NZeTA: New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority

Most visitors who do not need a visa to enter New Zealand still need an NZeTA before they travel. It is a quick, electronic travel authorisation rather than a visa, and understanding who needs it — and who is exempt — avoids being turned away at check-in. This page covers New Zealand rules. Verified against the official Immigration New Zealand page, September 2026.

Who needs an NZeTA

You need an NZeTA if you fall into one of these groups:

• citizens of visa-waiver countries and regions — the largest group;
• citizens of China or of Pacific Islands Forum countries who are travelling from Australia and hold a qualifying Australian visa;
• cruise and cargo ship passengers;
• Australian citizens and permanent residents;
• people transiting through New Zealand.

The NZeTA is a travel authorisation, not an entry permit: holding one lets you board and travel, but the final decision on entry is made when you arrive. It is also not the same as a visa — if your nationality or purpose of travel requires a visa, the NZeTA does not replace it.

How long you can stay, and validity

Within its validity an NZeTA allows multiple visits to New Zealand, but the stay limits above still apply to each visit and to the rolling twelve-month window. In other words, the two-year validity does not mean you may stay for two years: it means you may travel to New Zealand repeatedly, each time within the ordinary visitor limits, as long as you do not exceed six months in any twelve. The UK-passport exception is worth noting because it doubles the usual three-month grant.

Transiting and crew

If you are only transiting through New Zealand you still need an NZeTA, even though you are not staying. Crew members are a special case: they cannot apply through the ordinary NZeTA website or app. Instead, the employer requests a Crew ETA through the Batch ETA system. Pointing crew at the standard NZeTA channel is a common and avoidable error, and it can delay a ship's crew change if left too late. The longer five-year validity for crew reflects how often seafarers may need to travel.

Medical travel is different

If you are travelling to New Zealand specifically for medical treatment, you do not use the NZeTA. You apply for a Medical Treatment Visitor Visa instead. Treat this as a separate route with its own requirements and evidence, rather than as an NZeTA application, because the purpose of travel is different from an ordinary visit and the assessment reflects that.

Applying, and what it costs

1. Check whether you need an NZeTA or a visa for your purpose of travel.
2. Apply through the official NZeTA channel, or, if you are crew, ask your employer to request a Crew ETA.
3. Pay the NZeTA fee and, where it applies, the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL).
4. Wait for the authorisation before you travel; it is linked electronically to your passport.
5. Travel, remembering that the length of stay is decided on arrival.

The official NZeTA page we checked does not publish the current fee, the IVL amount or a processing time, so none of those figures is quoted here — check the official page when you apply. Because the authorisation is electronic and linked to your passport, you do not need to carry a separate certificate, but you should keep the confirmation in case it is asked for at check-in.

Common mistakes

• Treating the NZeTA as a visa, or as a guarantee of entry.
• Exceeding the six-months-in-twelve limit.
• Crew applying through the NZeTA website instead of the Batch ETA system.
• Travelling to New Zealand without an NZeTA because it was assumed to be unnecessary.
• Using an NZeTA when a Medical Treatment Visitor Visa is required.
• Assuming the two-year validity allows a two-year stay.

For other New Zealand routes, see the New Zealand visitor visa documents checklist. For the passport-validity side of planning a trip, see the six-month rule guide, and for documents generally the translation and copies guide.

Source: Immigration New Zealand (immigration.govt.nz), "New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)" page, retrieved 2026-09-29. Fees, validity and rules can change, so confirm them on the official page before you travel.

How the NZeTA relates to a visa

The NZeTA sits alongside New Zealand's visa system rather than replacing it. If you are a visa-waiver national visiting for a short time, you need the NZeTA and no visa; if your nationality or your purpose of travel requires a visa, the NZeTA does not substitute for it. This is why the first step is always to check which route applies to you. The NZeTA is also only an authorisation to travel: it confirms you may board and travel towards New Zealand, but the grant of a visitor stay is made on arrival, and the officer's decision there governs how long you may remain.

Planning your trip around the NZeTA

Because the authorisation is electronic and linked to your passport, it is not a document you carry in a folder; the airline sees it electronically when you check in. That convenience comes with a planning requirement: apply before you travel, and allow time in case the application needs attention. Keep the confirmation to hand in case it is requested. Remember too that the length of stay is set at the border, that the rolling six-months-in-twelve limit applies across all your visits rather than per trip, and that the UK-passport exception is a specific, not general, rule. Treating the whole arrangement as a short-visit system, rather than a long-stay one, keeps expectations accurate.

Frequently asked questions

What is the NZeTA?
The New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) is a travel authorisation required before you travel to New Zealand. It applies to travellers from visa-waiver countries and to several other groups; it is not a visa by itself.

Who needs an NZeTA?
Citizens of visa-waiver countries and regions; citizens of China or Pacific Islands Forum countries travelling from Australia with a qualifying Australian visa; cruise and cargo ship passengers; Australian citizens and permanent residents; and people transiting through New Zealand.

How long can I stay in New Zealand on an NZeTA?
You are usually granted a three-month visitor visa on arrival, or six months if you hold a United Kingdom passport, and you can stay a maximum of six months in any twelve-month period.

How long is an NZeTA valid?
An NZeTA is valid for two years for travellers and five years for crew, and it allows multiple visits to New Zealand during that time.

I am crew on a ship. Do I use the NZeTA website?
No. Crew must be requested by their employer through the Batch ETA system for a Crew ETA, not through the NZeTA website or app.

I am travelling to New Zealand for medical treatment. Do I need an NZeTA?
No. If you are travelling to New Zealand for medical treatment you apply for a Medical Treatment Visitor Visa instead of an NZeTA.

How much does an NZeTA cost, and how long does it take?
The official NZeTA page we checked does not publish the fee or a processing time, so neither is stated here. Check the current official page for the NZeTA fee and the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) when you apply.

Is the NZeTA a visa?
No. It is a travel authorisation. It lets you travel to New Zealand, but it is not a visa and it does not by itself guarantee entry; the length of stay is generally decided on arrival.