APEC Business Travel Card to visit New Zealand
If you have an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC), you can visit New Zealand for up to 3 months at a time to carry out trade and investment activities. New Zealand needs to be listed on your card as an economy that has pre-cleared you for short-term business travel here.
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Length of stay
Up to
3 months
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Cost
From
NZD $0
To travel to New Zealand you must:
- have a passport from a participating Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economy (or be a permanent resident of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong, China))
- have an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) listing New Zealand as an economy that has pre-cleared you to visit New Zealand for trade and investment activities
- regularly travel for business throughout the APEC region
- meet our character requirements
- meet the other requirements of entering New Zealand on an ABTC.
This ABTC lets you:
- travel to New Zealand without first applying for a visa
- get a visa on arrival in New Zealand
- visit New Zealand for up to 3 months at a time to carry out trade and investment activities.
If you want to stay in New Zealand longer than 3 months, you will need to apply for a work visa.
How long you can stay
When you arrive at the New Zealand border with your APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC), you will need to apply for permission to enter.
After you get entry permission, we may give you a Business Visitor Visa to stay up to 3 months.
Your visa will expire at the end of the time we have given you, or when you leave, if this is earlier. The next time you arrive in New Zealand with your ABTC, we will give you a new visa, after you get entry permission.
Check the 'When you arrive' section for more about entry permission.
You can use your ABTC to travel to New Zealand multiple times while it is valid. An ABTC is valid for 5 years for short-term business travel.
Warning
If you have an ABTC and will be travelling to New Zealand for non-business reasons, you must contact Immigration New Zealand.
If you do not contact us, our system will cancel your Business Visitor Visa when you are given another visa, for example, a Visitor Visa. This means that the next time you come to New Zealand with your ABTC for business reasons, you will not be able to enter the country — contact Immigration New Zealand for help.
What you pay
You do not need to pay a fee when we give you a visitor visa on arrival in New Zealand.
Who can visit New Zealand on an ABTC
To get a visitor visa on arrival, you must:
- have a passport from a participating APEC economy
- have an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC)
- have been given clearance from your home economy and New Zealand to travel to New Zealand for short-term business reasons
- be genuinely visiting New Zealand for up to 3 months to carry out trade and investment activities
- be in good health
- be of good character
- have enough money to pay your living expenses
- have plans to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay.
Have an ABTC and a passport from a participating APEC economy
You must have an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) when you arrive in New Zealand and have a passport from a participating APEC economy (your home economy).
Members of APEC are:
Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, People's Republic of China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, The Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, The United States, Viet Nam.
We check your passport when you arrive in New Zealand.
Alert
If you only have an interim ABTC, you will need to apply for a Business Visitor Visa before you can travel to New Zealand.
Have clearance from your home economy and New Zealand
You must have New Zealand listed on your ABTC as an economy that has given pre-clearance for short-term business travel.
Your home economy will arrange your New Zealand clearance when they process your application for your APEC Business Travel Card.
Genuine intentions
You must be visiting New Zealand to carry out trade and investment activities and intend to leave at the end of your visit.
You will be asked about the purpose of your trip when you apply for permission to enter the country — by completing your New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) form.
We also consider any other information we have about your circumstances and reasons for travelling to New Zealand.
When you travel to New Zealand on a temporary visa, your intentions must be genuine. This means that you: We use all the information we have, including the information you give us in your application, to confirm that you have genuine intentions. Alert You must answer truthfully when you complete your visa application or NZTD. If you are travelling on a visitor visa or visiting from a
If you have a visitor visa for a specific reason, you must be coming to New Zealand for that reason. For example, if you have a Medical Treatment Visitor Visa, your reason for visiting must be getting medical treatment. If you are travelling on a student visa, you must have genuine intentions to study in New Zealand. You can only work if the conditions of your student visa allow you to. If you are travelling to New Zealand to work, you must have a visa that will allow you to. Unless your visa allows you to work in any job, you must plan to work in the job, for the employer, and in the location specified in your visa. You may be asked to provide evidence of your genuine intentions: Here are some examples of evidence to show that you have genuine intentions in coming to New Zealand. To show your travel history, you could show a copy of your current and recent passports, including: If you live in a country that is not your country of citizenship, provide a copy of the visa allowing you to live in that country. If you have ever had a visa application declined by any other country, provide: If you plan to visit family or friends in New Zealand, provide their: Evidence of your travel plans while in New Zealand could include copies of: You may also need to show that you have plans to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay. This evidence could include: If you are applying for a student visa, you could provide evidence that you have: If you do not need to pay tuition fees, or if you can pay by instalment — where you make smaller payments over a period of time — you must provide confirmation from your education provider. You can also write a cover letter or statement of purpose explaining why you want to study in New Zealand. This will help us decide if you are a genuine student. If you are using an education agent or licensed immigration adviser, they cannot write the letter for you. Examples of things you could write about in your letter or statement include: If you plan to apply for another visa — for example, a work visa — after you finish your studies, include this in your cover letter or statement of purpose.
