Complete Tourist Guide to Traveling with New Zealand eTA

Updated on Apr 03, 2023 | Online New Zealand Visa

New Zealand eTA is an e-visa which can be used for the purpose of travel, business, or transit related purposes. Instead of a traditional visa, visitors from visa waiver countries of New Zealand can apply for a NZeTA to visit the country.

Visiting spectacular landscapes of New Zealand is one of the top dream travel experiences for many foreign travellers and getting an NZeTA is one of the simplest ways to fulfil that dream.

Come to the 'Land of the Long White Cloud' , as the Maori name goes for the country and experience the world's rarest creations of nature just within the boundaries of a single island nation.

New Zealand eTA application process is quick, simple and completely online, making it extremely simple to get an authorisation to visit New Zealand without needing a traditional New Zealand visa.

New Zealand Visa (NZeTA)

New Zealand eTA Application Form now allows visitors from all nationalities to obtain New Zealand eTA (NZETA) by email without visiting New Zealand Embassy. New Zealand Visa application process is automated, simple, and completely online. New Zealand Immigration now officially recommends Online New Zealand Visa or New Zealand ETA online rather than sending paper documents. You can obtain New Zealand eTA by filling out a form on this website and making the payment using a Debit or Credit Card. You will also require a valid email id as New Zealand eTA information will be sent to your email id. You do not need visit an embassy or consulate or to send your passport for Visa stamping. If you are arriving to New Zealand by the Cruise Ship route, you should check the New Zealand ETA eligibility conditions for Cruise Ship arrival to New Zealand.

Start Planning a Trip to New Zealand

New Zealand is an all-season destination, with every time of the year filled with its own uniqueness and speciality. In summer you will find the golden landscapes, flourishing rivers and shining mountains, while winter would be a time when you can rejoice in the frozen wonderland, and celebrate the festive spirit in the country.

And talking about autumn and spring, they bring their unique charm to the country scenery, with the added benefit of off-season rates at many popular tourism destinations, which otherwise could be out of the budgetary requirements.

It would be best recommended to plan a trip to New Zealand in the summer months from December to February, when the weather is perfect to explore mountains, and vibrant cities.

For those wanting to explore the winter adventures in Queenstown or get the experience attending the acclaimed winter festivals of cities like Auckland, the time from June to August is ideal to travel around.

But be sure to plan well in advance, as New Zealand is a popular tourism destination in which case bookings on arrival may not be the best option in case of many tourist bustling cities.

Check your e-visa eligibility before visiting New Zealand with an New Zealand eTA.

Must See Places in New Zealand
Rotorua

If the acclaimed locations of the Lord of Rings trilogy became your first inspiration to visit New Zealand, then Rotorua is a must visit destination to explore the most popular tourist attractions in the country.

Located in the Bay of Plenty, the place is recognised as a geothermal wonderland with hundreds of geothermal pools spread around its volcanic landscapes. A perfect place to relax and rejuvenate, you will also find a living Moari village, perfect place to gain Maori cultural experience.

You will find some of the most spectacular visuals of New Zealand in this North Island city, a range of volcanic wonders only unique to this place on the planet.

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New Zealand has a new entry requirement known as the Online New Zealand Visa or eTA New Zealand Visa for short visits, vacations, or professional visitor activities. To enter New Zealand, all non-citizens must have a valid visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA). Learn more at Online New Zealand Visa.

Fiordland

For witnessing the real magic of nature in New Zealand, the Fiordland region of South Island is one of the top recommended tourist places in the country.

Filled with abundant wildlife, forests and waterfalls, the place is perfect for adventure and nature enthusiasts, given its miles long picturesque trails.

A gateway to the unreal scenery of Milford Sound, you will find majestic and stunning visuals like the Stirling falls, Bowen falls, rare black corals which can be seen through an underwater observatory and much more earth's wonders which attract thousands of foreign visitors to New Zealand.

Wanaka

An all-season resort town in New Zealand's South Island, Wanaka is perfect for a casual nature focused holiday in New Zealand.

Located in the Otago region, the town is situated around Lake Wanaka, New Zealand's fourth largest lake, surrounded by a number of islands and multiple streams.

