NZeTA
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.
Length of stay
Up to three months per visit for most travellers, and up to 6 months on a UK passport. The border officer decides on arrival.