June 2022 INZ 1018

Visitor Visa
Guide
A guide to applying for a visitor visa

Do you need a visa to visit New Zealand?

Apply for your visa online
You do not need a visa to visit New Zealand if one of the
– it’s faster & easier following applies to you:
Apply for your visa online as it is faster and easier • You are a New Zealand citizen.
than completing a paper form. The process of • You hold a New Zealand residence class visa.
completing an application online should take less Australian citizens and some other groups of visitors
than 15 minutes. from overseas do not need a visa to travel to New Zealand
Dynamic forms will only ask you questions relevant but may require an NZeTA instead. See ‘Visa-waiver visitors
to the visa that you are applying for, and only and NZeTA’.
request evidence that is required to support your
application, e.g. medical exam.
If you require a third party to assist, for example
Where do you send your application
a Licensed Immigration Adviser (LIA), they are and documents?
now able to complete their actions online in a
secure environment, keeping your information Applicants who are overseas
private. You can engage an advisor or an agent
within New Zealand to manage and submit your You can engage an advisor or an agent within New Zealand
application online. to manage and submit your application online. Your sponsor
or supporting partner can also complete their declaration
For those people that cannot complete their
themselves directly online.
application online you can send these to your
nearest Immigration New Zealand office or Visa For those people that cannot complete their application
Application Centre. online you can send these to your nearest Immigration
You will be able to see the status of your application New Zealand office or Visa Application Centre.
after you have submitted it, by viewing the online See www.immigration.govt.nz/fees to find out where to
dashboard. Go to www.immigration.govt.nz/visit send your application, the fee and applicable levies in your
for more information on how to apply online. local currency.
You will require a RealMe account.
Applicants who are in New Zealand
Information about this guide Send your completed application form and documents
to your nearest Immigration New Zealand office.
This guide will help you to complete the form
Visitor Visa Application (INZ 1017). It will give you For office addresses see
information about coming to New Zealand as a www.immigration.govt.nz/contactus.
visitor and help you to understand the requirements
you need to meet if you want to visit New Zealand.
You should read this guide before completing the
application form.
The guide gives you information about:
• how to decide which visa you need to apply for
• what evidence you need to provide with your
application form
• what a visitor visa allows you to do.

immigration.govt.nz
 GENERAL INFORMATION What courses can you study?
Your course of study and education provider
What is a visa? must be approved by the Ministry of Education
to offer places to overseas students. Your
A visa allows a person to travel to the education provider must also be a signatory
New Zealand border and, if they are granted to the Ministry of Education’s Code of Practice
permission to enter, it allows them to remain for the Pastoral Care of International Students
in the country. If someone has a visa they apply (the Code) to be able to offer you a place1.
for permission to enter at the border.
You can find out from the education provider
whether they and their courses are approved.
What a visitor visa allows Visitors aged 13 and under who wish to study
a course of up to three months at a Private
A visitor visa allows you to stay in New Zealand Training Establishment (PTE), must also meet the
as a visitor for a limited amount of time. It allows guardianship requirements set out in the Code.
you to:
A visitor visa does not allow you to work in
• visit as a tourist New Zealand.
• visit friends or relatives There are some special visitor categories which
• play sport or perform in cultural events allow visitors to enter New Zealand for particular
without pay purposes. See ‘Special visitor categories’.
• enter New Zealand to get married
• undertake short-term study.
Visa-waiver visitors and NZeTA
A visitor visa allows you to study one or more If you are an Australian citizen, you do not need
courses of up to a total of three months in each a visa to travel to New Zealand. You must apply
of the 12-month periods your visa is valid. for a resident visa on arrival. You will do this by
completing an arrival card on the aircraft/ship on
School-aged visitor visa holders can attend
your way to New Zealand.
a primary, intermediate, or secondary school for
a single period of study of up to three months Other groups of visitors do not need a visa to
per calendar year provided the study finishes travel to New Zealand but require an NZeTA.
within that calendar year. You are also not For more information about the NZeTA and how to
permitted to study in term one of a school year request one visit www.immigration.govt.nz/nzeta.
if you held a visitor visa and undertook a single These groups include:
period of study in term four of the previous year. • Holders of an Australian permanent residence
If you want to study for longer than three months visa or Australian resident return visa (who may
you will need to apply for a student visa. also apply for a resident visa on arrival)
• British citizens/British passport holders
VisaView intending to visit for six months or less
It is an offence for an education provider to allow • people travelling on a United Nations laissez-
a person to undertake a course of study if that passer intending to visit New Zealand for
person is not entitled to do so. VisaView is an three months or less
online enquiry system that allows registered • people from a country on our list of visa-waiver
education providers to check whether a person countries (see below) intending to visit
who is not a New Zealand citizen can study in New Zealand for three months or less.
New Zealand.
If you believe that an education provider has
been given the wrong information via VisaView
you may contact the Immigration Contact Centre
(0508 558 855) to request correction of
that information.

1 School-aged visitors who attend a primary,

intermediate, or secondary school for less than two
weeks and aren’t paying any tuition fees are exempt
from this requirement.

