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New Zealand · Visit · Reviewed 9 August 2026

New Zealand Visitor Visa: eligibility, evidence and online application

A guide to New Zealand’s Visitor Visa, genuine-visitor test, funds and onward-travel evidence, permitted activities, online steps and strict digital-photo rules.

What this visa or program is

The New Zealand Visitor Visa supports tourism, family visits and other permitted temporary purposes. Depending on passport and travel circumstances, a person may instead use an NZeTA, so the official checker should be the first step.

Applicants must be genuine visitors, meet health and character requirements, have sufficient funds or sponsorship and be able to leave New Zealand.

Typical stay
Up to 6 or 9 months
Study
Up to 3 months
Local work
Not permitted
Application
Online available

This independent guide explains the normal route, not a personal eligibility decision. Immigration rules, fees and appointment procedures can change; check the linked authority and the office handling your application before submitting or paying.

Who needs it?

  • Visa-required tourists and temporary family visitors.
  • Some visa-waiver travellers need an NZeTA rather than a Visitor Visa.
  • Work, longer study and residence need the appropriate separate visa.

Core eligibility

  • Be a genuine visitor with a credible temporary plan.
  • Meet health and character requirements.
  • Hold enough funds or an acceptable sponsor and show onward travel or funds to buy it.
  • Use a passport valid for the required period and provide English translations where necessary.

Documents and information to prepare

  • Passport scan and compliant digital photograph.
  • Itinerary, accommodation and explanation of purpose.
  • Bank statements, sponsorship evidence and onward/return travel evidence.
  • Employment, family and other return ties, plus medical or police evidence if requested.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Check Visitor Visa versus NZeTA

    Use Immigration New Zealand’s official eligibility information for the passport and trip.

  2. Create the online application

    Choose the correct purpose and enter identity, health, character and travel details consistently.

  3. Upload evidence

    Provide clear passport, photo, funding, itinerary and return evidence with translations.

  4. Pay and monitor

    Pay the displayed fees and respond to any request through the official account.

  5. Read the eVisa conditions

    If approved, confirm travel dates, entry conditions and the maximum stay.

Timing and fees

  • Immigration New Zealand publishes current cost and processing information on the visa page; both can change.
  • Apply with enough time for verification or additional requests and avoid relying on a non-guaranteed estimate.

Validity and stay conditions

  • A Visitor Visa can permit a stay of up to six or nine months depending on circumstances, with a general maximum of nine months in an 18-month period.
  • The eVisa or visa letter states the actual travel and stay conditions.
One important part of the application

Photo requirements

New Zealand’s online photo rules are unusually strict about digital alteration. Cropping and permitted technical preparation must not change the person’s appearance.

  • Portrait orientation in the official 3:4 proportion
  • Recent colour image with plain light background
  • Face fully visible, centred and correctly scaled
  • No beauty filters, AI reconstruction or background edits that change edges or appearance
Read the detailed photo guide Create a New Zealand visa photo

Photo Pass prepares the image in your browser. It does not submit the visa application or guarantee acceptance by an authority.

Common refusal or delay risks

  • Weak evidence of a genuine temporary visit or ability to leave.
  • Insufficient funds, unclear sponsorship or missing onward-travel arrangements.
  • Health/character issues or inconsistent history.
  • A digitally altered, low-quality or incorrectly proportioned photo.

After approval

  • Print or save the eVisa letter and check passport details and conditions.
  • Carry evidence of onward travel and funds for entry.
  • Do not undertake local employment and leave or change status before the permitted stay ends.

Official sources and next check

Use these authority pages to verify live eligibility, fees, forms, dates and submission instructions:

Prepare the photo when the application is ready

First confirm the correct visa route and current checklist. Then use the matching preset to crop and export the portrait privately on your device.

Create a New Zealand visa photo