Can Chinese citizens holding an Australian visa enter New Zealand visa-free? Everything you need to know about the NZeTA tourist visa — and why Bridging visas don’t qualify.
Starting this month, Chinese passport holders with a valid Australian tourist, work, or student visa who enter New Zealand from Australia can travel visa-free and stay for up to 3 months.
This is technically old news, but it officially takes effect this month. A few things to keep in mind about this de facto visa waiver:
- You must enter New Zealand from Australia.
- Bridging visas do NOT qualify for the waiver (see image 2) — you’ll still need to apply for a New Zealand tourist visa.
- You still need to apply for an NZeTA (see image 3). The NZeTA is an electronic travel authority — Australian PR holders travelling to New Zealand need it too; only Australian citizens are exempt. Scan your passport barcode, take a photo, answer 2 questions, then proceed to the payment screen: NZD 17 (via app) or NZD 23 + IVL NZD 100 (Australian PR holders and citizens are exempt from the IVL) — total NZD 117–123. Approval comes through quickly after payment (see image 4).
- You must fly directly from Australia to New Zealand — flights transiting through Australia don’t count.
Who stands to benefit from the New Zealand visa waiver
- Australian students and work-visa holders — you can now holiday in New Zealand without applying for a separate NZ tourist visa.
- Australian migrants taking their parents for a New Zealand trip.
- Australian tourist-visa holders who need to leave the country once every 3 months — New Zealand now becomes an option. The flight is only 3–4 hours. Previously, clients often chose Singapore or Fiji; New Zealand can now join that list.
If NZ visa holders were also granted visa-free entry into Australia, this would likely generate even more buzz.
At the same time, now that the visa-waiver policy is in effect, clients have been asking: will New Zealand tourist visa applications start to decline? Do I still need to spend thousands each year renewing my NZ visa? We’ve had many successful cases here (see image 5). New Zealand tourist visa applications come in two types: multiple-entry or single-entry.
With this waiver, New Zealand is hoping to attract more Chinese visitors while shifting some of the visa-processing pressure onto the Australian Department of Home Affairs. That said, there are still a few things to keep in mind — make sure you’re fully prepared before you travel.