2 – Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022

 VISA-WAIVER COUNTRIES The visa you are granted will allow a stay in
Andorra Lithuania 1 New Zealand of no more than six months in
a 12-month period. The 12-month period is
Argentina Luxembourg
calculated backwards from the last day you
Austria Macau 4
intend to be in New Zealand. For example, if you
Bahrain Malaysia
want to stay until 1 December 2014, you should
Belgium Malta
count back 12 months, which would have been
Brazil Mauritius 1 December 2013.
Brunei Mexico
You must only visit New Zealand for the time
Bulgaria Monaco
granted to you on arrival. If you wish to visit for
Canada Netherlands longer you will need to apply for another visitor
Chile Norway visa. If you want to work, or study for longer than
Croatia Oman three months, in New Zealand you will have to
Cyprus Poland apply for a work visa or a student visa.
Czech Republic Portugal 5
Denmark Qatar
Multiple entry visas
Estonia 1 Romania
Finland San Marino If you are a frequent visitor to New Zealand and
France Saudi Arabia you want to leave and re-enter the country, you
Germany Seychelles will need to hold a multiple entry visitor visa.
Greece 2
Singapore
Hong Kong 3 Slovak Republic
Under general visitor instructions
Hungary Slovenia Most applicants for visitor visas will be
Iceland Spain granted a multiple entry visa. If you are already
Ireland Sweden in New Zealand and your visa does not allow you
Israel Switzerland to leave and re-enter then you will need to apply
Italy Taiwan 6 to have the conditions of your visa varied to
Japan United Arab Emirates
allow travel.
Korea (South) United States of America 7 To be eligible you must not have been in
Kuwait Uruguay New Zealand for more than nine months
Latvia 1 Vatican City in the last 18 months. We will want to know
Liechtenstein the reasons you require a multiple entry visa,
and we may ask you to provide evidence.
1
Visa waiver does not apply to people travelling on alien’s (non-citizen’s)
passports issued by these countries.
2
Greek passport holders whose passports were issued on and after 1 January 2006.
(Greek passports issued before 1 January 2006 are not acceptable for travel after
Under parent and
3
1 January 2007.
Residents of Hong Kong travelling on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
grandparent instructions
or British National (Overseas) passports.
4
Residents of Macau travelling on Macau Special Administrative Region passports. You may be granted a multiple entry visa
5
Portuguese passport holders must also have the right to live permanently
in Portugal.
if you have family members in New Zealand
6
Permanent residents of Taiwan travelling on Taiwan passports. A personal identity and you are outside New Zealand. Under
number printed within the visible section of the biographical page of the Taiwan
passport demonstrates that the holder is a permanent resident of Taiwan. these instructions you may visit your child
7
Including nationals of the USA. or grandchild several times over a three-year
period. See ‘Special visitor categories’.
If you are in one of these groups, you are a
‘visa-waiver visitor’, and you do not need a
visitor visa to travel to New Zealand. You need Applying for a limited visa
to apply for a visitor visa, but you will do this
by completing an arrival card on the aircraft/ship The Visitor Visa Application (INZ 1017) can also be
on your way to New Zealand. You must also: used to apply for a limited visa. You can apply for
a limited visa if you wish to come to New Zealand
• hold an NZeTA
for a specific reason. If that reason is to study,
• hold a valid ticket out of New Zealand to you should use the form Student Visa Application
a country you have the right of entry to (INZ 1012).
• have enough money to support yourself
Holding a limited visa restricts your immigration
during your stay
rights when you are in New Zealand. If you
• hold a passport valid for three months beyond are granted a limited visa you are liable for
the date you are leaving New Zealand. deportation immediately when the visa expires,
and you have no rights of appeal.

Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022– 3

 To find out whether applying for a limited visa How much does a visitor visa cost?
rather than a visitor visa is the best option for
you, please read the leaflet Information on You need to pay an application fee and levies when
Limited Visas (INZ 1070). you lodge your application unless you are not
required to do so.
Who can you include For up to date information about fees and levies:
in your application? • see our Fees Guide (INZ 1028)
• see our website
You can include your partner and your dependent www.immigration.govt.nz/fees.
children in your application. Their visitor visas will
have the same conditions as yours – if they want
to study or work in New Zealand they will have to How much money do you need
apply for a student or work visa. when you are in New Zealand?
Your partner can be of the same sex or opposite
sex, and can be: You will need to show us that you can
support yourself and anyone else included in
• your partner by marriage your application financially while you are in
• your partner by civil union New Zealand (see ‘Completing Section H: Financial
• your partner in a de facto relationship. support while you are in New Zealand’). You will
also need to show us that you have tickets for
Dependent children must be:
your travel out of New Zealand (or the money
• aged 19 or younger to buy them).
• single, and if they are aged 18-19, must have
no children of their own
Will you be eligible for
• totally or substantially reliant on you or your
partner for financial support, whether they live publicly funded health care
with you or not. in New Zealand?
If your dependent child is aged under 18 we
will probably not ask for evidence that they are Visitor visa holders are not generally eligible for
dependent on you. If they are aged 18-19 we may publicly funded health and disability services.
ask to see evidence that they are dependent on People covered by New Zealand’s reciprocal
you/your partner. health agreements with Australia and the
United Kingdom are entitled to publicly funded
health care for immediately necessary medical
How long can you visit for? treatment only.
Unless otherwise stated under special instructions, If you seek health care when you are in
visitors to New Zealand are limited to a maximum New Zealand you should carry your passport
stay of nine months on a visitor visa. so that health providers can check whether
you are eligible for publicly funded health care.
However, we may allow you to stay a further three
We strongly recommend that you arrange
months if you have financially supported yourself
comprehensive health insurance for your stay
and you have not worked, studied, or been
in New Zealand.
sponsored during your stay.
For more information about health services,
If you have recently visited New Zealand and
see the Ministry of Health website
you wish to visit again, you should be aware
www.health.govt.nz.
that the instructions allow a visitor to stay a total
of no more than nine months in an 18-month
period. The 18-month period is calculated
backwards from the last day you intend to be
in New Zealand. For example, if you want to stay
until 1 December 2014, you should count back
18 months, which would have been 1 June 2013.
However, if you have spent a total of 12 months
in New Zealand as a visitor, you will have to
remain outside New Zealand for 12 months
before a further application for a visitor visa
may be approved.