A perfect place for kayaking and sailing, the lake acts as a gateway to the dreamy Mount Aspiring National Park, surrounded by rivers and alpine lakes which altogether would prepare you for a perfect day hike.

The national park is named after Mt. Aspiring, one of New Zealand's highest peaks, and is a must recommend place for hikers and mountaineers.

Bay of Islands

Dotted with more than 144 islands, the Bay Islands is North Island's gateway to untouched beaches, Maori culture and hundreds of stunning islands making it a perfect holiday destination in the country.

The island region is popular both among backpackers and locals alike. Hundreds of mini islands surrounding the region are a completely untouched wonder of maturity.

Only 3 hours’ drive from the city of Auckland, Bay of Islands invites foreign travellers from all around the world.

The Coromandel

Located in the North Island Coromandel Peninsula, one of New Zealand's most famous holidays, the place is mostly preferred for its laid back vibe. Here you will also find the Hauraki Rail Trail, one of the great cycle trails in New Zealand.

As beautiful as the destination, the journey along the Pacific coast Highway would accompany pristine beaches, sunshine, wildlife, and spectacular views as you travel towards the east coast of the North Island.

Napier

A city filled with classical and art deco style architecture, Napier is that place where you would find a little of everything in New Zealand.

Plan a day trip to Hawke's Bay, or Cape Kidnappers around the region, but the real deal of visiting this city is all about glancing at the art deco style city structure.

Also known as the Art Deco capital of New Zealand, Napier is a city which should be best explored through guided vintage city tours, or city walk.

Dunedin

Located on the South Island's east coast, Dunedin is the largest city in the South Island after Christchurch.

Known as one of the best kept Victorian cities in the Southern hemisphere, the inner-city vibe along with great biodiversity, wildlife, the city harbour and remarkable sunsets makes Dunedin apt for the title of 'great small city' of New Zealand with so much to see and do within the city boundaries.

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Since 2019, NZeTA or New Zealand eTA has been made a necessary entry document needed by foreign citizens on arrival to New Zealand. New Zealand eTA or electronic travel authorisation would allow you to visit the country with the help of an electronic permit for a given period. Learn more at How to visit New Zealand in a Visa-Free way.

Paihia

Acting as a gateway to the unreal oceanic wonders of Bay of Islands, although not the largest area in the North Island region, the town is everything you would dream of about a vibrant coastal town.

One of the main tourist towns in the Bay of Islands region, for a great sunny vacation drive just an hour away from Auckland to this side of the North.

Walk along the coastal trails, pretty beaches, colorful sea colonies as you explore waterfront restaurants and harbour to get in most from this town in the Far North District. You can get in most from the Bay of Islands by visiting Paihia, considered as an excellent base to explore this region of the island.

Top Ways to Plan a Trip to New Zealand
Ocean & Underwater Adventures

Swim with ocean's biggest and rarest wonders at Kaikoura, New Zealand's haven for witnessing unique marine wildlife.

Located on the east coast of the South Island, Kaikoura is a spot where you must plan to stop for the ultimate underwater ocean adventure.

Akaroa is not on the radar of many foreign tourists, but this region just south of the city of Christchurch is the only place in the world where you can swim with world's smallest and rarest Hector dolphins.

Tauranga in the North Island is another region where you can get the experience of swimming with lots of common dolphins through guided swimming tours.

Volcanic Wonders

Rotorua, Nelson, and loads of other national parks in New Zealand offering rare geographical formations and moonscapes are something unique to this country.

While there are many natural wonders which you might see in many places elsewhere in the world, finding a geothermal wonderland is something that is solely unique to these locations of New Zealand.

Maori Culture Experience

Rotorua is one of the top cities for Maori culture experience, and you can find many opportunities here which provide the best experiences through guided Maori Village tours.

Participate in a Marae, attend a Powhiri or witness an energetic Haka performance, altogether you will get to know more about the culture and life of the first tribes belonging to New Zealand.

Step towards the Southern Alps

Although North Island is the region where tourism mostly used to be concentrated, the vast landscapes of South Island stretching along the Southern Alps would be the most defining moment of your journey.

Reaching a height of more than 3000 metres, the Aoraki Mount Cook is the highest mountain. The Southern Alps are New Zealand's most widespread and glaciated mountains so far.

