Visa Waiver

Allows certain travellers to enter New Zealand without a visa, subject to holding an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) unless exempt.

Status: active
Updated: 2026-04-28
Sources: E2.1E2.1.1E2.5E12E12.1E12.1.1E12.1.5E12.5E12.10E12.15

At a glance

A visa waiver allows travel to New Zealand without holding a visa [E2.1,E2.5]. It applies to numerous categories of travellers, including citizens of Australia and many visa-waiver countries, British citizens visiting for up to 6 months, cruise ship and commercial air crew, UN laissez-passer holders, and Pacific Islands Forum citizens arriving from Australia with an eligible Australian visa. A visa-waiver traveller must still hold an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) unless specifically exempt from the ETA requirement [E12]. The grant of a visa waiver does not guarantee entry permission; the person must still satisfy all entry requirements.

Definition

Under immigration instructions, a visa waiver means a waiver of the requirement to hold a visa permitting travel to New Zealand in relation to any class of persons. [E2.1] The instruction itself specifies the classes to whom the waiver applies. A person travelling on a visa waiver basis is required to hold an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) unless exempt from that requirement [E12]. [E2.1]

The legal foundation for visa-waiver travel is set out in E2.5: a person who is not a New Zealand citizen may travel to New Zealand only if the person holds a visa or is a person to whom a visa waiver applies and holds a valid ETA. [E2.5]

The visa waiver is not limited to the listed classes and may be extended by special direction or by regulations. [E2.1]

The Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) requirement is established under the Immigration Act 2009 (ss69, 86) and the Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010 (Part 4A, Regulations 16, 18, and Schedules 1 and 2). Section E12 of the Operational Manual cross-references these legislative provisions as the authority for the ETA framework. The ETA is a separate requirement from the visa waiver; a visa-waiver traveller must hold both the visa waiver eligibility and a valid ETA unless specifically exempt. [E12]

Application in decisions

Entry permission still required. A visa waiver does not guarantee entry. At the border, the holder must satisfy an immigration officer that they meet all entry permission requirements, including character, funds, and genuine visitor purpose. The visa waiver simply removes the requirement to obtain a visa before travel.

ETA requirement. Visa-waiver travellers, transit passengers, and certain crew must hold an ETA of the appropriate type as specified in E12.1.1. Most visa-waiver travellers need a traveller ETA, but specific categories have different requirements.

Transit passengers described in the transit visa instructions (N2.1(a)(iii)–(vii)) must hold a transit ETA or traveller ETA [E12.1.1].
Visa-waiver cruise ship passengers and crew (including positioning crew) must hold a crew ETA [E12.1.1].
Other visa-waiver travellers (e.g. tourists, business visitors) must hold a traveller ETA [E12.1.1].
From 1 April 2025, visa-waiver cargo ship passengers must hold a traveller ETA; cargo ship crew (ordinary business, positioning, or coastal cargo) must hold a crew ETA [E12.1.1].

Exemptions from ETA: The following are not required to hold any ETA before travel [E12.1.5]:

Australian citizens;
Members or associates of scientific programmes or expeditions under the Antarctic Treaty;
Members of a visiting force (including civilian components) travelling in the ordinary course of employment or duty.

Australian permanent residents are not exempt by default and must check whether their circumstances meet an exception. The visiting force exemption applies only when travelling on duty; personal travel may still require an ETA [E12.1.5].

Requesting an ETA

Requests for traveller or transit ETAs must be made online. [E12.5]
Requests for crew ETAs may be made on behalf of crew by a carrier or representative of a carrier, provided that a memorandum of understanding is in place between the carrier or representative and INZ. [E12.5]
A request for an ETA for cargo ship passengers and crew members, including crew members of foreign ships authorised by the Minister of Transport to carry coastal cargo (see E12.1.1), may be made from 3 February 2025 for travel commencing from 1 April 2025. [E12.5]

Processing of ETA requests

An ETA request may be processed and automatically issued by an automated electronic decision-making system [E12.10]. This is consistent with the general authority for automated processing under A21 (see Automated Electronic Decision-Making).

An immigration officer may issue a traveller ETA, a transit ETA, or a crew ETA to a person who is visa-waiver to travel to New Zealand [E12.10].

An immigration officer must refuse to issue an ETA if the person who requested an ETA is [E12.10]:

requesting a traveller ETA and is not a visa-waiver traveller outlined at E2.1;
requesting a transit ETA and is not a transit visa-waiver traveller outlined at N2.1;
subject to section 15 or 16 of the Immigration Act 2009;
declaring that the purpose of their travel is to seek medical consultation or treatment (unless applying for a transit visa or is an Australian permanent resident);
holding an invalid passport; or
in the case of a crew ETA made by a carrier or representative, if the carrier or representative does not have a memorandum of understanding in place with INZ.