To show that you have genuine intentions to work, you will in most cases need to provide: If your visa requires you to have enough money to live on during your stay, you will need to provide evidence. This could include: Depending on your situation, you may need to provide: We consider each application based on the information and evidence we receive. If you do not provide enough evidence, it may take us longer to process your application, or we may decline your application. You must provide genuine evidence. If you or your agent provide evidence that is false or misleading, we may also decline your application. False, misleading or withheld information in visa applications Check the translation requirements for the visa you are applying for. All non-English documents must be translated when you apply for visitor and resident visas. Providing English translations of supporting documents If you are applying online, make sure your evidence is in an acceptable file format. To decide if your intentions are genuine, we look at: We look at evidence you provide with your application to check that it: When we consider information about your personal circumstances, we look at: We also look at information from your previous applications and travel to New Zealand. This can show us if you have: We might not give you a visa or allow you to enter New Zealand if we:
Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in New Zealand
Before you can get a visa or enter New Zealand to visit, work or study, we check that your reasons for coming here are genuine.
What it means to have 'genuine intentions'
Visitor visas
Student visas
Work visas
Evidence to show you have genuine intentions
Evidence of your travel history
If you live in a different country to your citizenship
Declined visa applications
Evidence you are visiting family or friends
Evidence of your travel plans
Evidence of your study plans
Evidence of your work plans
Evidence you have enough money
Evidence of your home country circumstances
evidence of your relationships with close relatives in your home country
Providing good-quality evidence
How we decide if your intentions are genuine
Evidence you provide with your application
Your personal circumstances
Your previous applications
If we decide your intentions are not genuine
Health
You must be in good health.
Character
You must be of good character.
You may not meet our good character requirements if:
- you have a criminal conviction
- you have been deported, removed or excluded from another country, or
- we have reason to believe you may be a risk to New Zealand's security, public order or public interest.
Anyone applying for a New Zealand visa must meet the character requirements. When you apply, you must tell us about any issues or activities, both current and in your past, that could affect our decision, including whether you have been: If there is an issue, we may: You can request a character waiver or special direction when you apply. If your request is approved, we can give you a visa if your application meets all other requirements. Visas are given by special direction only in rare circumstances. You may need to provide us with police certificates to show your good character. Whether you need to give these certificates depends on how long you plan to stay in New Zealand and the visa you are applying for.
Character requirements for New Zealand visas
To be given a New Zealand visa, you must be of good character. If you have a criminal history, have provided false or misleading information, or could be a risk to New Zealand, we can decline your application.
Being of good character
Providing police certificates
People who may be considered a risk to New Zealand’s security, public order or public interest, include those who are registered sex offenders or associated with a gang.
If we have reason to believe you are not of good character, we can stop you from travelling to New Zealand at check-in or refuse you entry permission when you get here.
Note
If you are not sure you will meet our requirements for good character, you should apply for a visa before coming to New Zealand.
Enough money to live on
You must have enough money to live on while you are in New Zealand.
You must have at least NZD $1,000 per month, or NZD $400 per month if you have already paid for your accommodation.
You may be asked for evidence when you check in or arrive in New Zealand.
Evidence can include:
- proof of accommodation pre-payment, like hotel vouchers or receipts
- bank statements or credit card statements
- bank drafts or traveller's cheques.
Paying for health care
You will need to pay for any health care or medical assistance you may need in New Zealand.
We recommend you have full medical insurance for your stay.
If you are pregnant, there are additional requirements.
