Visa and entry in New Zealand
Warning ImportantEvery arriving traveller must file the free NZ Traveller Declaration, which opens 24 hours before departure. Visa-waiver nationals also need an approved NZeTA (NZD 17 in the app, NZD 23 on the web) plus the NZD 100 conservation levy, and airlines refuse boarding without an onward ticket.
- Australian citizens on an Australian passport need neither an NZeTA nor a visa. Australian permanent residents do need an NZeTA.
- Passport holders from 60 waiver countries, Czechia included, get 90 days without a visa (6 months for the UK) but must hold an approved NZeTA before departure.
- The NZeTA costs NZD 17 in the mobile app or NZD 23 on the web portal, takes up to 72 hours, and is valid for multiple entries over 2 years.
- The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy of NZD 100 is paid alongside the NZeTA or the visa.
- Everyone flying in must file the New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD). It is free and opens 24 hours before the first leg of the journey.
- Everyone else - India, China on a direct flight, Russia - applies online for a Visitor Visa well in advance.
- Transiting Auckland on a connection under 24 hours still requires an approved NZeTA.
- Airlines refuse boarding without a return or onward ticket leaving New Zealand within 90 days. This is the single most common problem.
- Declare all food on the NZTD. Undeclared fruit or a sandwich from the plane draws a non-negotiable NZD 400 fine at the border.
- Duty-free: 50 cigarettes, 4.5 litres of wine or beer, 3 bottles of spirits, goods to NZD 700. Cash over NZD 10,000 must be declared.
More details
How your entry route is decided
Working out which entry regime and documents apply follows these steps:
- Are you an Australian citizen? Australians travelling on a valid Australian passport need neither an NZeTA nor a visa in advance. Australian permanent residents do not need a visa, but are legally required to obtain an NZeTA before departure.
- Check the visa waiver list: Passport holders from 60 approved countries and territories - including Czechia, Slovakia, Germany, the USA and Japan - do not need a conventional visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days (up to 6 months for UK citizens). An approved NZeTA before departure is, however, strictly required.
- Check the specific territorial exceptions: Citizens of China or of Pacific Forum member states travelling from Australia and holding a valid Australian visa may also apply for an NZeTA instead of a full visitor visa.
- Standard visa route (Visitor Visa): Travellers from all other countries - India, China on a direct flight, Russia, Cambodia - must apply online for a conventional Visitor Visa well in advance, through the official Immigration New Zealand portal.
- Transit passengers: Anyone transiting through Auckland international airport with a connection under 24 hours must be from a visa-waiver or transit-visa-waiver country and hold an approved NZeTA for transit.
Entry formalities that apply to everyone
Every traveller flying into New Zealand must have submitted the electronic New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD). Filing it is free, and the earliest you can do so is 24 hours before the first leg of your journey to the country. The form collects immigration, customs and biosecurity information.
The NZeTA is handled electronically and costs NZD 17 through the NZeTA mobile app, or NZD 23 through the Immigration New Zealand web portal. Standard processing takes up to 72 hours. Alongside the NZeTA application - or as part of a visa application - you must also pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL), set at NZD 100 since 1 October 2024. An approved NZeTA is valid for multiple entries over 2 years.
Everyone is subject to customs and biosecurity rules administered by NZ Customs and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). Duty-free allowances as of 1 March 2026:
- Cash and monetary instruments: Physical money in any currency exceeding NZD 10,000 must be declared in writing.
- Tobacco: A maximum of 50 cigarettes, or 50 grams of tobacco or cigars, or a combination not exceeding 50 grams in total.
- Alcohol: Up to 4.5 litres of wine or beer (6 bottles of wine at 750 ml, or 12 cans of beer at 330 ml) and a maximum of 3 bottles of spirits (each up to 1,125 ml).
- Other personal goods: Goods bought abroad up to a total value of NZD 700.
What actually matters in practice
Travellers on r/Aotearoa and r/travel report that the most common problem arises at check-in for the outbound flight, when passengers cannot show a return or onward ticket leaving New Zealand within 90 days of arrival. Airlines strictly refuse boarding without it.
The second most common mistake is failing to declare food on the NZTD. Specially trained dogs and X-ray scanners in the arrivals area pick up even forgotten fruit or a sandwich from the in-flight service. MPI inspectors issue a non-negotiable on-the-spot fine of NZD 400 for any undeclared risk item.