E-Visa

An unforgettable stay
How to discover the country?

The country is known for its capital Wellington, the metropolis of Auckland (with an international airport) and tourist attractions such as Milford Sound Fjord, the impressive Waitomo Caves and the city of Queenstown on Lake Wakatipu.

Until now, discovering the country was relatively easy for French tourists since no visa was required for stays of less than 3 months. The situation will change in 2019 with the introduction of a mandatory tourist visa.

A new mandatory formality

In 2018, the New Zealand government was considering implementing new procedures to access the territory. On March 6th, specific measures were announced for international implementation.

The 4 steps of the application process

The electronic visa called ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) will be required for tourists from 60 countries (including France) for which no visa was required until now. This e-visa is also accompanied by a new tourist tax that foreign people will have to pay in order to enter New Zealand. This new system should make it possible to ensure better security in the country, make formalities easier for tourists and save time when checking at airports.

The authorization is valid for two years (or, if your passport expires earlier, until its expiry date). It allows you to make several trips back and forth. Remember that if you need to renew your passport, it will also be necessary to renew your application.

The E-visa application process happens in four steps :
• Access the online form and inform the required data
• Pay the administrative fees
• Receive a confirmation email containing the final decision
• Print the official document.

The validity period and use of the electronic visa

Once an electronic visa application has been accepted, this document will be valid for 2 years. As for the crew ETA (only for airline and cruise ship professionals), it can be used for a longer period since it will be valid for 5 years.

The New Zealand authorities will soon be releasing the platform to complete the formalities for entry into the country: a mobile application and a website. A tourism tax, the IVL (International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy) will also be introduced at the same time as ETA.