The New Zealand Visitor Visa allows eligible applicants to travel for a holiday, visit family or friends, study for up to three months and undertake other permitted temporary activities.
Depending on the travel conditions granted, a visitor may receive a single-entry or multiple-entry visa and may be permitted to stay for up to six or nine months. Applicants must demonstrate genuine temporary intentions, sufficient funds or acceptable sponsorship, and the ability to leave New Zealand at the end of their stay.
Superior Consulting Global LLC FZ assists UAE and GCC residents applying for:
Key Features
Genuine Intentions | Financial Evidence | UAE Ties | Travel Planning | Refusal Review
The required travel permission is determined mainly by the traveller’s passport—not merely by holding UAE residence.
Citizens of the following GCC countries are currently included on New Zealand’s visa-waiver list:
They can generally request a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority—NZeTA before travelling for a short visit rather than applying for a Visitor Visa. A visa-waiver visitor is normally permitted a visit of less than three months, subject to border approval and all entry requirements.
Pakistan is not included on New Zealand’s current visa-waiver list. Pakistani nationals living in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or elsewhere in the UAE will therefore generally need to obtain a Visitor Visa before travelling.
| Requirement | Current position |
|---|---|
| Genuine temporary purpose | Required |
| Sufficient maintenance funds | Required |
| Acceptable sponsor | Alternative to personal funds |
| Onward or return travel | Required |
| Employment in New Zealand | Not permitted |
| Remote work for overseas clients | Potentially permitted |
| Short study | Up to three months |
| Family inclusion | Partner and dependent children aged 19 or younger may be included |
| Multiple-entry stay | Up to six months in a 12-month period |
| Maximum general visitor stay | Up to nine months in an 18-month period |
| Standard application method | Online |
| Visa outcome | Normally issued as an eVisa |
| Current displayed starting cost | From NZD 441 |
| Current published processing snapshot | 80% within approximately 1.5 weeks |
Immigration New Zealand decides whether to issue single-entry or multiple-entry travel conditions. A single-entry visa can allow a stay of up to nine months in an 18-month period, while a multiple-entry Visitor Visa generally permits a combined stay of up to six months in each 12-month period.
Processing times are historical service indicators, not guarantees for an individual application.
Immigration New Zealand assesses whether the applicant:
The assessment can consider the information in the current application, the applicant’s personal circumstances and information previously provided to New Zealand immigration authorities.
Evidence supporting genuine intentions
Where the applicant is paying for the visit personally, they must generally demonstrate at least:
| Accommodation position | Minimum maintenance funds |
|---|---|
| Accommodation not prepaid | NZD 1,000 per person per month |
| Accommodation already prepaid | NZD 400 per person per month |
Evidence can include bank statements, credit-card statements and proof that accommodation has already been paid. The account evidence should identify the account holder, bank and currency.
An application should still explain whether the proposed trip is affordable when compared with:
Recent unexplained deposits should be supported by lawful source evidence.
An acceptable sponsor may take responsibility for accommodation, maintenance and, where required, the visitor’s travel out of New Zealand.
An individual sponsor must generally be a New Zealand citizen or an eligible New Zealand resident and ordinarily live in New Zealand while providing sponsorship. Sponsorship does not guarantee visa approval; the applicant must still meet the remaining Visitor Visa requirements.
The sponsor normally completes the Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry—INZ 1025 and may provide:
Visitor Visas applied for on or after 27 January 2025 permit remote work for an employer or client located outside New Zealand.
Permitted remote activity can include:
There is currently no immigration limit on the amount of qualifying overseas remote work performed while holding these visitor conditions.
A visitor cannot:
The general Visitor Visa is appropriate for holidays, sightseeing, visiting friends and other genuine recreational travel.
A family-visit file may include:
Applicants travelling for business meetings, commercial discussions, conferences or approved short-term business purposes may need the separate Business Visitor Visa.
Business visitors must establish the business purpose, financial support and intention to leave. A person entering to undertake employment or productive work for a New Zealand organisation may require a work visa instead.
