Crew of planes, cruise ships and cargo ships

Who needs a Crew ETA

All working and positioning crew members, regardless of nationality, need a Crew ETA unless they:

• are Australian or New Zealand citizens, or
• already hold a visa for New Zealand that allows them to work as crew.

Positioning crew can use their Crew ETA to fly to New Zealand to meet a plane or ship.

How we define crew

Your staff need a Crew ETA if they are employed by:

• a passenger airline
• a cruise operator
• a manning agent — that is, a company that recruits crew for cruise ships or other vessels
• a concessionaire that employs or engages staff on behalf of a cruise operator to provide services — for example, a musician who provides entertainment for passengers
• a cargo carrier, if the crew members will arrive in New Zealand on or after 1 April 2025.

Crew of other vessels or private craft

Different rules apply to the crews of:

• cargo ships travelling to New Zealand before 1 April 2025
• fishing vessels
• private yachts and planes
• commercial flights that are not a scheduled service.

Crew of cargo ships, fishing vessels, private yachts and planes

Crew ETA for cargo ship crew arriving in New Zealand on or after 1 April 2025

Cargo ship crew members must have a Crew ETA if they are travelling to New Zealand on or after 1 April 2025.

This includes crew who are:

• travelling to New Zealand by air to join their ship, or
• on ships authorised by the Ministry of Transport to carry coastal cargo.

They must hold a Crew ETA before they start their travel to New Zealand.

Crew ETAs must be requested by the cargo carrier (or their representative) via Immigration New Zealand's online Batch ETA System. Carriers can request an ETA for the crew from 3 February 2025.

Cargo ship crew who are granted an NZeTA before 1 April 2025 will only be able to travelling to New Zealand by air to join their ship as 'positioning' crew from 1 April 2025.

Cargo carriers should contact with their New Zealand based shipping agents for information on how to register to access the Batch ETA system.

New requirement for cargo ship crew and passengers

How long crew can stay in NZ if they have a Crew ETA

From the date they arrive:

• airline crew who hold a Crew ETA are deemed to hold a visa for 7 days
• cruise ship crew who travel by sea and hold a Crew ETA are deemed to hold a visa for up to 28 days
• cargo ship crew who travel by sea will be deemed to hold a visa for up to 28 days or when the ship leaves — whichever happens first
• cruise and cargo ship crew who travel by air to join their ship at its berth in New Zealand apply for a visa and entry permission when they arrive in New Zealand — their visa is valid for 35 days.

Visiting New Zealand as a tourist or for other reasons

Your crew cannot use their Crew ETA to come to New Zealand for a holiday. They will need an NZeTA or a visa, depending on what country they are from.

Information about NZeTA
Explore visa options for visiting

Crew ETA cost, length and processing time

A Crew ETA costs NZD$17.00 which is paid by the employer.

It is valid for up to 5 years. It is no longer valid if a crew member's employment ends before 5 years are up.

Most Crew ETA requests are processed within 72 hours.

How to request a Crew ETA

A crew member's employer or the employer’s nominated representative requests Crew ETAs using our Batch ETA system.

We accept requests to use the Batch ETA system from:

• cruise companies
• airlines
• manning agents
• concessionaires, and
• cargo ship carriers.