Transit Visa

At a glance

A person intending to transit through New Zealand must obtain a transit visa before travel unless they fall within the exemption categories set out in N2.1.[N2.1][Y7.5] The exemptions cover New Zealand citizens and residents, temporary visa holders with travel conditions, certain visa waiver travellers holding a transit or traveller Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), Australia-bound travellers with an Australian visa and a transit ETA, citizens of transit visa waiver countries [N2.5] with a transit ETA, individuals named in a Ministerial special direction, and travellers arriving from Australia with a transit ETA.[N2.1] The operational rules governing the grant, currency, cancellation, and expiry of transit visas, as well as restrictions on certain groups, are set out in N2.10.[N2.10]

How to apply

Lodging the application

An application for a transit visa must be lodged at the INZ office or Visa Application Centre (VAC) responsible for receiving applications from the country or geographical area where the applicant lives, or made using an approved electronic form.[N3.1] Receiving offices are published on the INZ website.[N3.1] The application cannot be lodged in person at an INZ office (including the receiving office) while the applicant is physically present, except for individuals in Tonga who lodge their transit visa application at the INZ receiving office.[N3]

Applications may be lodged by post, courier, or by drop-off at a VAC or receiving office that accepts drop-offs.[N3] If an application is lodged at an office other than the appropriate one, it may be referred to the appropriate office.[N3.1]

Required documentation

Applicants must submit the prescribed application form, pay the required fee, and provide the supporting documents required under A13.[N3] Prior to travel, every transit visa applicant must hold a valid New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), unless an exemption (such as a visa waiver under E2.1) applies.[N3]

Further application requirements

The application must be made in the prescribed manner set out in the transit visa instructions;[N2.10][N3] assessment will include the conditions for grant in N2.10. Applications that are not lodged in the prescribed manner will not be accepted for processing [N3.5].

Mandatory requirements for applications lodged on an approved form (N3.10.1)

An application for a transit visa made on an approved form must:

• be made on the approved form;
• be completed in English.

Online applications must also:

• produce the information and evidence required by the relevant immigration instructions to demonstrate the applicant fits the relevant category;
• provide any other information, evidence, or submissions showing eligibility;
• pay the appropriate fee (if any); and
• acknowledge in a declaration that the details supplied are true and correct to the best of the applicant's knowledge, and that any change in circumstances before a visa is granted will be notified to an immigration officer.[N3.10]

Paper (non‑online) applications must also:

• be signed by the applicant (if under 18, signed by a parent or guardian);
• submit:
  • the applicant's passport or certificate of identity;
  • two passport‑sized photographs of the applicant's head and shoulders;
  • the appropriate fee;
  • travel tickets to a country the person has a right of entry to, or other evidence of onward travel arrangements that the officer thinks necessary;
  • a confirmed travel itinerary including arrival and departure times from New Zealand;
  • a statement of the purpose of the journey to the country of destination;
  • any other information or evidence (including photographs) the applicant considers demonstrates eligibility;
• the immigration officer may also require an interview or further information or evidence before determining the application.[N3.10]

Applications made otherwise than on an approved form (N3.10.5)

An applicant or adviser may request that an immigration officer consider an application not made on the approved form, and the officer may agree. If agreed, the applicant must supply the following in English and in any way appropriate to the circumstances:

• full name;
• date and place of birth;
• details of passport or certificate of identity, including country of citizenship;
• details of any current or previous visa/permit;
• such information and evidence as the immigration officer considers necessary;
• any other information the applicant considers shows the transit visa application should be granted;
• an acknowledgment that the details supplied are true and correct and that the applicant will notify INZ of any change in circumstances before a visa is granted;
• payment of the prescribed fee (if any) or an arrangement satisfactory to the immigration officer;
• the application must be signed (except if in an electronic format).

If the applicant is under 18, the application must be signed by a parent or guardian, except when the application is made in an electronic format or at an immigration control area (in which case the form must be signed by the parent or guardian only if the applicant is accompanied by that person).[N3.10]

Processing of applications made otherwise than on an approved form (N3.10.10)

Where an immigration officer has agreed to consider an application not on an approved form, the officer may at any time before a visa is granted:

• refuse to consider the application or continue its consideration;
• inform the applicant that the application must be made on the approved form.