Depending on the visa you are applying for and your nationality you may be eligible for publicly funded health care during and after your pregnancy. If you are not eligible you must cover the costs of your own maternity care — when you apply for your visa, you need to provide evidence of how you will pay. Maternity care includes looking after you: Some women can get maternity care no matter what visa they have for New Zealand. You are eligible if you: Pregnancy services — Te Whatu Ora — Health New Zealand Who can get public health care Note If you have a Limited Visa, you cannot get publicly funded maternity care. If you are not eligible for public health care and have a temporary visa to visit, study or work in New Zealand, you must show you have a minimum of NZD $9,000 to pay for your maternity care. You can: With your visa application, you must include evidence you have: You can include evidence such as: Your sponsor or guarantor must be able to show they: Who can sponsor a visa applicant Your sponsor or guarantor must complete a form to send in with your visa and provide evidence of how they will meet the cost of your maternity care.
If you are pregnant
If you are pregnant and apply for a temporary visa to visit, study, or work in New Zealand, you must tell us how you will pay for your maternity care while you are here.
Covering the cost of your maternity care
Who can get publicly funded maternity care
Paying for your maternity care
Evidence that you can pay for your care
If you have a sponsor or guarantor
Note
Some people may be eligible for public health care.
Who can get public health care
You cannot have a sponsor to pay for your expenses while travelling on an ABTC in New Zealand. If you want to be
Leaving New Zealand
You must be able to show that you plan to leave the country at the end of your stay. Your departure date must be within 3 months of your arrival.
You will need to provide:
- your ticket for travel out of New Zealand at the end of your stay to a country you have the right to enter, or
- documents, such as bank or credit card statements, that show you have enough money to buy a ticket.
Note
The money for your ticket must be in addition to what you have to live on.
Documents you need
When you check in, and arrive
When you check in for your flight, and arrive in New Zealand, you may need to show:
- your passport
- your APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC)
- a ticket to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay.
You may also be asked for proof that you have enough money to cover your living expenses while you are in New Zealand.
Warning
You may not be allowed to check in to your flight if your passport is close to expiring.
Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave New Zealand.
How to get a visa
Follow these steps to get a visa.
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Step 1: Apply for an APEC Business Travel Card
Before travelling, apply for an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) in your home economy — the economy you hold a passport for, or have permanent residence in if Hong Kong, China.
Your home economy and other participating economies will assess your application and whether it meets the relevant criteria. When all economies have decided to pre-clear you for travel, you receive an ABTC that lists the economies that you have permission to travel to.
Find out more information about the ABTC on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) website.
APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC)
Alert
If you only have an interim ABTC, you will need to apply for a Business Visitor Visa before you can travel to New Zealand.
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Step 2: Check you meet the requirements
The section 'Who can visit New Zealand on an ABTC' explains what you need to get a visa when you arrive in New Zealand.
If you are not sure you meet the requirements, apply for a visa before you travel.
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Step 3: Gather your documents
Organise proof of identity and citizenship
If you need a new passport, allow yourself enough time to get it.
Organise proof you have enough money to live on
Get recent bank or credit card statements, and proof of any accommodation you have pre-paid for.
Organise proof you can leave New Zealand
This can be a plane ticket, cruise ship itinerary or letter from the craft owner if leaving on a private craft.
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Step 4: Arrive in New Zealand
When you arrive at the border in New Zealand, we ask to see your passport, APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) and completed New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD). We may ask to see your ticket for travel out of New Zealand.
There are dedicated APEC immigration clearance lanes for people who enter New Zealand on an ABTC.
Note
There are no dedicated biosecurity clearance lanes for APEC Business Travel Cardholders entering New Zealand.
Entry permission
You must apply for permission to enter New Zealand before you arrive. You do this by completing a New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) form — as part of your declaration, you apply for a visa on entry and for entry permission. We check your identity and other information to make a decision.
You can start your digital declaration any time, but the earliest you can submit it is 24 hours before starting your travel to New Zealand.
A paper declaration form is available for travellers who cannot complete it online.
New Zealand Traveller Declaration — Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity also check that you meet their entry requirements.
Alert
You can be refused entry permission if you:
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- are not a genuine visitor
- do not meet our character requirements
- have had a change in circumstances since we issued your visa
- refuse to let us take your photo, fingerprints or an iris scan
- cannot provide evidence of any onward travel or the money required to leave New Zealand.
Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in New Zealand
Before you can get a visa or enter New Zealand to visit, work or study, we check that your reasons for coming here are genuine.What it means to have 'genuine intentions'
When you travel to New Zealand on a temporary visa, your intentions must be genuine. This means that you:
- plan to stay in New Zealand temporarily
- are coming for the reason you gave in your visa application or New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD)
- will comply with the conditions of your visa
- will not stay in New Zealand without a valid visa, and
- have plans to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay.
