On a calm morning in Suva, the sound of a conch shell can drift for almost a kilometre through the still air. From 6 July 2025, crossing the Tasman may feel almost as effortless: one online application now unlocks two full years of multi-entry travel for every Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) citizen who meets New Zealand’s visitor-visa rules. Our service team has watched policy notices for decades; this shift, confirmed by Immigration New Zealand on 11 April, is the clearest sign yet that Wellington wants Pacific families and businesses moving with ease.
Pacific life runs on kinship and swift obligations—an aunt’s wedding next month, a church synod in spring. Under the old single-entry model such trips meant repeat fees and paperwork. From July the ocean feels smaller; the door stays open.
Economic healing, regional goodwill, digital muscle—three strong tides carried the Cabinet toward change:
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Before July 2025 |
From 6 July 2025 |
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Single-entry visitor visa, 12-month validity |
Multi-entry visa, 24-month validity |
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Maximum 3 months per visit |
Stay up to 6 months in any 12-month window (never more than 9 months in 18) |
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New application for each trip |
One visa, many visits |
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Fee NZ $211 |
Fee unchanged |
Tip: Renew a passport before you apply—INZ will not re-issue the visa free of charge if details change.
From November 2025 to November 2026, PIF passport holders with a valid Australian visitor, work, student, or family visa may enter New Zealand from Australia with nothing more than an NZeTA. No additional visitor-visa fee, no paper forms. Transit passengers through Australia remain outside this deal.
Federated States of Micronesia – Fiji – Kiribati – Nauru – Palau – Papua New Guinea – Republic of the Marshall Islands – Samoa – Solomon Islands – Tonga – Tuvalu – Vanuatu.
(Tokelau residents travelling on New Zealand passports enjoy separate privileges.)
Paperwork can feel dry, yet every completed box is a stepping-stone to the powhiri the Maori welcome that moves a visitor from manuhiri (guest) to whÄnau (family). Scan your passport page; think of it as the outboard motor powering your online form. Keep each receipt; it is the provision for your waka. Administrative care does not dampen excitement—it sharpens it.
Personal note: I once mis-typed a performer’s middle name in 1998; the extra office visit cost us the Waiheke ferry. Spell every name exactly as on the passport and you will make the show.
No. Visitor-visa applicants—multi-entry or otherwise—only submit a passport photo; INZ does not collect fingerprints or iris scans for this category.
For tour operators
For family sponsors in Aotearoa
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Trap |
Avoid it by |
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Passport expires within a year |
Renew early to secure the full 24-month visa. |
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Arriving from Sydney with no printout of your Australian visa |
Download your VEVO summary; digital copy is accepted. |
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Misreading the 6-in-12 rule |
Use a calendar app; mark every NZ day and check totals before re-booking. |
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Forgetting the NZ eTA on the visa-free trial |
Set a 72-hour alert; airlines will deny boarding without the approval email. |
The July and November reforms loosen the bolts on a door that has long separated Pacific cousins. Seasonal work, church feasts, and family milestones can now slot into a single passport without layers of red tape. Prepare your documents with care; then walk the arrival hall confident that the welcome mat is swept clear and waiting.
What does the new visa cost?
Still NZ $211—paid online during the application.
Do children’s days count toward the 6-month limit?
Yes, each passport accrues days individually.
Can I turn a visitor visa into a work visa while in NZ?
No. You must leave NZ and apply offshore.
Will the visa-free trial extend beyond 2026?
INZ will review compliance data before a final decision.
Is travel insurance compulsory?
It is not mandatory, but strongly advised as hospitals bill visitors.
Content Disclaimer: This content was refreshed in April 2025. Please confirm all travel details with the New Zealand embassies, agencies, and airlines for complete accuracy.