4 – Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022

Interim visas Business visitors
A visitor visa allows you to visit New Zealand to
If we haven’t made a decision on your visitor visa discuss and negotiate business arrangements,
application when your current visa expires, we if your stay is no longer than three months in
will normally grant you an interim visa. We will tell any one year. If you want to stay longer than
you by email or letter whether we grant you one. three months, or if you will be working for gain
You don’t need to apply for an interim visa and or reward, you must apply for a work visa. See our
there is no fee. Work Visa Guide (INZ 1016) for more information.
The interim visa will let you stay in New Zealand
while we make a decision on your application. Conference delegates
Its conditions (including whether you can work) If you are attending a conference in
will depend on the type of visa you hold and the New Zealand, check with the organiser to see
type of visa you have applied for. Your interim what arrangements they have made. If you are
visa will expire after 6 months if we haven’t made organising a conference, contact the nearest
a decision on your application in that time. If we Immigration New Zealand office. We will tell
decline your application, your interim visa will you the best means of facilitating the entry of
expire 21 days later. overseas delegates to New Zealand. Conference
organisers must make these arrangements in
Special visitor categories advance of the conference.

Culturally arranged marriages

Antarctic travellers
You may apply for a visitor visa to come to
If you are going to work in Antarctica and New Zealand for the purpose of a culturally
transiting through New Zealand, you can be arranged marriage. You should use the form
granted a 12 month multiple entry visitor visa, Application for Partnership-Based Temporary
if you provide a letter from the Contracting Visa (INZ 1198) and your New Zealand citizen or
Party to the Antarctic Treaty who you are working resident partner must complete the Form for
for, confirming that you are being supported Supporting Partnership-Based Temporary Entry
by them to work in Antarctica as part of a Applications (INZ 1146). More information on the
programme under the Antarctic Treaty. requirements you and your partner must meet
If you are a national of a visa-waiver country, are explained in the Guide for Partnership-Based
you may be granted a 12-month multiple-entry Temporary Applications (INZ 1199).
visitor visa and entry permission on arrival in
New Zealand. Dependent children
If you are a national of a visa-required country, If a child is travelling alone or with one parent
you must apply for a visitor visa before travelling we may ask to see evidence that the child has
to New Zealand. the right to leave their country of residence.
For example, we may ask to see custody papers
If you will be working in mainland of New Zealand or guardianship papers.
as part of any scientific programme or expedition
under the Antarctic Treaty you will need a Group visas
work visa.
If you are travelling in a group, and all of the
APEC Business Travel cardholders group is travelling for the same purpose and have
the same travel arrangements, your group can
If you hold an Asia-Pacific Economic apply for a group visa. You must have a group
Cooperation (APEC) Travel Card, you intend leader who will take charge of the visa and arrival
to stay in New Zealand for less than three formalities. Each group member must lodge a
months, and you will not be working, you may Group Visa Application (INZ 1021) with their Visitor
enter New Zealand as a visitor. However, you Visa Application (INZ 1017).
do not have to lodge an application for a visa.
You must receive pre-clearance approval from
the APEC Business Travel Card Operations, at our
Christchurch office. When you have pre-clearance
approval, you can board a flight to New Zealand,
and may be granted a three-month visitor visa
on arrival.

Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022– 5

 Guardians accompanying students Medical treatment/consultation
to New Zealand If you travel to New Zealand for medical treatment
If you are the legal guardian of an international and consultation you must apply for a visitor
student you can apply for a temporary visa to live visa and complete the form Details of Intended
with and care for the student. The student must be: Medical Treatment (INZ 1009). If your need for
treatment or consultation is urgent, contact us
• a foreign fee-paying student
– we may be able to make special arrangements
• enrolled in school years 1 to 13, or aged 17 years for you.
or younger.
You will have to provide evidence that you are the Multiple entry visitor visa for parents
student’s legal guardian. A ‘legal guardian’: and grandparents of New Zealand
• is the person who has the legal right citizens/residence class visa holders
and responsibility to provide for the care If you have family members in New Zealand
(including education and health) of the and you wish to visit them, you may apply for
international student a visitor visa under normal visitor instructions to
• is the person who provides for the care of the allow you to travel to New Zealand, or you may
student in their home country travel to New Zealand visa-free if you are
• includes the student’s biological or adoptive a ‘visa waiver visitor’.
parents, their testamentary guardian, or their However, if you are the parent or grandparent
court-appointed guardian. of a New Zealand citizen or residence class visa
Evidence that you are the student’s legal guardian holder you may like to have the flexibility of a
could be documents such as: multiple entry visa, allowing you to visit your
child or grandchild several times over a three-year
• the student’s birth certificate or adoption period. To do this, you may apply for a visitor visa
papers (if you are their parent) under the parent and grandparent multiple entry
• court documents (if you are their court- visitor visa instructions.
appointed guardian)
To be eligible for a visa under these instructions,
• relevant legal documents if you are a you must apply from outside New Zealand. You
testamentary guardian (that is, you were will need to complete a General Medical Certificate
named as guardian in their parent’s will, (INZ 1007) and Chest X-ray Certificate (INZ 1096)
and their parent is deceased). and meet normal character requirements. You
If you need to stay for longer than 12 months may include your partner in the application but
because the student is continuing his or her not your children.
studies, your visa can be renewed for further Your New Zealand sponsor must be:
12-month periods, until the student reaches
• your child or grandchild aged 17 years or older, or
the age of 18 years.
• the New Zealand parent of your child or
If you are granted a visa you must not leave grandchild.
New Zealand without the student you are
You must provide evidence of your family
responsible for, and you must live with the
relationship(s) with your sponsor.
student for the duration of their studies.
If you do not meet these conditions you Your sponsor will need to complete the
may become liable for deportation. Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025).
They must guarantee to meet the cost of your
If you hold a visitor visa granted for the purpose
maintenance, accommodation, repatriation (if
of being a guardian to a foreign fee-paying
necessary) and health care costs (if required).
student, you will not be eligible for a student
visa or a work visa under the Essential Skills or The sponsor may sponsor only one person or one
the Specific Purpose or Event work instructions. family unit (principal applicant and their partner)
If you want to work or study part-time you will at one time.
be able to apply for a variation of conditions for If the application is approved you will be granted
part-time study or for part-time work. You will a three-year multiple entry visitor visa,
only be allowed to work between the hours of authorising a visa for a visit of six months from
9.30am and 2.30pm Monday to Friday inclusive, your date of arrival. You will not be able to extend
and you must have a job offer. the visa, however you will be able to enter and
For more information on which students must leave New Zealand during the validity of your
be accompanied by a legal guardian, please visa, as long as you do not remain in New Zealand
refer to the Student Visa Guide (INZ 1013). for more than 18 months during the validity of
the visa.

6 – Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022

Further applications under these instructions Dependent children of Religious Worker work
visa holders
We do not normally grant further visas under
these instructions within three years of the date If one of your parents holds a work visa granted
that the most recent visa was granted. under Religious Worker instructions:
If you have previously been granted a visa under • your visa may be sponsored by the organisation
these instructions and your sponsor was not in sponsoring your parent’s visa, or
New Zealand during the period(s) of your visit(s) • you will need to provide evidence that your
to New Zealand, or if you exceeded the 18-month parents’ combined income from salary or wages
maximum stay on your previous visa, you will not meets the minimum income threshold of
normally be eligible for a subsequent multiple $43,322.76 per annum gross.
entry visitor visa under these instructions.
Acceptable evidence includes copies of an
Dependent children of work or student employment agreement and/or a description of
the work with salary or wages equal to or higher
visa holders than the minimum income threshold.
If you are the dependent child of a person holding
If you are not sponsored and the minimum
a New Zealand work or student visa, you can apply
income threshold is not met your visitor visa
for a visitor visa to be in New Zealand for the same
application may be declined. Find out more at
amount of time as your parent. Note that school
www.immigration.govt.nz/childofworker.
age dependent children should apply for a student
visa instead using the Student Visa Application Partners of New Zealand citizens and
(INZ 1012).
residents or work or student visa holders
However, there is a restriction on holders of
some types of work visas from bringing family Partners of New Zealand citizens, residents or
with them to New Zealand, including dependent work or student visa holders can apply for a
children on visitor visas. You cannot be granted visitor visa based on that partnership. You should
a visitor visa based on a parent’s work visa if their use the form Application for Partnership-Based
work visa is one of the following types: Temporary Visa (INZ 1198) and your partner must
complete the Form for Supporting Partnership-
• Working holiday scheme Based Temporary Entry Applications (INZ 1146).
• Recognised Seasonal Employer or More information on the requirements you and
Supplementary Seasonal Employment your partner must meet are explained in the Guide
• Foreign Chartered Fishing Crew for Partnership-Based Temporary Applications
(INZ 1199).
• Silver Fern Job Search
• Skilled Migrant Category Job Search Residence applicants who need
• Essential Skills, if your parent is undertaking occupational registration in New Zealand
lower-skilled employment.
If you have applied for residence and you
Dependent children of Essential Skills work need New Zealand registration to work in your
visa holders profession, you may undertake practical or
educational training for three months on a visitor
If one of your parents holds an Essential Skills visa. If you need longer to become registered
work visa you will need to provide evidence that you must apply for a student visa or a work visa
they are eligible to support your visa. This includes before you travel to New Zealand.
evidence that your parent’s income from salary or
wages can meet the minimum income threshold
of $43,322.76 per annum gross. Find out more at
www.immigration.govt.nz/childofworker.

Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022– 7

 Travellers arriving by private yacht Transit passengers who need an NZeTA
or private aircraft • You are from a country on our list of visa-free
If you arrive in New Zealand in a location which countries (see ‘Visa-waiver visitors’)
is not a customs port or airport, you must report • You are an Australian permanent resident
to a customs port or airport without delay. When • You are transiting to or from Australia
you have reported you will have to complete an • You are a citizen of one of the countries on the
arrival card. You will be subject to normal visitor following list of Transit visa-waiver countries.
requirements. A member of the New Zealand
police may arrest anyone who does not report or TRANSIT VISA-WAIVER COUNTRIES
is suspected of not reporting to an immigration Bahamas Papua New Guinea
officer. If you have to wait out the hurricane Bermuda Paraguay
season (October to April), or undergo a refit or Bolivia Peru
major repairs on your vessel, we may grant you Colombia Philippines
a visitor visa beyond the normal maximum stay. Costa Rica Republic of Marshall Islands
See our leaflet Guide for Visitors Arriving by Ecuador Samoa
Yacht (INZ 1083).
Federated States of Micronesia Solomon Islands
Indonesia Thailand
Involvement in sports events, tours,
Kiribati Tonga
or tournaments Nauru Tuvalu
If you intend to travel to New Zealand to be Palau Vanuatu
officially involved with a sports event, a tour Panama Venezuela
or tournament of less than three months
duration as a sports person, support staff, For more information about the
a match or tournament official, or media, NZeTA and how to request one visit
or broadcasting personnel, you only require www.immigration.govt.nz/nzeta.
a visitor visa. If your involvement is going to
be greater than three months in duration, you Transit passengers who need a transit
must apply for a work visa before you travel. visa
• Transit passengers from all other countries must
Do you need a visa to transit apply for a transit visa using the form Transit Visa
Application (INZ 1019).
New Zealand?
Group transit visa
If you will be in New Zealand for less than 24 hours If you are a Chinese national and you will be
and will not leave the transit area of Auckland transiting New Zealand with a group of Chinese
International Airport, you are considered a transit nationals, you may apply for a group transit
passenger. If you will be in New Zealand for more visa. Each individual must apply on the form
than 24 hours or you want to leave the transit Transit Visa Application (INZ 1019), and your tour
area of the airport, you will need the appropriate organiser or agent will need to complete the form
visa or NZeTA. Group Transit Application (INZ 1155) on behalf
You do not need a transit visa or NZeTA if you of the group. Group transit visa applications
have a current visa allowing you to travel to should be lodged at the appropriate Immigration
New Zealand or are an Australian citizen. New Zealand Visa Application Centre in China.
See www.immigration.govt.nz/fees to find
out where to send your application, the fee
and immigration levy in your local currency.

8 – Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022

GUIDE TO COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FORM

About the application form

To apply for a visitor visa, or a limited visa, you must complete and sign the Visitor Visa Application
(INZ 1017) form or, if you are applying from within the Auckland region, the Visitor Visa Application for
Auckland Region Applicants (INZ 1111). If you are under 18 years of age, your parent or legal guardian must
sign the form for you. Send it to us with:
• the application fee and applicable levies
• all the documents we need to assess your application. You may provide copies of the documents unless
otherwise specified to provide original or certified copies.
If you do not include everything we need, we will not process your application and will return it to you.

Translations of documents
If you provide a translation, it must:
• be in English; and
• be accompanied by copies of the original documents; and
• not be made by you, any of your family members or an immigration adviser assisting with your
application; and
• be certified as a correct translation made
by a person familiar with both languages and competent in translation work; and
• be on the official letterhead of the translation business (if applicable); and
• have the stamp or signature of the translator or translation business; and
• be paid for by you.
Translations may be prepared by:
• the Translation Service of the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs; or
• reputable people within the community who are known to translate documents accurately; or
• embassies or high commissions (if the translation is endorsed with the appropriate embassy or high
commission seal); or
• any other private or official translation business.

New Zealand Business Number

Where you enter the details of an organisation or business, the form will have a field for a New Zealand
Business Number (NZBN). The NZBN should have 13 numbers and always begins with 94. An NZBN is
a unique identifier for all organisations operating in New Zealand. You do not have to fill in the NZBN
if you do not know what it is or if the organisation you are providing details about is based outside
New Zealand. You can find more information about the NZBN, including finding an NZBN for a specific
organisation, by going to www.nzbn.govt.nz.

Completing Sections A, C and D Personal details

Passport photographs
You must attach two photographs of each person included in the application. The photographs must
be original, and taken within the last six months. The size of the photographs should be about 45mm
by 35mm. The photographs should be in good quality colour (not black and white).