We use all the information we have, including the information you give us in your application, to confirm that you have genuine intentions.
Alert
You must answer truthfully when you complete your visa application or NZTD.
Visitor visas
If you are travelling on a visitor visa or visiting from a
, your reasons for coming to New Zealand can include, but are not limited to: - a holiday
- staying with family and friends
- playing amateur sport
- getting married.
If you have a visitor visa for a specific reason, you must be coming to New Zealand for that reason. For example, if you have a Medical Treatment Visitor Visa, your reason for visiting must be getting medical treatment.
Student visas
If you are travelling on a student visa, you must have genuine intentions to study in New Zealand.
You can only work if the conditions of your student visa allow you to.
Work visas
If you are travelling to New Zealand to work, you must have a visa that will allow you to.
Unless your visa allows you to work in any job, you must plan to work in the job, for the employer, and in the location specified in your visa.
Evidence to show you have genuine intentions
You may be asked to provide evidence of your genuine intentions:
- when you apply for a visa
- when we process your visa application
- before you board your flight or cruise
- when you arrive in New Zealand.
Here are some examples of evidence to show that you have genuine intentions in coming to New Zealand.
Evidence of your travel history
To show your travel history, you could show a copy of your current and recent passports, including:
- the photo page, and
- all pages with visa records, and entry and exit stamps.
If you live in a different country to your citizenship
If you live in a country that is not your country of citizenship, provide a copy of the visa allowing you to live in that country.
Declined visa applications
If you have ever had a visa application declined by any other country, provide:
- a copy of the letter from that country's immigration authority declining your application, or
- a letter explaining why your application was not successful, if the original letter is not available.
Evidence you are visiting family or friends
If you plan to visit family or friends in New Zealand, provide their:
- names
- contact addresses and phone numbers, and
- their New Zealand visa or citizenship status.
Evidence of your travel plans
Evidence of your travel plans while in New Zealand could include copies of:
- hotel and accommodation bookings
- attraction bookings
- transportation bookings.
You may also need to show that you have plans to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay. This evidence could include:
- a ticket for travel out of New Zealand to a country you have the right to enter
- documents such as bank or credit card statements that show you, or your sponsor, have enough money to buy a ticket.
Evidence of your study plans
If you are applying for a student visa, you could provide evidence that you have:
- been offered a place in an approved programme of study with a New Zealand education provider, or confirmation of enrolment
- paid, or will pay, your tuition fees.
If you do not need to pay tuition fees, or if you can pay by instalment — where you make smaller payments over a period of time — you must provide confirmation from your education provider.
You can also write a cover letter or statement of purpose explaining why you want to study in New Zealand. This will help us decide if you are a genuine student. If you are using an education agent or licensed immigration adviser, they cannot write the letter for you.
Examples of things you could write about in your letter or statement include:
- what your study plans are and why you have chosen this course
- what you want to do after you finish studying, for example applying for a different visa or returning to your home country
- how you are paying for your study
- any gaps in your recent education or work history.
If you plan to apply for another visa — for example, a work visa — after you finish your studies, include this in your cover letter or statement of purpose.
Evidence of your work plans
To show that you have genuine intentions to work, you will in most cases need to provide:
- a written offer of employment
- a copy of your qualifications
- evidence of your occupational status or registration
- other information about the work you will be doing.
Evidence you have enough money
If your visa requires you to have enough money to live on during your stay, you will need to provide evidence. This could include:
- bank statements or credit card statements
- bank drafts or traveller's cheques
- proof of accommodation pre-payment, such as hotel pre-paid vouchers or receipts
- a statement from a sponsor or guarantor.
Evidence of your home country circumstances
Depending on your situation, you may need to provide:
- evidence of your employment in your home country — for example:
- a letter from your employer approving your leave and confirming you will return to work, and
- financial evidence of your employment
- evidence showing you are a student in your home country — such as a letter or student identity card from your school or education provider
evidence of your relationships with close relatives in your home country - evidence of assets you own in your home country — such as your home or a business
- a retirement certificate or evidence you receive a pension.
Providing good-quality evidence
We consider each application based on the information and evidence we receive. If you do not provide enough evidence, it may take us longer to process your application, or we may decline your application.
You must provide genuine evidence. If you or your agent provide evidence that is false or misleading, we may also decline your application.
False, misleading or withheld information in visa applications
Check the translation requirements for the visa you are applying for. All non-English documents must be translated when you apply for visitor and resident visas.
Providing English translations of supporting documents
If you are applying online, make sure your evidence is in an acceptable file format.
