E2.1 People to whom a visa waiver applies

See also Immigration Act 2009, ss 4, 69

See also Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010, Part 4A, and Schedule 2

A visa waiver means a waiver of the requirement to hold a visa permitting travel to New Zealand in relation to any class of persons. A person travelling to New Zealand visa waiver is required to hold an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) unless exempt (see E12 Electronic Travel Authority). A visa waiver applies to, but is not limited to, the following people:

1. citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia; and
2. people who hold:
   1. a current permanent residence visa issued by the Government of Australia; or
   2. a current resident return visa issued by the Government of Australia; and
3. people granted a visa waiver by special direction; and
4. members of a visiting force (including members of the civilian component of the visiting force) but only if:
   1. each person is travelling to New Zealand in the ordinary course of the person’s duty or employment; and
   2. each person is seeking a temporary entry class visa at an immigration control area; and
   3. the craft transporting the visiting force is a commercial craft; and
5. members of, or any person associated with, a scientific programme or expedition under the auspices of a Contracting Party to the Antarctic Treaty (within the meaning of the Antarctica Act 1960) or any person to whom section 5 of that Act applies, but only if:
   1. the person concerned is seeking a temporary entry class visa; and
   2. the application is made at an immigration control area; and
6. cruise ship passengers; and
7. cruise ship crew travelling in the ordinary course of business of the ship; and
8. positioning cruise ship crew; and
9. aircraft crew of an aircraft on a flight between any other country and New Zealand in the course of a scheduled international service; and
10. positioning aircraft crew; and
11. cargo ship passengers travelling between any foreign port and New Zealand (from 1 April 2025 onwards); and
12. cargo ship crew travelling in the ordinary course of business of the ship between any foreign port and New Zealand (from 1 April 2025 onwards); and
13. crew on a foreign ship authorised by the Minister of Transport under section 198(2) of the Maritime Transport Act 1994 to carry coastal cargo within the meaning of section 198(6) of that Act (from 1 April 2025 onwards); and
14. positioning cargo ship crew (from 1 April 2025 onwards); and
15. British citizens, and other British passport holders who produce evidence of the right to reside permanently in the United Kingdom, but only if the person concerned is seeking a visitor visa current for not more than six months and the purposes of the visit do not include medical consultation or treatment; and
16. people travelling on a United Nations (UN) laissez-passer who are seeking a visitor visa current for not more than three months; and
17. any other class of persons specified in the Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010; and
18. citizens of the following countries, but only if the person concerned is seeking a visitor visa current for not more than three months and the purposes of the visit is not for medical consultation or treatment:

¹Visa waiver does not apply to people travelling on alien's (non-citizen's) passports issued by these countries.

²Greek passport holders whose passports were issued on and after 1 January 2006. (Greek passports issued before 1 January 2006 are not acceptable for travel after 1 January 2007, see A2.10.50)

³Residents of Hong Kong travelling on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or British National (Overseas) passports.

⁴Residents of Macau travelling on Macau Special Administrative Region passports.

⁵Portuguese passport holders must also have the right to live permanently in Portugal.

⁶Permanent residents of Taiwan travelling on Taiwan passports. A personal identity number printed within the visible section of the biographical page of the Taiwan passport demonstrates that the holder is a permanent resident of Taiwan (see A2.10.40).

⁷including nationals of the USA.

Effective 03/02/2025