If the officer refuses to consider or continue considering the application:

• the application is treated as not having been made;
• the applicant must apply in the normal way (and the mandatory requirements of N3.10.1 apply);
• any application fee will be refunded or applied toward a subsequent application.[N3.10]

Additional requirements (N3.10.15)

Before determining an application (whether on an approved form or otherwise), the processing immigration officer may:

• require the applicant to be interviewed;
• require further information or evidence (including photographs);
• require a medical examination or further medical examination;
• require travel tickets or evidence of onward travel arrangements;
• require production of passport or other certificate of identity (if not already provided).[N3.10]

Who may be included in an application (N3.10.20)

• Each principal applicant must lodge a separate application.
• The partner of a principal applicant, and dependent children under 20 years old, may be included on the same transit visa application if travelling to New Zealand together.
• For inclusion purposes, a partner means a person who meets the definition of partner in the immigration instructions; partners who do not meet this definition must apply for a transit visa in their own right.
• "Children of the principal applicant" means biological or adopted children of the principal applicant and/or of the principal applicant's partner (if the partner is included).
• Evidence of the relationship of each applicant to the principal applicant must be provided.
• All application requirements (including any officer-required requirements) apply to both the principal applicant and each included applicant, except that any applicant under 18 is not required to sign the application.[N3.10]

Eligibility criteria

All persons intending to transit through New Zealand must apply for and obtain a transit visa, except for the following individuals:[N2.1][Y7.5]

1. a New Zealand citizen or residence class visa holder;
2. the holder of a temporary entry class visa with relevant travel conditions;
3. a person to whom a visa waiver applies under the visa waiver instructions (see E2.1) and who holds a transit or traveller ETA;
4. a person whose immediate or final destination after transiting through New Zealand is Australia and who holds a current Australian visa and a transit ETA;
5. a citizen of a country listed on the Transit visa waiver country list [N2.5] who holds a transit ETA;
6. a person whom the Minister has, by special direction, classified as a person to whom a transit visa waiver applies;
7. a person travelling from Australia who holds a transit ETA.

The Transit visa waiver country list [N2.5] currently includes:

• Bahamas
• Papua New Guinea
• Bermuda
• Paraguay
• Bolivia
• People's Republic of China
• Colombia
• Peru
• Costa Rica
• Philippines
• Ecuador
• Republic of Marshall Islands
• Federated States of Micronesia
• Samoa
• Fiji
• Solomon Islands
• Indonesia
• Thailand
• Kiribati
• Tonga
• Nauru
• Tuvalu
• Palau
• Vanuatu
• Panama
• Venezuela

The Minister may, by special direction, suspend any transit visa waiver described in paragraph (5) (waiver based on country list) or paragraph (6) (individual Ministerial waiver) above.[N2.1]

Conditions for grant of a transit visa (N2.10)

To be granted a transit visa, an applicant must:[N2.10]

• apply in the prescribed manner (see N3.10.1);
• have a stated genuine intention to be in New Zealand only for the purpose of reaching a further destination;
• be confined to a transit area during the whole of their stay in New Zealand;
• not be in New Zealand longer than 24 hours.

Holders of transit visas are not entitled to apply for entry permission or any class or type of visa while in New Zealand during the transit period.[N2.10][Y4.30] If a transit visa holder nonetheless applies for entry permission or another visa, an immigration officer may refuse the application, and section 115 of the Immigration Act 2009 will apply. [Y7.5]

General rules for transit visas (N2.10)

Currency of transit visa

A transit visa is current for the period or until the date specified in it, and may be valid for any number of journeys to New Zealand in that period.[N2.10]

Cancellation of transit visa

If there is sufficient reason, the Minister or an immigration officer may cancel a transit visa at any time.[N2.10] If a transit visa is cancelled:

• while the person is outside New Zealand, the Minister or immigration officer must notify the person in writing;
• after the person has arrived in New Zealand, the person is liable for turnaround.

However, an immigration officer may, in their absolute discretion, grant the person a visa and entry permission where the transit visa has been cancelled.[Y4.30]

Expiry of transit period

If the holder of a transit visa is still in New Zealand on the expiry of the transit period, an immigration officer may, by absolute discretion:[N2.10][Y4.30]

• extend the period for which the person may remain as a transit visa holder; or
• grant the person a visa and entry permission.

Restrictions on the grant of transit visas to certain groups

Transit visas are subject to restrictions for individuals or classes designated by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) or by specific sanctions lists.[N2.10]

UNSC-designated groups (N2.10.15): No transit visa will be granted to any person described in RA9(a). Immigration officers must contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) when processing such applications, and a visa may only be granted on the advice of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade.[N2.10]

Individuals and classes under R5.100 (N2.10.20): No transit visa will be granted to any individual or class of individuals described in R5.100, which includes bans on:

• leading members of the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia/Serbia and supporters;
• Grace Mugabe;
• leading members of the Syrian regime;
• individuals associated with the Ukraine crisis;
• nationals of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) — with an exception for advance approval by the UN Sanctions Committee;
• Russian individuals expelled for activities incompatible with diplomatic status;
• certain Saudi Arabian individuals;
• certain Tatmadaw and other individuals associated with the Myanmar 2021 coup;
• certain Belarusian individuals linked to the Lukashenko regime;
• certain Iranian individuals;
• certain individuals undermining stability and security in the West Bank.