How we decide if your intentions are genuine
To decide if your intentions are genuine, we look at:
- information and evidence you provide with your visa application
- information you provide in your New Zealand Traveller Declaration when you arrive
- any information we have about your personal circumstances
- any information we have about your previous applications.
Evidence you provide with your application
We look at evidence you provide with your application to check that it:
- shows you meet all the criteria for the visa you are applying for, and
- supports your reasons for spending time in New Zealand.
Your personal circumstances
When we consider information about your personal circumstances, we look at:
- the strength of family relationships you may have in your home country or in New Zealand
- any personal, financial, work or other commitments you may have in your home country or New Zealand
- any circumstances showing you may not be able to return to your home country.
Your previous applications
We also look at information from your previous applications and travel to New Zealand. This can show us if you have:
- stayed in New Zealand after your visa expired
- breached your visa conditions
- have a family member who is in New Zealand without a visa.
If we decide your intentions are not genuine
We might not give you a visa or allow you to enter New Zealand if we:
- do not believe your intentions are genuine
- believe you gave false or misleading information or withheld relevant information.
What might stop you from being allowed to enter New Zealand
Together with your airline or other carrier, we can stop you from travelling to New Zealand if you do not meet our entry requirements. For example, if you cannot provide evidence that you can meet the conditions of your visa.If you have been refused entry to New Zealand and you still want to travel to here, contact the Customer Service Centre for advice.
You may need to apply for a visa before you travel here again.
Why we stop you travelling to or entering New Zealand
Together with your airline or other carrier, we can stop you from travelling to New Zealand if you do not meet our entry requirements — for example, if you cannot provide evidence that you can meet the conditions of your visa. When you arrive we check your identity and other information again before we give you
. Alert
Having a visa does not guarantee that you will be allowed to enter New Zealand.
Your airline or other carrier can be fined if they let you board an aircraft or ship after we have let them know that you cannot travel.
Your identity and travel documents
We can stop you from travelling to New Zealand if:
- we cannot confirm your identity
- the passport or travel document you are travelling on has expired, is damaged or has been reported lost or stolen, or has been invalidated
- you need a visa to travel to or transit through New Zealand and you do not have one
- your eVisa is not in the passport you use to travel to New Zealand, or
- your onward travel arrangements are to a country you do not have the right to enter.
Information you provide to us
We can stop you travelling to New Zealand or entering the country if you:
- provide false or misleading information in your visa application or to an immigration officer
- possess a forged, fraudulent or altered identity document or any other official document.
Meeting the conditions of your visa
We can also refuse to let you travel to or enter New Zealand if you cannot show us evidence to support the conditions of your visa. For example, you cannot show us evidence that you:
- have enough money to live on while you are here
- have made arrangements to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay
- are coming to New Zealand for a lawful and genuine reason.
Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in NZ
If your circumstances have changed and you can no longer meet the conditions of your visa we can also refuse to let you enter New Zealand. For example, if your work visa is based on a job offer that has since been withdrawn you will not be allowed to travel to New Zealand on that visa.
Your character and health
You cannot come to New Zealand if you do not meet our health and character requirements. For example, you can be refused entry if:
- we believe you might be a risk to New Zealand’s security, public order or public interest — for example, you have been associated with a gang or registered sex offenders
- we think you might commit an offence that would result in you going to prison, or
- you have been deported, excluded or removed from another country.
Arriving in New Zealand
You could be refused entry to New Zealand if you:
- refuse to complete a New Zealand traveller declaration
- provide false or misleading information on any part of your New Zealand traveller declaration
- refuse to let an immigration officer take your photo, fingerprints or an iris scan
- possess controlled or prohibited substances, or plan to import them, without proper authority
- do not follow instructions given by us or other border agencies including the New Zealand Customs Service, Biosecurity New Zealand or the New Zealand Police.
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Step 5: We give you a visa
Provided you have clearance from your home economy and New Zealand, we will give you a Business Visitor Visa when you arrive in New Zealand.
Check the 'While you are in New Zealand' section to find out what you can and cannot do when you come to New Zealand.
While you are in New Zealand
Travel
You will be given single-entry travel conditions — this means if you leave the country, your visa will expire.
Your visa expires:
- 3 months after you arrive in New Zealand, or
- when you leave New Zealand, whichever happens first.
Work
You can only carry out the trade and investment activities that are the reason you have an APEC Business Travel Card.
Study
You can study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period.