Practical
Do US citizens need a visa for New Zealand? The NZeTA, the NZ$100 levy and the arrival form
US citizens do not need a visa for a vacation in New Zealand of up to three months. You do need an NZeTA, an electronic travel authority, and you pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy with it: NZ$17 plus NZ$100 through the official app, NZ$117 in all, about US$71 at this week’s rate. Request it before you fly and allow 72 hours.
It lasts two years, so one NZeTA covers a return trip next year too. On top of it, everyone completes the free traveller declaration within 24 hours of the flight. Below is everything in one table, the application step by step, what the NZeTA does not cover, and the other visitor charges that are new since 2024.
What Americans need, in one table
| Item | Cost | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| US passport | - | Before booking | Valid at least 3 months after you leave New Zealand |
| NZeTA | NZ$17 by app, NZ$23 online | Allow 72 hours before you fly | Valid 2 years, multiple visits |
| Visitor levy (IVL) | NZ$100, about US$61 | Paid with the NZeTA | Non-refundable, even if the NZeTA is declined |
| Return or onward ticket | - | Checked at the airport | Leaving within 3 months |
| Traveller declaration | Free | Within 24 hours of your first flight | One per person, children included |
So a couple pays NZ$234, about US$142, through the app, or NZ$246 online. Immigration New Zealand may also ask you to show you can support yourself: NZ$1,000 a month, or NZ$400 a month if your accommodation is prepaid, as a tour is.
How to request the NZeTA, step by step
- Download the official NZeTA app from Immigration New Zealand, or go to the official NZeTA page. The app is cheaper and can do up to 10 people in one go; the website takes one person per request.
- Scan your passport and take a photo in the app, or upload them online.
- Answer the character and health questions, and choose "visiting", not transit, if you will leave the airport.
- Pay the NZeTA fee and the levy together: NZ$117 by app.
- Wait for the confirmation email. It can take up to 72 hours, and it is linked to your passport, so there is nothing to print.
Use only the official app or website. There is no expedited NZeTA, whatever a search ad says, and Immigration New Zealand has warned that unofficial sites charge up to ten times the real fee for the same application.
How long you can stay, and what the NZeTA does not cover
With an NZeTA, a US citizen can stay up to three months per visit, and no more than six months in any twelve. It covers tourism, visiting friends and short business trips. It does not cover working or longer study.
- Working holiday: Americans aged 18 to 30 can apply for a separate working holiday visa of up to 12 months.
- Cruising: cruise passengers need an NZeTA too, requested before the ship sails.
- Transit: only Auckland Airport has a transit NZeTA, for up to 24 hours without leaving the transit area. Connecting anywhere else means a visiting NZeTA.
- Children: each traveller, children included, needs their own NZeTA, and the levy is paid with every request.
At the border
Within 24 hours of your first flight, complete the free New Zealand Traveller Declaration. US ePassport holders aged 10 and over can use the eGates on arrival, which check your declaration as you scan your passport.
Biosecurity is the part Americans tend not to expect. Declare any food, used hiking boots and outdoor gear, and plant or animal products. Declaring never costs you anything; not declaring something you should have is an instant NZ$400 fine. There are amnesty bins before the checkpoint for the snacks from the flight.
Other visitor charges, in US dollars
Since 2024 New Zealand has added a few charges that apply only to international visitors. None is large, but they add up.
| Charge | In NZ dollars | About |
|---|---|---|
| NZeTA and levy, by app | NZ$117 | US$71 |
| Te Papa museum, Wellington, adults 16 and over | NZ$35 | US$22 |
| Milford Track hut, per night, international adult | NZ$152 (NZ$106 for residents) | US$92 |
Flights are the big cost. Our guide to flights from the US lists every nonstop, and the time difference guide explains the day you lose on the way.
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