Check Visa Requirements for New Zealand Citizens

Visa Requirements for New Zealanders

Visa requirements for citizens of New Zealand are entry restrictions placed on New Zealand nationals by the authorities of other territories around the world.

Visa requirements for New Zealand passport holders differ depending on the country of destination, the purpose of the visit, and how long the traveler plans to spend in the chosen territory.

The Henley Passport Index, which measures travel freedom, currently ranks the New Zealand passport as the 9th most powerful in the world, as New Zealanders are currently able to visit over 180 countries visa-free or with a visa on arrival.

Some visa-free countries for New Zealanders permit citizens of New Zealand to cross their borders using only a valid passport, for short stays for tourism, business, or the purpose of transiting to an onward destination. The period of stay permitted without a visa varies from between 14 days up to 6 months, depending on the destination.

Other visa-exempt countries for New Zealand nationals may require the traveler to pre-register for an electronic travel authorization before departure from New Zealand, in order to pre-screen any security risks before arrival in the destination.

New Zealanders who wish to stay in visa not required countries for purposes such as to work or study, or for longer stays than for visa-free travel, are required to obtain a visa to travel to their destination.

It is also necessary to obtain a visa for New Zealand citizens to visit any non-visa-exempt country, no matter the purpose of the stay or the intended duration of the trip. This may be either an electronic visa, a visa on arrival, or an embassy visa from the nearest diplomatic office of the destination country.

List of Visa Countries for New Zealand Passport Holders

Below you will find a full guide to visa countries for New Zealand nationals.

Travelers from New Zealand who wish to visit any destination on the list of visa-required countries for New Zealanders need to obtain a visa to do so, regardless of the intended period of stay or the purpose of the trip.

Visa requirements for New Zealand citizens state that there are currently around 120 countries for which it is necessary to obtain a visa for New Zealanders to gain entry to the country.

It is necessary to obtain an embassy visa for New Zealand passport holders before departure to travel to around 80 countries, from the nearest diplomatic mission of the destination country. Around 20 other countries permit travelers to submit an electronic visa application from New Zealand and receive an approved online eVisa before departure.

Some visa countries for New Zealanders have a visa on arrival option in addition to an electronic visa. In such cases, it is often more convenient to apply for an eVisa, as this option saves travelers the need to queue at the border upon arrival to submit a visa application.

Browse the following map of countries for which a visa is required for citizens of New Zealand and check if you need a travel authorization for your destination.

Electronic Travel Visa Authorization for Citizens of New Zealand

Electronic Travel Visa Authorization systems for New Zealanders permit citizens of New Zealand to either obtain an electronic visa waiver or apply online for a visa for their country of destination.

An electronic travel visa authorization for citizens of New Zealand allows travelers to obtain travel authorization through an online application form, eliminating the need to apply in person from an embassy or consulate or wait in line to submit a visa on arrival application at the border.

There are over 20 countries around the world that have an electronic travel visa authorization option available for citizens of New Zealand.

Electronic travel authorizations and eVisas for New Zealand passport holders are issued as either a single or multiple entry travel authorization that permit the holder to spend between 30 days and 3 months in the destination country, depending on the territory.

Most approved electronic travel visa authorizations for New Zealand citizens are electronically linked to the applicant’s passport. In many cases, a copy of the approved travel authorization is also sent to the applicant’s email address.

Travelers are then able to use the passport linked to the approved travel authorization or a paper copy to gain entry to the destination territory at border entry checkpoints.

Find below a list of the main destinations that nationals of New Zealand can visit by applying for an Electronic Travel Visa Authorization.

Visa on arrival for New Zealand Citizens

Visas on arrival for citizens of New Zealand are a type of travel authorization which New Zealanders are able to apply for upon arrival at immigration checkpoints in certain territories.

There are currently around 30 visa on arrival countries for New Zealanders across the world, including a number of African and Southeast Asian territories.

It is normally necessary for nationals of New Zealand to go directly to a border checkpoint in their destination to apply for a visa on arrival. Once there, applicants are usually required to wait in a queue until an immigration officer gives them a visa on arrival application for New Zealanders to complete.

After filling in the application, many countries require the traveler to pay a visa on arrival fee for New Zealand citizens before the travel authorization can be approved. Many visa on arrival destinations for New Zealanders only accept payment in cash in the local currency.

Visas on arrival for New Zealand passport holders may be issued as either a single or multiple entry travel authorization which permit a stay of between 7 days and 3 months in the country of destination.

Several countries who offer visas on arrival for NZ citizens also permit travelers to obtain an electronic visa through an online application before departure from New Zealand, as an alternative to waiting in line at the border upon arrival.

Find below a full list of the visa on arrival countries for nationals of New Zealand.

