PassportSouth Africa

Trip checklist: New Zealand

For South African passport holders. Last checked 5 October 2026.

Visa requirement

South Africans need to apply online for an e-visa before travel to New Zealand.

Permitted stay

Single-entry: up to 9 months in an 18-month period. Multiple-entry: up to 6 months in each 12-month period. The exact period is set on the visa grant.

Before you go

  • Purpose of visit

    Holiday, visiting family and friends, some business activities, up to 3 months of study. No work for a New Zealand employer (remote work for an overseas employer is permitted). A separate Business Visitor Visa exists.

  • Passport validity

    Passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave New Zealand.

  • How to apply

    Online only via Immigration Online (apply.immigration.govt.nz); from 1 October 2026 paper applications are no longer accepted except in exceptional circumstances. Fee shown by INZ: from NZD 441 (INZ's exact figure depends on circumstances; INZ states the IVL of NZD 100 is a separate charge paid when applying). Processing: INZ states 80% decided within 2 weeks; busiest September to March. Visa is an eVisa linked to the passport.

  • Where South Africans apply

    Online to Immigration New Zealand; no in-person lodgement in South Africa is required for the Visitor Visa. If INZ requests documents or biometrics it will instruct the applicant. INZ contact centre for overseas callers; there is no visa service at the NZ High Commission in Pretoria.

  • Travel insurance

    Not mandatory for the Visitor Visa. Visitors are generally not eligible for publicly funded health care, so travel insurance is strongly advisable.

  • Return or onward ticket

    Required: a ticket for travel out of New Zealand at the end of your stay, or proof you have enough money to buy one.

  • Proof of funds

    At least NZD 1,000 per month of stay, or NZD 400 per month if accommodation is already paid; alternatively a qualifying sponsor.

  • Accommodation or invitation

    Not mandatory. Prepaid accommodation lowers the funds requirement (NZD 400/month). A sponsor may be used instead of funds.

  • Vaccinations, including yellow fever on return to South Africa

    No yellow fever or other vaccination requirement found for entry to New Zealand. Stays of more than 6 months may require a chest X-ray. New Zealand is not a yellow-fever-risk country, so no certificate is needed on return to South Africa.

  • Arrival forms

    New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) is mandatory for everyone, including children and babies (one per traveller). Free, at travellerdeclaration.govt.nz or the NZTD app, from 24 hours before departure until passport control. Strict biosecurity declarations apply.

  • Extending your stay and overstaying

    Apply online for a new Visitor Visa before the current visa expires; the new visa is single-entry and subject to the 9-months-in-18 cap. Overstayers become unlawful and liable to deportation.

  • Transit

    South Africans need a Transit Visa to pass through Auckland International Airport (from NZD 235, up to 24 hours, must stay in the transit area, 80% decided within 1 week), unless they already hold a valid NZ visa. South Africa's visa waiver (including transit) was revoked on 17 October 2016. Travellers transiting to or from Australia who hold an Australian visa can request a transit NZeTA instead. Transit passengers are exempt from the IVL.

  • Travelling with children

    Dependent children aged 19 or younger can be included in a parent's Visitor Visa application. Each child needs their own NZTD. INZ guidance on children travelling without both parents not found on the pages checked.

  • Confirm with the embassy

    Rules change. Check the official source before you book.

Where to apply

  • Immigration New Zealand https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa/visitor-visa
  • Immigration New Zealand https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/changes-to-use-of-paper-applications-for-some-visitor-and-transit-visas/
  • Immigration New Zealand https://www.immigration.govt.nz/process-to-apply/applying-for-a-visa/fees-processing-times-and-refunds/
  • Immigration New Zealand https://www.immigration.govt.nz/process-to-apply/applying-for-a-visa/fees-processing-times-and-refunds/paying-the-international-visitor-levy/

Research sources

  1. 1. Immigration New Zealand (Official, immigration.govt.nz) https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa/visitor-visa
  2. 2. Immigration New Zealand (Official, immigration.govt.nz) https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/visa-waiver-visitor-visa/
  3. 3. Immigration New Zealand (Official, immigration.govt.nz) https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visit/what-you-need-to-visit-new-zealand/visa-waiver-countries-and-territories/
  4. 4. Immigration New Zealand (Official, immigration.govt.nz) https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/changes-to-use-of-paper-applications-for-some-visitor-and-transit-visas/
  5. 5. Immigration New Zealand (Official, immigration.govt.nz) https://www.immigration.govt.nz/process-to-apply/applying-for-a-visa/fees-processing-times-and-refunds/
  6. 6. Immigration New Zealand (Official, immigration.govt.nz) https://www.immigration.govt.nz/process-to-apply/applying-for-a-visa/fees-processing-times-and-refunds/paying-the-international-visitor-levy/
  7. 7. Immigration New Zealand (Official, immigration.govt.nz) https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/visitor-visa/
  8. 8. New Zealand Government (NZTD) (Official, travellerdeclaration.govt.nz) https://www.travellerdeclaration.govt.nz/
  9. 9. Immigration New Zealand (Official, immigration.govt.nz) https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa/transit-visa
  10. 10. Wikipedia (Reference, en.wikipedia.org) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_New_Zealand

From doineedavisa.co.za/new-zealand. Always confirm with the embassy before you travel.