Since the full reopening of Aotearoas borders on 31 July 2022, Immigration New Zealand has decided upon over one million visitor visas.

“This milestone highlights the significant effort made by our team and their commitment to delivering timely decisions for our customers,” Immigration New Zealand’s Visa Director, Jock Gilray, said.

More than 914,000 were approved, and around 114,000 applications were declined, with an average wait time of seven weeks. 

“Demand from people wanting to visit New Zealand is strong. Nearly 350,000 visitor visas have been approved already in 2024, with the busiest months of the year yet to come," Gilray said.

Christmas is the peak processing time when visitor visa applications surge as families and friends connect during the Kiwi summer holidays.

"While we are well prepared to manage the surge, we encourage people to submit their applications as early as possible to give themselves the best possible chance of having their application decided in time for them to plan their trips with confidence,” Gilray said.

In addition to submitting applications well in advance, Immigration New Zealand strongly encourages travellers to provide complete applications with all necessary documentation, which helps speed up application processing.

“Anyone wanting to spend Christmas in New Zealand should submit their visitor visa application no later than 15 October 2024. Those hoping to ring in the New Year, including the Lunar New Year, in New Zealand should submit their applications by 15 November 2024."