Frequently Asked Questions

The New Zealand eTA (Electronic Travel Authority) is an official travel authorization introduced in August 2019 for citizens of 60 visa waiver countries. It is applied for online, electronically linked to your passport, and required for entering New Zealand by air or cruise ship since 1 October 2019.

Citizens of the 60 visa waiver countries travelling to New Zealand for tourism, business or transit need an NZeTA, as do all cruise ship passengers regardless of nationality and airline or cruise crew members. Australian citizens are exempt; Australian permanent residents need an eTA but do not pay the IVL.

The NZeTA is a travel authorization for citizens of visa waiver countries making short visits; it is not a visa. Travellers who are not from a visa waiver country, or who plan to stay longer than the permitted period, must apply for an appropriate New Zealand visitor visa instead.

Yes. Travellers from visa waiver and transit visa waiver countries who pass through Auckland International Airport on the way to another destination must hold a valid NZeTA, even if they never leave the transit area.

The NZeTA covers tourism, visiting family and friends, short business activities such as meetings and conferences, and transit. It does not permit employment in New Zealand. Longer study or any work requires the appropriate visa.

You need a passport from an eligible country valid for at least 3 months beyond your departure date, a credit or debit card to pay the fee and IVL, and a working email address. The online form also asks brief health and character questions.

The online NZeTA application form usually takes about 10 minutes to complete. Have your passport at hand and check that every detail matches it exactly - incorrect or incomplete data is the most common cause of processing delays.

Yes. Every traveller, including children and infants, must hold their own approved eTA. When travelling as a family, each member's passport details must be submitted in a separate application.

Dual nationals should apply with the passport they intend to travel on. The eTA is electronically linked to one specific passport, so you must present that same passport when entering New Zealand.

The NZeTA is linked to the passport used in the application. If you renew or replace your passport, the old eTA is no longer usable and you need to submit a new application with the new passport details.

The application fee and the IVL are paid together online using a valid credit or debit card, as the final step of the application form before submission.

The IVL is a levy paid together with the NZeTA application fee. It funds the protection of New Zealand's natural environment and the development of tourism infrastructure. One IVL payment stays effective for the full validity of your eTA and covers all your visits during that period.

If your application has not yet been submitted to the government for approval, you can cancel with a $35 cancellation fee per application. Once it has been submitted for approval, no refund can be made. If a duplicate application was made in error, the duplicate payment is refunded in full.

Refunds take up to 20 business days to process. If you have not received your refund within this timeframe, contact our support team with your reference number to check the status.

No. Refunds are not available when an NZeTA is rejected by New Zealand Immigration or by any government decision, nor for delays caused by technical issues on the government website.

Most NZeTA applications are approved within about 10 minutes. In some cases additional checks can extend processing up to 72 hours, so it is recommended to apply at least 3 days before your departure.

The approved travel authorization is sent as a PDF to the email address provided in your application. It is also linked electronically to your passport, so airlines and border officials verify it automatically.

Use the visa status page on this website and enter your reference number together with the email address used in your application. The status of each traveller in the application is shown individually.

The NZeTA is valid for 2 years from approval, or until the linked passport expires, whichever comes first. It allows multiple entries, with stays of up to 90 days per visit for most nationalities and up to 6 months for UK citizens.

Once your eTA reaches the end of its 2-year validity - or when the passport it is linked to expires - simply submit a new online application before your next trip. The renewal process is identical to the original application.