New Zealand Requirements: Getting Ready For Your Visit

Are you researching the requirements for your visit to New Zealand? Discover the essentials you need to be fully prepared for your trip.

New Zealand is a beautiful country. Although it has some wonderful cities like Auckland and Wellington it is best known for its pristine and impressive nature.

Arriving and entering New Zealand is an easy process. To keep the country beautiful for everyone, New Zealand has streamlined the arrivals process using advanced technology. This makes the entry requirements for New Zealand paperless and straightforward.

New Zealand also has some of the most strict agricultural checks that we have experienced when entering a country.

Read on to see what we mean.

Visas and Immigration

Depending on your country of origin and the intent of your visit, there will be specific requirements to enter New Zealand.

If you are traveling for up to 3 months and are a citizen of a country on the visa waiver list you only need to apply for a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority.

The New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) is an electronic document you submit for authorization to enter the country before you board the plane.

You can submit the completed form directly on their website or via their app.

We found the app easy to use and understand. We submitted the form a week before our departure date, and the authorization was successfully returned just over 48 hours later.

The NZeTA takes at least 72 hours to process and has a duration of 2 years. We highly recommend you have this authorization before you board your plane to New Zealand.

As of this writing, the NZeTA has a cost of $17NZD which is approximately $10USD.

If you plan to work or visit New Zealand, for longer than 3 months you will need a different type of visa. Visit the New Zealand Immigration website for specific information and requirements for those types of visas.

Passport & Traveler Declaration

Another important thing to have in mind is that your passport has to be valid for at least three months after your planned departure date.

When you arrive in New Zealand everyone; adults, children, babies, visitors, and locals must fill out a New Zealand Travel Declaration.

Remember the cards that flight attendants gave out on planes? Yep, those.

New Zealand has made it easy for everyone to fill out the required form from their NZTD website or app.

You can submit the NZTD up to 24 hours before you begin your travels. You will receive a reference number via email that you can use to update your declaration at any time.

As with most declaration forms you will need your passport number, flight or sea details, and contacts. Details about your trip and where you will be staying and of course items you are bringing into New Zealand.

If you have all the information at hand it should take about 10 minutes to complete the form.

If you have an electronic passport, and complete the NZeTA and the NZTD electronically, your entry to New Zealand should be relatively smooth.

When we visited, we had all three, and it was one of the best experiences we’ve had entering a country.

Restrictions when Entering New Zealand

Probably the greatest attraction for people to visit New Zealand is the beauty of its beaches, mountains, forests, and lakes. Along with the warm hospitality of the Kiwis, who are a fun and welcoming bunch.

New Zealand is known as a paradise for those seeking to practice active and extreme sports. They are also known for fiercely protecting all their natural and human resources.

Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that they are very stringent in what you are allowed to bring into the country. That includes the snacks in your backpack and the mud on your shoes.

Visit the New Zealand Customs Service website for the latest and most comprehensive list of prohibited and restricted items before traveling to New Zealand.

Examples of Restricted Items:

• Children’s crayons, finger paints, and watercolor paints must be non-toxic.
• You must declare all food, fruit, plants, wood, or animal products including traditional or herbal medicines when entering New Zealand. This includes the protein bars and the snacks in your carry-on or personal items. We’ve heard stories of people being turned back because customs inspected their bags and found undeclared nuts and bars.
• You will be asked if your shoes, sports, or outdoor equipment have been used. Ensure you have cleaned all of your shoes well so no vegetation or residue could contaminate the parks and forests. When we arrived in New Zealand we had been hiking in Australia and the customs officer asked to see the bottoms of our shoes to ensure we weren’t carrying any dirt, seeds, or vegetation on them.
• Make sure you have your medicines with you and either a copy of your prescription or a letter from your doctor. You MUST declare all drugs in your NZTD, failure to do so can result in a fine and a very unpleasant start to your trip.
• Ensure to bring a letter from your doctor on letterhead stationery if your treatment requires the use of syringes.
• Also, note that each country has its list of controlled drugs. OTC drugs commonly used in the USA, like pseudoephedrine, are considered controlled drugs in New Zealand. Check the customs website!

Other Requirements

• There are no vaccination requirements to enter New Zealand. Take your usual precautions when traveling.
• Travel Insurance is always a good idea, especially if you will be participating in active or extreme sports.
• If you plan to participate in active or extreme sports read your coverage quotes carefully to see what is covered. Some insurance providers do not cover accidents if participating in active or extreme activities.
• A fun way to see New Zealand is by driving the North and South Island. To rent and drive a car you will need a Current and Valid Overseas Drivers License or an International Driving License – buckle up!
• If traveling by car with children, remember car seats are required until age 7. Make sure you either take one or request one from your car rental.

Despite the travel distance New Zealand has been one of our favorite places to visit.

The wide range of activities, the friendly people, the clean air, and the variety of natural resources are exciting.

If you take advantage of the technology provided to meet all entry requirements your arrival into New Zealand should be a pleasant experience.

Making sure you are ready with your documents and not surprised by the restrictions should make for a great trip to a wonderful country.