Where special circumstances exist (supported by cogent and reliable evidence and in consultation with MFAT), INZ may nonetheless grant a transit visa to a person on these lists. The decision is limited to immigration officers with Schedule 1–2 delegations (see A15.5).[N2.10]

Processing and grant

Evidence sighting before grant

Before granting a transit visa, an immigration officer should sight evidence of a fully paid airline ticket or other form of onward travel arrangement, a written itinerary from the travel agent or carrier including relevant arrival and departure times, and a written statement from the applicant of the purpose of the journey to the destination country or countries.[N3.15]

Satisfying the officer of genuine intention

Transit visas must only be granted to a person if an immigration officer is satisfied they have a genuine intention to pass through New Zealand on the way to another destination within 24 hours of their time of arrival.[N3.15]

Absolute discretion for exceptions

The Minister or an immigration officer may, in his or her absolute discretion, grant a transit visa as an exception to immigration instructions.[N3.15]

Interpretation & edge cases

No appeal or review: Decisions on transit visas are final. No appeal lies against a decision of the Minister or an immigration officer on any matter in relation to a transit visa, whether to a court, the Tribunal, the Minister, or otherwise. No review proceedings may be brought in any court in respect of a decision to refuse or cancel a transit visa. [N3.20]

The exemptions under N2.1 rely heavily on the possession of a valid Electronic Travel Authority (ETA). In particular, the exemptions for visa waiver travellers (see E2.1), Australia-bound travellers, citizens of waiver countries [N2.5], and travellers arriving from Australia all require the individual to hold a transit ETA (or transit/traveller ETA). An ETA alone does not confer a transit visa waiver unless paired with the relevant underlying status (visa waiver nationality, Australian visa, etc.).[N2.1]

The Minister's special direction power allows individual or class-based exemptions to be created or removed. The suspension authority means that even if a country appears on the N2.5 list [N2.5], the waiver for that country's citizens can be suspended at any time.[N2.1]

The country list is prescribed by regulation and reproduced in N2.5; see also Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010, reg 16, schedule 1.[N2.5]

Holders of a temporary entry class visa with "relevant travel conditions" will typically be individuals whose visa conditions explicitly permit transit through New Zealand. The exact interpretation of "relevant travel conditions" is set by the instructions for the underlying visa category.[N2]

Because the transit visa requirement is a pre-travel requirement, a person who arrives in New Zealand without a necessary transit visa may be refused entry and subject to removal.[N2]

The grant conditions under N2.10 require that the applicant genuinely intends only to transit and remain within the transit area for no more than 24 hours. The absolute discretion to extend the transit period or grant a visa and entry permission on expiry (N2.10.10) provides flexibility but is not subject to appeal. Transit visa cancellation may lead to turnaround if the person has already arrived in New Zealand. Advisers should note that the power to cancel is broad, based on "sufficient reason", and can be exercised at any time.[N2.10]

An immigration officer may, in their absolute discretion, grant a visa and entry permission even after the transit visa has been cancelled, as set out in Y4.30. [Y4.30] A person whose transit visa is cancelled after arrival, or whose transit period has expired, is subject to section 115 of the Immigration Act 2009. [Y4.30]

Note: Where a transit passenger mistakenly attempts to apply for a visa or entry permission, an immigration officer will not normally accept the application and will assist the person to return to the transit area; section 115 of the Immigration Act 2009 does not apply in that case. [Y4.30][Y7.5]

Definition of 'transit passenger' (Y7.1, Y7.5)

The term "transit passenger" is defined in immigration instructions as a person who: [Y7.1]

• arrives in New Zealand from another country while in transit to another overseas destination; and
• throughout the whole 24-hour transit period that they are in New Zealand, remains on board the craft they arrived on, in an immigration control area, or in the custody of the Police. [Y7.1]

Under Y7.5, a transit passenger is considered bona fide if they have a stated and genuine intention to be in New Zealand only for the purpose of reaching a further destination, will be confined to a place listed in Y7.1b(ii) (such as an immigration control area or Police custody) during their stay, and will not remain longer than 24 hours. [Y7.5]

The period of time for which a person may be in New Zealand as the holder of a transit visa is currently 24 hours. [Y7.1][Y7.5]

All transit visa holders are transit passengers for the duration of their stay. This definition underpins the transit visa conditions and the obligation for transit passengers to remain in designated areas.

Citations

• N2 — Requirements for a transit visa
• N2.1 — Who must apply for a transit visa
• N2.5 — Transit visa country waiver list
• N2.10 — General rules for transit visas
• N3 — Lodging an application for a transit visa
• N3.1 — Where to lodge an application
• N3.5 — How an application must be lodged
• N3.10 — Requirements for lodging an application
• N3.15 — Processing applications
• N3.20 — No appeal against refusal of transit visa
• Y4.30 — People who must be refused entry permission: holders of transit visas
• Y7.1 — Definition of 'transit passenger'
• Y7.5 — Bona fide transit passengers