A3 Other names you are known by or have ever been known by

This includes your A3 or your partner’s C2 birth name, name from marriage or adoption,
or English name.
A7 Passport details
The passport details must be those of the passport or travel document you/your partner/your
dependent child(ren) will use to travel to and from New Zealand.

Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022 – 9

 If you are applying using the form Visitor Visa Application (INZ 1017) you must send the passport(s)
or travel document(s) with your application. They must be valid to at least three months past the
date you plan to leave New Zealand.
While you can provide a certified copy of your passport with your application, we highly recommend
you provide your original passport. This will enable us to process your application faster and it
may be needed to complete your application. Please note during the processing of an application
an immigration officer may request any document, including your original passport.
If you are applying using the form Visitor Visa Application for Auckland Region Applicants (INZ 1111)
you do not have to send the passport(s) with your application.

A9 Partnership status
You have the following options for your partnership status:
• Married/civil union (a civil union is a legally recognised union of a couple of the same or opposite
sex, with rights similar to those of marriage)
• Single
• Partner/De facto
• Separated (this includes being separated from a civil union)
• Engaged
• Widowed
• Divorced (this includes having a dissolved civil union).
You must choose the option that describes your current, or most recent, partnership status.

Completing Section B Contact details

B6 An agent or adviser can be any person who assists you with your application. It could be a lawyer,
immigration adviser, translator, friend or family member.

Completing Section E Health

E5 If you, or anyone included in the application, intends to give birth in New Zealand please indicate
how the cost of maternity health services will be paid for and provide the relevant evidence.
If you or anyone else included in your application is pregnant and intending to give birth in
New Zealand we need to be sure that you have a bona fide reason for being in New Zealand.
We also need to ensure that you are either eligible for publicly funded maternity health services
or able to meet the costs of maternity health services (evidence of at least NZ$9,000 is required)
through personal funds or sponsorship.
To find out if you are eligible for publicly funded maternity services, you may check your eligibility
through the Ministry of Health at www.health.govt.nz which provides comprehensive information
on eligibility for publicly funded health and disability services. Alternatively you may be able to
establish whether you are eligible by checking our leaflet Health Requirements (INZ 1121). You should
attach evidence that you meet the criteria to be eligible for publicly funded maternity services if
the evidence is not already available to us (for example – evidence of partnership or your partner’s
eligibility for publicly funded health services).
If you are not eligible for publicly funded maternity health services you will need to provide evidence
that you have sufficient funds to pay for the cost of maternity health services.
Acceptable evidence of your funds includes:
• bank statements in your name, and
• recognised credit cards with sufficient credit available.
You must not send cash or original evidence of funds. Funds to cover the cost of maternity health
services must be additional to the funds you hold to support yourself in New Zealand and to
purchase an outward ticket.
Alternatively you may provide evidence of sponsorship which meets our sponsorship requirements.
Your sponsor must complete the Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025).

10 – Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022

Medical certificates
You may need to provide us with medical certificates and chest X-ray certificates to show that
you and every person included in your application meet our acceptable standard of health.
What you must provide depends on:
• whether you have sent a medical certificate and chest X-ray certificate with another application
• how long you intend to spend in New Zealand, and
• what countries you have previously lived in or visited.
Children under 11 years of age and pregnant women are not required to have an X-ray, unless a special
report is needed.
If you are already in New Zealand, and you are applying for a further visa, you need to include the time you
have already spent in New Zealand, as well as the extra time you intend to be here, to decide whether or
not you need to complete a medical certificate.
Example You have been in New Zealand on a visitor or student or work visa or other temporary visa
for five months, and you want to stay for another two months. This will mean a stay in
New Zealand of more than six months in total.

E8 Are you applying for a parent/grandparent visitor visa?

If you are applying for a three-year multiple entry visitor visa because you are the parent or
grandparent of a New Zealand citizen or resident, you must provide a General Medical Certificate
(INZ 1007) and Chest X-ray Certificate (INZ 1096) unless the exception rules for a medical certificate
and chest X-ray certificate apply (see notes below).

E9 Will you be in New Zealand for more than six months in total?
You are not required to provide a medical certificate or chest X-ray certificate if you will
be in New Zealand for less than six months.

E10 How long do you intend to stay in New Zealand? If you are in New Zealand, this includes time
you have already spent here.
If you will be in New Zealand for between six and 12 months and are from, or have spent more than
three months visiting, a place outside the list of countries, areas and territories with a low incidence
of tuberculosis (TB) (see the table below), you must provide a Chest X-ray Certificate (INZ 1096)
which is no more than three months old, unless the exception rules for a chest X-ray certificate apply
(see notes below).
If you will be in New Zealand for more than 12 months, you must provide a General Medical Certificate
(INZ 1007) and Chest X-ray Certificate (INZ 1096) which are no more than three months old, unless the
exception rules for a medical certificate and chest X-ray certificate apply (see notes below).

Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022 – 11

 COUNTRIES, AREAS AND TERRITORIES WITH A LOW INCIDENCE OF TUBERCULOSIS (TB)

Aland Islands Croatia Kuwait Saint Lucia

Albania Cuba Latvia Saint Vincent and the
American Samoa Curacao Lebanon Grenadines
Andorra Cyprus Liechtenstein Samoa
Anguilla Czech Republic Lithuania San Marino
Antarctica Denmark Luxembourg Saudi Arabia
Antigua and Barbuda Egypt Maldives Serbia
Argentina Estonia Malta Seychelles
Armenia Falkland Islands Martinique Sint Maarten
Aruba Faroe Islands Mauritius Slovakia
Australia Finland Mayotte Slovenia
Austria France Mexico South Georgia and the
Bahamas French Guiana Monaco South Sandwich Islands
Bahrain French Polynesia Montenegro Spain
Barbados Germany Montserrat Suriname
Belarus Gibraltar Netherlands Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Belgium Greece New Caledonia Sweden
Belize Grenada (New Zealand) Switzerland
Bermuda Guadeloupe Norfolk Island Syrian Arab Republic
Bonaire Guam North Macedonia Togo
Bosnia and Herzegovina Guatemala Norway Tonga
Bouvet Island Guernsey Occupied Palestinian Trinidad and Tobago
British Indian Ocean Heard and McDonald Islands Territory Tunisia
Territory Honduras Oman Turkey
British Virgin Islands Hungary Panama Turks and Caicos
Bulgaria Iceland Pitcairn Islands United Arab Emirates
Cabo Verde Iran (Islamic Republic of) Poland United Kingdom
Canada Iraq Portugal United States of America
Cayman Islands Ireland Puerto Rico Uruguay
Chile Isle of Man Qatar United States Virgin Islands
Christmas Island Israel Reunion Vanuatu
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Italy Saint Barthelemy Vatican City
Colombia Jamaica Saint Eustatius & Saba Wallis and Futuna Islands
Comoros Japan Saint Helena, Ascension and
Cook Islands Jersey Tristan da Cunha
Costa Rica Jordan Saint Kitts and Nevis

Example 1 You hold a Chinese passport and you live in China, which is not on the list above.
This means that you must complete a Chest X-ray Certificate (INZ 1096).
Example 2 You hold a French passport and you live in France, which is on the list above. You have
not spent more than three months in a place that is not on the list. You do not need
to provide a medical certificate.
Example 3 You hold a British passport and you live in the United Kingdom, which is on the list above.
However, in the last five years, you spent five weeks in Thailand and eight weeks in
Fiji. Thailand and Fiji are not on the list above, and you have spent a total of at least
three months in a place which is not on the list above. You must complete a Chest X-ray
Certificate (INZ 1096).

E11 Are you applying for a visitor visa as the dependent child of a New Zealand citizen or resident?
If you are the dependent child of a New Zealand citizen or resident and you meet the requirements
to be granted residence under the Dependent Child Category, you must provide a Limited Medical
Certificate (INZ 1201). However, if you were eligible for inclusion in your parents’ application for a
residence class visa but were not included in, or were withdrawn from, your parents’ application,
you must provide a General Medical Certificate (INZ 1007). You will not need to provide a medical
certificate and chest X-ray certificate if the exception rules apply to you (see notes below).
You can find out further information about the Dependent Child Category from the Residence Guide
(INZ 1002). If you provide a Limited Medical Certificate (INZ 1096) and you do not qualify under the
Dependent Child Category, you will be required to undergo another medical examination and provide
a General Medical Certificate (INZ 1007).

12 – Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022

Notes:
Exception rules for a medical certificate
If you are a person who is required to provide a medical certificate, you do not need to provide one if you
have provided a General Medical Certificate (INZ 1007) or Limited Medical Certificate (INZ 1201) which was
issued less than 36 months ago with a previous visa application; and
• your health has not deteriorated since then; and
• you have not been requested in writing by an immigration officer to provide a certificate.
If you are a dependent child of an Essential Skills visa holder and you have provided a medical certificate
in a previous visa application you do not need to provide one.
Exception rules for a chest X-ray certificate
If you are a person who is required to provide a chest X-ray certificate, you do not need to provide one
if you have provided a Chest X-ray Certificate (INZ 1096) which was issued less than 36 months ago with
a previous visa application; and
• your health has not deteriorated since then; and
• you have not been requested in writing by an immigration officer to provide a certificate; and
• you have not spent six consecutive months since your last certificate was issued, in a country,
area or territory not listed as having a low incidence of TB.
If you are a dependent child of an Essential Skills visa holder and you have provided a chest x-ray
certificate in a previous visa application you do not need to provide one.
Chest X-ray certificate for pregnant applicants
If you are pregnant you do not need to provide a chest X-ray certificate. If you are a person who would
ordinarily be required to provide one, you will only be granted a visa valid for three months after the date
that you are due to give birth, unless you have provided a chest X-ray certificate issued within the last
36 months with a previous application. Where a visa is only granted for three months after the date you
are due to give birth, you will need to provide a chest X-ray certificate with an application for a further
visa if you wish to remain in New Zealand.
Where can I get my medical and chest X-ray certificates completed?
In most countries we require the medical examinations to be carried out by one of a selected panel
of medical practitioners or institutions. The details of these countries and the names and addresses
of the approved panels are listed on our website.
I have been recognised as having refugee or protection status in New Zealand and am eligible to apply
for a permanent resident visa. What medical certificates do I need to provide?
You are not required to provide a medical certificate or a chest X-ray certificate with a visitor
visa application.
Submitting your medical and chest X-ray certificates
Refer to the leaflet ‘Health Requirements Guide’ for further information.

Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022 – 13

 Completing Section F Character
If you are applying for a visitor visa you may have to provide us with evidence of your character.
If you intend to stay in New Zealand for 24 months or longer, including time you have already
spent here on a temporary visa, you may have to provide police certificates from:
• your country of citizenship, and
• any country in which you have lived for five years or more since the age of 17 years.
If you have already provided police certificates with another application that was granted within
the last six months you do not have to provide more certificates. You will need to provide details
of the previous application with your current application. For more information, see our website:
www.immigration.govt.nz/policecertificate.
If you are a dependent child of an Essential Skills visa holder and you have provided a police certificate
with a previous visa application, you do not need to provide one.

F3 If you have been removed, deported or excluded from any country, you may not meet character
requirements and may not be eligible to be granted a visa. You must declare if you have been
removed, deported or excluded from any country, excluding New Zealand.

Completing Section G Visa type

G3 Applying for a limited visa

Read ‘Applying for a limited visa’ in the General Information section before you apply for a limited
visa. You should apply for a limited visa if:
• you are outside New Zealand, and
• you need a limited visa to travel to New Zealand for an ‘express purpose’.
You must list the reasons why you need a limited visa at G3

Applying for a further limited visa

Read ‘Applying for a limited visa’ in the General Information section before you apply for a limited
visa. You can apply for a further limited visa if:
• you are in New Zealand, and
• you already hold a limited visa that will not last long enough for you to achieve the ‘express
purpose’ that the visa was granted for.
You must list the reasons why you need a further limited visa at G3

Completing Section H Financial support while you are in New Zealand

You must provide evidence that you can afford to cover the accommodation and living costs for
everyone included in your application. You also must provide evidence of onward travel arrangements.
The evidence that you have to provide depends on whether you have a sponsor who is a New Zealand
citizen or residence class visa holder, and what they will provide for you. If you are the dependent child
of an Essential Skills or Religious Worker work visa holder you have specific requirements to meet.
If you have a sponsor they must complete the form Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025).
They must agree to provide you with:
• financial support (maintenance) in New Zealand and
• accommodation in New Zealand and
• the cost of airfares out of New Zealand.

14 – Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022

H1 Evidence of financial support and accommodation
Dependent children of Essential Skills and Religious Worker work visa holders must provide
evidence that their parent/s wage or salary meets the minimum income threshold of NZ$43,322.76.

You have a sponsor

If you have a sponsor you must provide the completed Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry
(INZ 1025) and the evidence requested in that form.

You do not have a sponsor

If you do not have a sponsor you must provide:
• evidence that you have NZ$1,000 per month for each person included in your application, or
• evidence that you have NZ$400 per month for each person included in your application, and
evidence that each person’s accommodation costs are already paid and;
• evidence of onward travel arrangements.

What type of evidence of funds is acceptable?

Acceptable evidence of your funds includes:
• bank statements in your name;
• credit card statement in your name
• evidence of your parent/s wages or salary (if you are the dependent child of a temporary work
visa holder).
You must not send cash or original evidence of funds.

What type of evidence of onward travel is acceptable?

Acceptable evidence of your onward travel includes:
• actual travel tickets (confirmed or open-dated) out of New Zealand to a country which you
have the right of entry to;
• written confirmation from an airline or travel agency that onward travel has been booked
and paid for;
• anything that demonstrates a confirmed departure from New Zealand such as the confirmed
departure of a yacht or private aircraft.

Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022– 15

 Assessing your application: bona fides
When we assess your application and the information you provide, we ensure that it meets all
the requirements of the visa you are applying for. This includes the requirement to be ‘bona fide’,
which means you genuinely intend a temporary visit to New Zealand.
When we assess if you are a bona fide visitor, we consider all of the information that we have.
For example, we will consider:
• your personal circumstances, such as:
– your family ties in your home country and New Zealand
– personal, financial, employment or other commitments in your home country and New Zealand
– any circumstances that might mean you may not want to return to your home country when
any visa expires
• information that we have about previous applications, such as whether you have previously
overstayed or breached visa conditions
• whether you have dependants who are unlawfully in New Zealand, and
• your ability to leave or be deported from New Zealand to your country of citizenship.
INZ will consider all of the information you provide in support of your application but is not obliged
to ask you for more. So, with evidence that you meet the particular requirements for the type of
visa you are applying for, you should provide any evidence that you think demonstrates that you
are a bona fide applicant.

For more information

If you have questions about any of the information in this guide:
• see our website www.immigration.govt.nz/contactus
• telephone our call centre on 0508 558 855 (within New Zealand).

16 – Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022

Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022– 17
18 – Visitor Visa Guide – June 2022