NZeTA, explained: New Zealand's travel authority and the NZD 100 levy

The New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, or NZeTA, is the online permission that most visa-free visitors must hold before they travel to New Zealand. You request it in the official app or through an online form, and it lasts for two years. When you request it, you also pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, known as the IVL, which is where most of the cost comes from.

It affects citizens of New Zealand's visa waiver countries and territories, which Immigration New Zealand lists on its site, as well as Australian permanent residents and every cruise ship passenger. It does not affect Australian or New Zealand citizens, or anyone who already holds a New Zealand visa.

An NZeTA is not a visa. It is a pre-travel check that lets you board a plane or ship to New Zealand. When you arrive with it, an officer may grant you a visitor visa, or, for Australian permanent residents, an Australian Resident Visa. Airlines check that you have an NZeTA or a visa at check-in.

The official source is Immigration New Zealand's NZeTA page. It links to the official app, the online form and a fee tool that shows the price for your nationality.

You need an NZeTA if you are a citizen of a visa waiver country or territory and you are visiting or transiting. You also need one if you are an Australian permanent resident, if you are a citizen of China or a Pacific Islands Forum country traveling from Australia with an eligible Australian visa, and if you arrive on a cruise ship or cargo ship as a passenger, whatever your nationality. Immigration New Zealand's "check if you need a visa or an NZeTA" tool gives the answer for your passport.

You do not need an NZeTA if you are traveling on an Australian or New Zealand passport, or if you already hold a valid New Zealand visa of any kind, such as a visitor, work, student or resident visa. Australian citizens need neither a visa nor an NZeTA. Australian permanent residents request an NZeTA and, on arrival, may be given an Australian Resident Visa if they meet its character requirements. Airline and ship crew use a separate Crew ETA arranged by their employer.

Transit has its own rules. If you pass through Auckland International Airport without entering New Zealand, you may be able to request an NZeTA for transit. You must stay in the airport's transit area the whole time and for no more than 24 hours, and there is no accommodation there. If you need a hotel while you wait for your flight, you must request an NZeTA as a visitor or get a visitor visa before you travel.

Request your NZeTA only through the official NZeTA app, on iOS or Android, or the official online form linked from the Immigration New Zealand site. You need the passport you will travel with, a photo, an email address and a payment card. The app lets you request NZeTAs for up to 10 people at once; the online form needs a separate request for each person, including children.

Answer the purpose question carefully. A transit NZeTA only covers staying in Auckland's transit area, so choose visitor if you are really visiting. Cruise passengers are visitors, not transit passengers, and you need the confirmation email when you check in for the cruise.

Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave New Zealand, and the details must match the passport exactly. Immigration New Zealand says to request an NZeTA through its official website or app, so treat private sites that offer to "process" requests with care.

The NZeTA fee is NZD 17 in the app and NZD 23 through the online form. On top of that, each visitor pays the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, collected at the same time. For a visitor that comes to NZD 117 by app (17 plus the levy) or NZD 123 online (23 plus the levy). Transit requests are priced separately, so use the official fee tool to see the amount for your case.

As its name says, the levy goes to conservation and tourism. Some travelers may not have to pay it; the fee tool shows the right amount once you enter your nationality and country of residence, so check it rather than relying on a summary.

An NZeTA is valid for 2 years, or 5 years for airline crew, and can be used for many trips. Each visit can last up to 3 months, or 6 months on a UK passport, but you can be in New Zealand for no more than 6 months in any 12-month period, counted back from the date you plan to leave. Immigration New Zealand asks you to allow 72 hours for a decision.

The app is the better default. It costs NZD 6 less per request than the online form, and it lets one person request NZeTAs for up to 10 travelers in one session, which suits a family or a tour group. Choose the online form only if you cannot install the app on your phone, or if the people you are applying for are not with you and you prefer to handle each request separately. Whichever you use, pay only through Immigration New Zealand's own website or app.

Treat the request like a short exam: every detail must match the passport you will fly on. The mistakes that cause trouble are a name or passport number typed with a slip, answering that you are in transit when you are really visiting, applying with a passport you later replace, and forgetting that each child needs their own request. Fix a slip by requesting a change before you travel, not by hoping check-in staff will overlook it.

Carry your NZeTA confirmation email at check-in. On arrival, you must meet the usual requirements for a visitor. That means a genuine reason to visit, good health, meeting the character requirements, and enough money: Immigration New Zealand sets this at NZD 1,000 a month, or NZD 400 a month if your accommodation is already paid. You may be asked for proof, such as hotel receipts or bank statements, and for an onward or return ticket.

Everyone entering New Zealand, including people with a visa or NZeTA, must also complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration, which covers customs, immigration and biosecurity. By air you can submit it from 24 hours before your journey begins; by sea, from 24 hours before the ship leaves its last overseas port. A paper form exists for people who cannot do it online. Passengers who stay in Auckland's transit area do not have to complete one.

At check-in for your flight or cruise you need your passport, your NZeTA confirmation email and proof that you will leave New Zealand, such as a paid ticket out or a cruise itinerary. Your planned departure must be within 3 months of arrival, or 6 months for UK citizens. An NZeTA is also the wrong tool if you need a sponsor to cover your costs, or if you are coming for medical treatment: both cases need a visa, and Immigration New Zealand says to have it before you travel.

If you have a criminal conviction or have been deported from any country, you may not meet the character requirements. Immigration New Zealand says to apply for a visa before you travel in that case, rather than relying on an NZeTA.

The levy is the change most visitors notice. It rose from NZD 35 to NZD 100 on 1 October 2024, so it now costs far more than the NZeTA itself, and it is charged per person. Citizens of China and Pacific Islands Forum countries traveling from Australia with an eligible Australian visa can also request an NZeTA.

If your trip includes Australia, you will need a separate ETA or eVisitor. For when to go, see our guide to the best time to visit New Zealand, and for cover while you are away, our travel insurance guides.