New Zealand has two routes for visitors: a visitor visa, or the NZeTA electronic travel authority for citizens of visa waiver countries. New Zealand's official list of visa waiver countries has 60 countries and territories, and Dominica and Vanuatu are not on it. So with these two passports you need a visitor visa. This article is based on the official pages of Immigration New Zealand, checked on 26 October 2026.
Visa or NZeTA
| Situation | For whom | Document needed |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa | Citizens of countries not on the visa waiver list, including Dominica and Vanuatu | A visitor visa issued before travel |
| NZeTA | Citizens of visa waiver countries and territories | An NZeTA before travel |
The official visa waiver list includes, among others, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. Some countries come with a condition; Greece, for example, only for passports issued on or after 1 January 2006. If a member of your family holds a passport from one of these countries, the NZeTA is their route.
One important exception: according to the official page, citizens of visa waiver countries coming for a medical consultation or treatment must get a Medical Treatment Visitor Visa.
The New Zealand visitor visa
From the official visitor visa page:
| Topic | What the official page says |
|---|---|
| Fee | From NZ$441 |
| Length of stay | Up to 6 months or 9 months; on a multiple-entry visa up to 6 months in each 12-month period; overall a maximum of 9 months in an 18-month period |
| Processing time | 80% of applications within 2 weeks |
| How to apply | Online, through Immigration New Zealand's application portal |
| Single or multiple entry | Immigration New Zealand decides; a single-entry visa expires when you leave New Zealand |
Funds
You must show you have enough money for your stay. The official page says: at least NZ$1,000 a month, or NZ$400 a month if you have already paid for your accommodation. The evidence must show that the account is in your own name, and the bank and the currency.
Ticket
You must show you can leave New Zealand at the end of your stay, either with an onward or return ticket or with proof of enough money to buy one. According to the official page, you need this ticket or proof every time you travel to New Zealand, unless your visa says that return or onward travel is not required.
What an NZeTA is
From the official NZeTA page:
- An NZeTA lets some travellers come to New Zealand without applying for a visa first.
- It costs "from NZ$17", and applying through the app is cheaper than the website form.
- It is valid for 2 years for travellers.
- Each visit can last up to 3 months (up to 6 months for UK citizens), and you can be in New Zealand for no more than 6 months in any 12-month period.
- Allow 72 hours; the official page says the checks can take up to 3 days.
None of this applies to visiting with a Dominica or Vanuatu passport, because both passports need a visitor visa to visit. For transit through New Zealand, however, the two passports are treated differently.
Transit through Auckland Airport: Dominica and Vanuatu differ
New Zealand keeps a separate list of transit visa waiver countries. According to its official page:
- Transit without passing through immigration is possible only at Auckland International Airport, because other New Zealand airports have no transit area.
- Citizens of transit visa waiver countries do not need a transit visa to transit through Auckland, but they must get an NZeTA before they travel.
- Citizens of visa waiver countries do not need a transit visa either.
- Citizens of other countries may need a Transit Visa.
| Passport | Transit through Auckland |
|---|---|
| Vanuatu | On the transit visa waiver list; no transit visa, but an NZeTA is needed before travel |
| Dominica | On neither list; a transit visa may be needed |
So a traveller on a Vanuatu passport going through Auckland to another destination transits with an NZeTA, but the same traveller needs a visitor visa to stay in New Zealand.
Example: a one-month visit on a Vanuatu passport
A traveller on a Vanuatu passport wants to visit relatives in New Zealand for one month and has not paid for accommodation in advance.
| Question | Answer from the official pages |
|---|---|
| Is an NZeTA enough? | No; Vanuatu is not on the visa waiver list |
| Visa needed | A visitor visa, before travel |
| Official fee | From NZ$441 |
| Funds to show | At least NZ$1,000 for one month |
| If the accommodation is paid in advance | At least NZ$400 for one month |
| Ticket | An onward or return ticket, or proof of enough money to buy one |
| Processing time | 80% of applications within 2 weeks; apply early |
If the same traveller were coming for medical treatment, a visa would be needed anyway; that condition applies even to citizens of visa waiver countries.
Practical tips
- Apply well before you travel; not every application is decided within two weeks.
- Prepare bank evidence in your own name, showing the bank and the currency.
- If a member of your family holds a visa waiver passport, get them an NZeTA, not a visa.
- Apply only on Immigration New Zealand's official site or its official app.
- See the visa-free countries for Dominica and Vanuatu passports in "Travelling on a Dominica passport: visa-free countries and visa countries" and "Travelling on a Vanuatu passport: visa-free countries and recent changes".
Royal Golden does not handle New Zealand visa applications and does not give New Zealand immigration advice. This article is general information, and the decision on any application rests with the New Zealand Government.
Sources
- Immigration New Zealand, visa waiver countries and territories — https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visit/what-you-need-to-visit-new-zealand/visa-waiver-countries-and-territories/ (checked on 26 October 2026)
- Immigration New Zealand, Visitor Visa — https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa/visitor-visa (checked on 26 October 2026)
- Immigration New Zealand, NZeTA — https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa/nzeta (checked on 26 October 2026)
- Immigration New Zealand, transit visa waiver countries and territories — https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visit/transiting-through-new-zealand/transit-visa-waiver-countries-and-territories/ (checked on 26 October 2026)