Australia
Bangladesh
Burkina Faso
Comoros
Guinea-Bissau
Lebanon
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mozambique
Palau
Paraguay
Samoa
Senegal
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
United Arab Emirates
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Get Embassy Info

Australian Visa on Arrival for New Zealand Citizens

Under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, New Zealand passport holders do not need to obtain a visa in advance before traveling to Australia.

Instead, it is possible to obtain a Special Category Australia visa for New Zealand citizens on arrival at a port of entry in Australia.

To obtain an Australian visa on arrival for NZ nationals, travelers are simply required to meet Australian character and health requirements and enter Australia on a New Zealand passport.

A Special Category visa on arrival for Australia from New Zealand allows the holder to live, work, and study in Australia for an unlimited period of time, provided they remain a citizen of New Zealand during their stay.

Citizens of New Zealand traveling on a non-NZ passport will not be granted a Special Category visa on arrival in Australia and will be required to apply for a visa relevant to the nationality of the passport.

New Zealanders who do not meet the character and health requirements for Australia will not be granted a visa on arrival, and are required to apply for a visa for Australia in advance.

Embassy or Consular Visa Required for New Zealand Nationals

Embassy visas for New Zealand citizens are a type of travel authorization which New Zealanders must obtain in advance from an embassy or consulate before traveling to the country of their destination.

There are currently around 80 countries for which an embassy visa for New Zealand passport holders is required, no matter the period of intended stay or the reason for traveling to the destination.

A travel authorization from an embassy may be granted for a number of purposes, such as a tourist visa, a work visa, study visa, business visa, or other visa type, and for a range of periods of permitted stay.

Embassy visa requirements for New Zealand nationals usually state that it is necessary to make a visa appointment at the nearest diplomatic mission of the destination territory. Applicants are normally required to bring a completed embassy visa application form for New Zealanders to the appointment, alongside additional supporting documentation depending on the desired visa type.

Applicants are normally advised to apply for an embassy visa for citizens of New Zealand well in advance of the intended arrival date in the destination country, in order to allow for sufficient processing time. In some cases, it may take up to 2 weeks or more for an embassy visa to be approved.

Below you can find a list of the main countries for which nationals of New Zealand can travel by first applying for an embassy visa.

Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Algeria
American Samoa
Anguilla
Antarctica
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bonaire
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Burundi
Cameroon
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
China
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Congo
Cook Islands
Cuba
Curacao
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greenland
Guadeloupe
Guernsey
Iraq
Isle of Man
Jersey
Liberia
Libya
Mali
Martinique
Mayotte
Montserrat
Nauru
New Caledonia
Niger
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Pitcairn Islands
Reunion
Russian Federation
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Seychelles
Sint Maarten
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Syrian Arab Republic
Tokelau
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Wallis and Futuna
Yemen

Get Embassy Info

Visa not required by Citizens of New Zealand

Below you will find a list of all of the visa not required countries for New Zealand passport holders. These are territories which have a visa policy stating it is not necessary to for New Zealanders to obtain a visa to cross its borders for short stays.

There are currently over 100 visa-free countries for New Zealanders which New Zealand nationals can visit without a travel authorization, for a stay between 14 days and 1 year, depending on the destination.

The list of visa-exempt countries for New Zealand nationals currently includes all European countries who have signed the Schengen Agreement. At the moment, New Zealanders can stay visa-free in any of the Schengen Area countries for up to 90 days, within every 180-day period.

Travelers are simply able to present a valid NZ passport upon arrival to gain entry to any of the visa not required countries for New Zealand nationals for short stays. New Zealanders are normally able to visit these countries visa-free for purposes of tourism, business, or transit only.

To visit visa-free countries for New Zealand nationals for other purposes or longer periods of stay, it is normally necessary to apply for an embassy visa for the chosen destination before departing from New Zealand.

Browse the list below and discover the main countries for which a visa is not required for citizens of New Zealand.

Albania
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Austria
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
Federated States of Micronesia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Grenada
Guam
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kiribati
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lesotho
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malta
Mauritius
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Norway
Palestinian Territory
Panama
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Cyprus
Romania
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela

Get Embassy Info

ETIAS for New Zealanders

Although citizens of New Zealand can currently visit the Schengen Area without travel authorization for short stays, this will change in 2025 when the online ETIAS visa waiver is implemented.

ETIAS is an electronic travel authorization that will become mandatory for New Zealand passport holders who wish to travel to any of the countries in the Europe Schengen zone in 2025.

An approved ETIAS visa waiver for New Zealand citizens is a multiple entry travel authorization which permits travel to all of the Schengen countries for up to 90 days with each entry, within every 180-day period.

An approved ETIAS authorization for New Zealanders is valid for a total of 3 years from the date of approval, meaning there is no need to submit an online application before every trip to Europe. It permits the traveler to enter the Schengen Area for purposes of business, tourism, medical treatment, or transit.

To travel to Europe for other purposes and longer periods, NZ passport holders will be required to apply for the relevant visa from a diplomatic office of the individual country of destination.