Coming to Visit New Zealand: your visitor visa options

Whether you're coming to New Zealand for a holiday, to see family, or for something more specific, chances are you'll need a visitor visa — or at least an NZeTA — to get here. Most visits are straightforward, but some situations, like joining a partner or staying longer to be with family, need a bit more thought. This page walks you through the main visitor visa options, so you can see which one fits your visit. If yours is more complicated, that's what a consultation is for.

The right visitor visa depends on why you're coming and how long you want to stay. Here are the main options.

Visiting for a holiday, family or business

If you're coming to New Zealand for tourism, to visit family or friends, or for a short business trip, you'll generally need a Visitor Visa — unless you're from a visa-waiver country. A visitor visa lets you spend time in New Zealand for a limited period, without working. Which situation applies to you depends mainly on your nationality and the purpose of your visit, so it's worth checking before you make plans.

Joining your partner in New Zealand

If your partner is in New Zealand — whether they're a New Zealand citizen or resident, or here on a work or student visa — you may be able to come and stay with them on a visitor visa based on your relationship. This lets you be together here for a period, though it doesn't usually allow you to work. If you're thinking about staying longer or working while you're here, there may be better-suited options worth exploring.

Joining your parents or family as a dependent

If you're the dependent child of someone in New Zealand on a work or student visa, you may be able to join them here on a visitor or student visa for the length of their stay. These visas are about keeping families together while a parent works or studies in New Zealand.

Parents and grandparents visiting family

If your child or grandchild has settled in New Zealand, there are visitor visas designed to let you spend real time with them. The Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa allows multiple visits over time, and the newer Parent Boost Visitor Visa allows longer stays. Both are for visiting rather than settling — if living here permanently is the goal, that's a different pathway worth discussing.

Other visitor situations

Some visits don't fit the usual categories — coming for medical treatment, a culturally arranged marriage, an extended retirement stay, or arriving by yacht, among others. New Zealand has specific visitor visas for many of these, each with its own considerations. If your situation is out of the ordinary, it's worth a conversation to find the right fit.

Most visits to New Zealand are simple — but when a visit involves family, a longer stay, or something out of the ordinary, getting the right visa matters. If you're unsure which visitor visa fits your situation, or whether your visit could lead to something more permanent, that's the kind of thing worth talking through together.

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