New Zealand Visitor Visa Checklist — What to Prepare
Everything a New Zealand Visitor Visa application actually needs: passport validity, funds, onward travel, the photo rules that trip people up online — plus the one extra form Chinese applicants must file. Print this and tick it off. Verified against immigration.govt.nz, September 2026 — see the Visitor Visa page and the acceptable photos guide for the authoritative word.
First, three quick facts
- One online photo — a compliant digital image (paper applications ask for two). New Zealand is strict about uploads: an out-of-spec photo is rejected at submission, so fix it before you lodge.
- Funds of about NZD $1,000 a month — or about NZD $400 a month if you have already prepaid your accommodation. The cost of your onward ticket is counted separately.
- Passport valid 3 months past departure — New Zealand asks that your passport stay valid for at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave the country.
The document list — what Immigration New Zealand asks for
| Document | What INZ expects |
|---|---|
| Passport / identity | A copy of your passport or identity document (certified copies for paper applications; the original means fewer delays). It must remain valid for at least 3 months past your planned departure date from New Zealand. |
| Photo | One compliant photo for an online application; two for a paper application. See the photo section below — the digital spec is exact. |
| Proof of funds | Evidence you can cover your living costs, or an acceptable sponsor. About NZD $1,000 per month, or about NZD $400 per month where accommodation is prepaid. Bank or credit-card statements, prepaid accommodation vouchers, bank drafts or traveller’s cheques; evidence must show the account is in your name, the bank and the currency. |
| Onward travel | An onward or return ticket, or proof you can buy one, or a sponsor who will cover it — counted on top of your living funds. |
| Genuine intent evidence | Proof you are a genuine visitor: travel plans, accommodation bookings, and ties to home (employment, study, family, property). |
| Certified translations | Any document not in English must come with an English translation plus a copy of the original. |
| Family travelling with you | For a spouse or dependent children (19 and under): relationship evidence (marriage/birth certificate), identity documents and compliant photos. An Additional Dependants for a Visitor Visa form may be needed. |
| Sponsorship | If someone sponsors you: the Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025), plus their financial evidence. |
| Health / character | Only if required — see the conditional items below. Police certificate, chest X-ray and medical certificates have short validity windows once issued. |
Conditional items — when they apply
- Police certificate — when INZ asks for evidence of good character.
- Chest X-ray — for stays over 6 months, and typically where you have spent time in a high-TB-risk country.
- Medical certificate — for stays of 12 months or more.
- Evidence windows are short: chest X-ray and medical certificates must be less than 3 months old; police certificates less than 6 months old. File them late and you invite a request for more information.
The photo rules — the part that catches people online
New Zealand’s digital photo spec is unusually precise, and the site checks it as you upload. Two formats matter, depending on how you apply:
| Apply online | Apply on paper |
|---|---|
| 1 photo: 3:4 portrait, JPG/JPEG | 2 photos: 35 × 45 mm (as directed on the paper form) |
| 512 KB – 3.14 MB | — |
| Face fills 70–80% of the frame, centred | — |
| Neutral plain background, you alone in frame | — |
- Pose: front-facing, neutral expression, mouth closed, head neither turned nor tilted, eyes open and the image sharp.
- Recency: taken within the last 6 months.
- Unaltered: no filters, no beauty retouching, no AI tools. No changes to colour, brightness, contrast or sharpness; no cut-out-and-replace backgrounds; no edits to facial features. Turn off your phone’s auto-filter.
- Glasses: prescription glasses are allowed, but the lenses must be clear (not tinted) with no heavy frames and no glare — INZ suggests removing them if in doubt.
- Lighting: no shadows on your face or the background. Stand 0.5 m from the background with the photographer 1.5 m in front of you.
- Hair and headwear: hair must not cover your face or ears (religious or medical headwear is excepted, but must not cover the mouth or sides of the face); non-religious headwear must come off.
- Selfies: not recommended — the official NZeTA app is the only selfie route, and even there the guidance is arm outstretched, camera at eyebrow height, light source behind the phone.
If your photo does not comply, the online system flags it at submission and you must correct and re-upload. Get the physical measurements right on the first pass with our New Zealand passport & visa photo tool →
Applying from China — the extra step
- A supplementary form — Chinese applicants (all applicants aged 17 and over) must complete an additional form giving background and intent details.
- Hukou as supporting identity evidence — your household registration book can be provided as extra proof of identity, along with copies of family members’ ID cards.
- Fees and timing — Visitor Visa applications from China start at about NZD $441 (it varies by where you apply), and 80% of applications are decided within about 2 weeks.
How long you can stay
- Multiple entry: up to 6 months in total within any 12-month period.
- Single entry: up to 9 months within an 18-month period.
The NOT list — common refusal and rework traps
- Don’t under-evidence: INZ states plainly that if you do not provide sufficient evidence it may decline the application and keep the fee — the fee is not refunded on refusal.
- Don’t present a weak genuine-intent case: INZ weighs your family ties and commitments at home against anything pulling you to stay — previous overstays or visa breaches count heavily against you.
- Don’t submit edited photos — filters, retouching and background swaps are all disallowed, and the upload check will catch them.
- Don’t let your passport run short — it must be valid at least 3 months beyond your planned departure.
- Never give false or misleading information — it can affect future applications.
60-second pre-flight check
- ✅ Passport valid at least 3 months past your planned departure
- ✅ Photo: 3:4 portrait, JPG/JPEG, 512 KB–3.14 MB, face 70–80%, neutral background, unedited, under 6 months old
- ✅ Funds shown: about NZD $1,000/month (or about $400 with prepaid accommodation) — ticket cost counted separately
- ✅ Onward/return travel evidence included
- ✅ Genuine-intent evidence: trip plans plus ties to home
- ✅ Non-English documents translated + original copies attached
- ✅ Health/character items only if asked — and within their 3-month / 6-month validity windows
- ✅ Applying from China: supplementary form completed; hukou added as identity evidence
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a photo for a New Zealand visitor visa? Yes — one compliant digital photo for an online application, or two printed photos for a paper application. The digital spec (3:4 portrait, 512 KB–3.14 MB) is checked as you upload.
How much money do I need to show? About NZD $1,000 per month for living costs, or about NZD $400 per month if your accommodation is prepaid. Your onward ticket is counted separately.
How long is the visitor visa valid for? Multiple-entry visas allow up to 6 months in any 12-month period; single-entry visas up to 9 months in an 18-month period.
Can I take the photo myself? INZ does not recommend selfies — the NZeTA app is the only selfie route, with specific framing guidance. For a visa photo, a properly framed shot is safer.
Passport validity rules differ by country — most borders want well beyond 3 months. See the photo validity guide → and the six-month passport rule →. Applying somewhere else too? Compare with the Australia visitor visa checklist (no photo upload at all) or the UK visitor visa checklist (no photos, biometrics at the centre). Every country’s checklist sits on the visa checklists hub, and full photo specs live in the size chart.
Sources: immigration.govt.nz Visitor Visa pages — visa details, funds and evidence guidance, genuine-intentions guidance, the acceptable-photos guide, and the application guide for citizens of China (captured September 2026). Fees and waiting times vary by where you apply; the official pages are the authoritative word for your nationality and location.