Financial documents:
Return evidence:
Documents not in English must be accompanied by compliant English translations and copies of the original documents.
Check the requirement attached to the applicant’s passport nationality.
Applicants can create an online account, complete the form, upload documents and pay the applicable charges electronically.
The application should include evidence of: Identity, Genuine travel purpose, Funds or sponsorship, Onward travel, UAE circumstances, Family relationships, Health and character where required.
Immigration New Zealand may request: Additional financial evidence, Passport submission, Medical examination, Chest X-ray, Police certificate, Further genuine-intention evidence. A chest X-ray is not normally required for a visit of less than six months, and a medical certificate is not normally required for a stay of less than 12 months, although individual circumstances can lead to additional requirements.
Where approved, Immigration New Zealand generally emails the applicant an eVisa. The passport details must match the eVisa before travel.
Where passport submission or another in-person service is required, the official New Zealand Visa Application Centre in the UAE is located at Wafi Mall in Dubai. VAC appointments and service charges may apply.
Reviewed: July 2026
| Charge or timeframe | Current official position |
|---|---|
| Visitor Visa | From NZD 441 |
| International Visitor Levy | NZD 100 where applicable |
| VAC services | Additional where used |
| Current processing indicator | 80% within approximately 1.5 weeks |
The official Visitor Visa page currently displays a starting cost of NZD 441. The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is NZD 100 for many international visitors and is charged within the applicable visa or NZeTA fee calculation. Exact charges depend on the applicant’s circumstances and should be confirmed before submission.
Immigration New Zealand recommends avoiding non-refundable travel bookings until the visa has been approved.
A passport should remain valid for at least three months beyond the intended date of departure from New Zealand. Travellers may also be asked to show:
A new application should address the actual refusal concerns rather than merely submitting the same documents again.
The review should identify:
We identify whether the applicant requires a Visitor Visa, NZeTA or another category.
We examine the relationship between the applicant’s purpose, travel duration, UAE circumstances and intention to leave.
We compare the published maintenance standard, onward-travel cost and complete trip budget with the applicant’s financial history.
We organise employment, business, family and residence evidence supporting the applicant’s return.
We assess the proposed New Zealand sponsor, relationship and supporting financial documents.
We distinguish permissible overseas remote work from prohibited New Zealand employment.
A professional assessment with Superior Consulting answer:
Yes. A lawful UAE resident who requires a visa can generally apply online and use the Dubai Visa Application Centre where passport or VAC services are requested.
UAE passport holders are currently visa-waiver travellers and generally require an NZeTA rather than a Visitor Visa for a short visit.
Pakistani passport holders are not on the current visa-waiver list and generally require a Visitor Visa before travelling.
The published minimum is NZD 1,000 per person per month, or NZD 400 per month where accommodation has already been paid. Funds for onward travel are additional.
A multiple-entry visa generally permits up to six months in a 12-month period. A single-entry Visitor Visa can permit a stay of up to nine months in an 18-month period.
A partner and dependent children aged 19 or younger may be included in the application, subject to identity, relationship, health and character evidence.
Yes, qualifying remote work for an overseas employer or client is permitted under Visitor Visas applied for from 27 January 2025. Work for a New Zealand employer or customer is not permitted.
A visitor can generally study for up to three months in a 12-month period.
Not for ordinary tourism. It is relevant for a family or private visit, but it does not replace evidence of genuine intentions, finances and reasons to leave.
Immigration New Zealand currently displays a starting cost of NZD 441. Exact fees and the applicable IVL or VAC charges should be checked before filing.
The current official service indicator states that 80% of Visitor Visa applications are decided within approximately 1.5 weeks. Individual cases can take longer.
No. Travellers must continue to meet the entry requirements when boarding and arriving in New Zealand.
Yes. A new application should materially address the previous concerns with stronger evidence, corrected information or changed circumstances.
No. Immigration New Zealand makes the visa decision, and New Zealand border authorities determine entry.