Validity of ETAs

Traveller and Transit ETAs are valid for 2 years from the date of issue [E12.15]. Crew ETAs are valid for 5 years from the date of issue [E12.15]. A person may hold more than one type of ETA, or more than one ETA of the same type, with overlapping or different validity periods [E12.15].

An ETA ceases to be valid if [E12.15]:

it has expired;
the person is found to be an excluded person (under section 15 or 16 of the Immigration Act 2009) or is not a visa waiver traveller;
for a crew ETA, the person is no longer crew or no longer works for the carrier or representative who lodged the ETA request on their behalf; or
the holder's purpose of visit includes medical consultation or treatment.

Who is covered. Instruction E2.1 lists 19 distinct classes of people entitled to a visa waiver, including:

Australian citizens and holders of a current Australian permanent residence or resident return visa [E2.1];
Persons granted a visa waiver by special direction [E2.1];
Members of a visiting force (including civilian component) travelling on duty aboard a commercial craft and seeking a temporary entry class visa at an immigration control area [E2.1];
Members of a scientific programme or expedition under the Antarctic Treaty who seek a temporary entry class visa at an immigration control area [E2.1];
Cruise ship passengers, crew travelling in the ordinary course of business, and positioning crew [E2.1];
Aircraft crew on a scheduled international service between any other country and New Zealand, and positioning aircraft crew [E2.1];
Cargo ship passengers (from 1 April 2025), cargo ship crew travelling in the ordinary course of business, positioning cargo ship crew, and crew on a foreign ship authorised to carry coastal cargo under the Maritime Transport Act 1994 [E2.1];
British citizens and other British passport holders who can demonstrate permanent residence in the UK, provided the visit is for no more than 6 months and does not include medical consultation or treatment [E2.1];
Persons travelling on a UN laissez-passer who seek a visitor visa for no more than 3 months [E2.1];
Citizens of the visa-waiver countries listed in E2.1, for visits of no more than 3 months and where the visit does not include medical consultation or treatment [E2.1];
Citizens of Pacific Islands Forum countries who hold an eligible Australian visa and are travelling from Australia, for visits of no more than 3 months and without medical consultation or treatment. [E2.1]

Eligible Australian visas. The list of eligible Australian visa subclasses is set out in E2.1.1 and includes, among others, temporary and permanent visas such as the e-Visitor (TV651), Visitor (FA600), Student (TU500), Working Holiday (TZ417), Temporary Graduate (VC485), various skilled and business provisional visas, partner visas, and parent visas. [E2.1.1]

The complete current list at E2.1.1 is incorporated by reference and must be checked for the latest additions or removals.

Interpretation & edge cases

Nationality and passport requirements. For visa-waiver country citizens, the following special conditions apply:

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania: The visa waiver does not apply to persons travelling on alien's (non-citizen) passports issued by these countries. [E2.1]
Greece: Greek passports must have been issued on or after 1 January 2006. Passports issued before that date are not acceptable for travel after 1 January 2007. [E2.1]
Portugal: Portuguese passport holders must also have the right to live permanently in Portugal. [E2.1]
Taiwan: Permanent residents of Taiwan travelling on a Taiwan passport that displays a personal identity number within the visible section of the biographical page demonstrate permanent residency. [E2.1]
Hong Kong and Macau: Residents travelling on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, British National (Overseas), or Macau Special Administrative Region passports are covered. [E2.1]

British citizens. Only those who produce evidence of the right to reside permanently in the UK qualify. The visit must not exceed 6 months and must not involve medical consultation or treatment. [E2.1]

Pacific Islands Forum countries. The visa waiver for these nationalities is conditional on travelling from Australia and holding an eligible Australian visa listed in E2.1.1. The visit must not exceed 3 months and must not be for medical consultation or treatment. [E2.1]

Cargo ship and cruise ship passengers/crew. Provisions for cargo ship passengers and related crew apply from 1 April 2025 onwards. Cruise ship passengers and crew remain covered irrespective of that date. [E2.1]

Visiting forces and Antarctic programme members. These classes must seek a temporary entry class visa at an immigration control area, and the visiting force members must arrive on a commercial craft in the ordinary course of duty or employment. [E2.1]

Special direction. A visa waiver may be granted by special direction to any person, providing flexibility beyond the listed classes. [E2.1]

Greek passport restriction under E2.5. From 1 April 2007, holders of Greek passports issued before 1 January 2006 who hold (or previously held) a temporary entry class visa or a permit under the Immigration Act 1987 are not able to travel to New Zealand. [E2.5]

E2.1.1 – eligible Australian visa list. The instruction's list of Australian visas is specific and should be consulted directly in the raw source. The list includes subclasses such as EB188, FA600, GA400, GF407, GH870, GK482, PS491, PE494, SP489, TK445, TO300, TQ410, TU500, TU590, TV651, TZ417, UC457, UF309, UK820, UP461, UR160-165, US462, UT173, UU884, UY405, VC485, and VF476. [E2.1.1]