Immigration New Zealand is expecting to receive more than 260,000 visitor visa applications over the summer peak processing period and is encouraging prospective travellers to submit their visitor visa applications as soon as possible.

INZ’s visa director Jock Gilray says that given the high volumes of visitor visa applications expected applying early is essential to ensure people travelling to New Zealand have the peace of mind of knowing their visa is sorted before they make their travel arrangements. 

"New Zealanders are looking forward to welcoming friends, family and tourists from all over the world this summer.

"That’s why we are asking that anyone who plans to travel to New Zealand for Christmas to submit their application no later than October 15.

"Anyone travelling in the New Year, including Chinese Lunar New Year, should submit their application no later than November 15."

Applications submitted after these dates may not be processed in time for their intended travel dates.

In addition to submitting applications well in advance, INZ strongly encourages travellers to provide complete applications with all necessary documentation as this helps the speed of application processing.

"Applications that are missing supporting documents or English translations are more likely to be declined.

"Making a complete visitor visa application early means you will receive your visa decision sooner, enabling you to spend more time planning your trip to New Zealand."

Here are some tips to help INZ process your visitor visa more quickly:

-Valid Passport: Make sure your passport is valid for at least three months beyond your departure from New Zealand. This also applies to the passports of any accompanying travellers.

-Clear Passport Scan: Include a clear, scanned copy of your passport's bio page with your name and photo.

-Acceptable Photo: Provide a photo that meets the specific requirements to avoid processing delays.

-Accurate Details: Double-check your personal information, such as name, passport number, and date of birth, to ensure it matches your passport and prevents issues with boarding your flight.

-Genuine Intentions: Submit documentation that demonstrates your intention to visit New Zealand temporarily and return home afterward.

-English Documentation: Provide supporting documents in English or provide an English translation for non-English documents.

More information is available at www.immigration.govt.nz/visit

The Government decided that increases to visa charges, made up of fees and levies, are being introduced on 1 October 2024.

Passport holders of some countries and territories do not have to apply for a visa before they travel to NZ but must hold an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority). 

A list of visa waiver countries and territories can be found here: Visa waiver countries and territories | Immigration New Zealand

In the 2023 calendar year:

• more than one million visas were decided.

•  there was strong demand from people wanting to visit New Zealand, with and more than 505,000 Visitor Visa applications decided.

• more than 1.5 million NZeTA requests were decided.