Plan an aerial trip over the alp’s region of the South Island to witness the vast extent to which these gorgeous mountains extend along the country.

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As a traveller, you must want to explore different aspects of a country which are yet to be discovered. To witness New Zealand's tribal culture and scenic beauty, visiting Rotorua must be on your travel list. Learn more at Travel Guide to Rotorua, New Zealand.

See the Unreal Milford Sound

Witness the world's most stunning waterfalls and soothing scenery here at New Zealand's most attractive location.

A part of the Fiordland National Park, these unreal visuals have also been a background scene of Lord of The Rings movie trilogy and make for the country's most popular tourist attraction.

Besides, an underwater observatory to observe the black corals and rare marine life adds more to the blissful experience.

The best way to observe the majestic falls like the Stirling Falls and the Bowen Falls is through a boat ride closing to the towering waterfalls.

Milford Sound is nature's most pure creation, and glancing at the magical views of Piopiotahi, as the Maori named the place, is on the list of most foreign travellers, something which you can only know why as you visit the place.

Fantasy Caves of Waitomo

The extensive underground cave system here is not enough to define the great magical charm of these spectacular visuals.

Dark underground caverns get lit up by thousands of glow worms which can best be observed through black water rafting inside the Glowworm caves.

The Ruakuri caves are the largest cave system within the underground region and majestic waterfalls, limestone formations and natural bridges is one such natural formation which would leave you truly awestruck by nature's rarest and prettiest wonders.

Drive through the Scenic Pacific Highway

All the way from Auckland to Napier, you will come across great wildlife, beaches, spectacular sunsets as you travel through the east coast of the North Island.

The scenic route links major tourist locations like the Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Auckland, and Napier. Witness New Zealand’s most spectacular sights like the Cathedral Cove or the Te Whanganui-A-HeI Marine Reserve on the Coromandel Peninsula, where the iconic rock archway is a world-famous tourist destination of New Zealand.

Another spectacular ride would be through the Hauraki Rail Trail, where the place’s rich gold mining history would keep you fully occupied, besides the gorgeous visuals of course.

Plan a 2 to 3 days itinerary to cover all the gorgeous places the Pacific Highway route offers. You can journey through New Zealand’s great cycling trails, sunny cities, rivers, canyons, beaches and wonderful scenery to create the trip of a lifetime.

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If you want to visit the beautiful locations of New Zealand, then there are many hassle-free ways to plan your trip to the country. You can explore your dream locations like Auckland, Queenstown, Wellington and plenty of other gorgeous cities and places within New Zealand. Learn more at New Zealand Visitor Information.

Know About Accommodation Costs of Your Trip

Plan well in advance of your trip to avoid cancellation or delays due to peak season. Since New Zealand is a popular tourism destination, Expect the cost to be anywhere between 150 to 230 dollars for a medium value lodging.

Depending on the budget and the quality of the desired experience you can even choose to spend in a five-star inn, hotels or cabins. Higher cost of standard inns or hotels is accurate as per the quality experience you will have in New Zealand.

What is eTA New Zealand?

Citizens of all 60 nationalities are eligible for eTA New Zealand can apply for a NZeTA to visit the country.

Since October 2019, eTA has been made a mandatory requirement for entry to New Zealand in case of citizens from New Zealand visa waiver countries.

As a citizen from a visa waiver country, your eTA will be checked by the officials at the checkpoint.

New Zealand eTA application process is a simple online visa application procedure in comparison to a traditional visa application process.

You can apply for an eTA to visit New Zealand in an all-online format in just within 10 minutes.

Contrary to the official visa application process, the procedure to apply and receive your eTA for New Zealand is tremendously simple and quick.

An all-online process would save loads of your time from avoiding visits to any consulate or embassy.

In case you are eligible to apply for eTA for New Zealand as mentioned above then you will only have to fill an online application form to get your NZeTA or travel authorisation to New Zealand through email.

You can apply for electronic travel authorization to New Zealand here.

If visiting New Zealand is among your travel plans or a trip to the country for any other specific purpose then your wait to get an authorisation to visit New Zealand could be simply a matter of a few minutes.

New Zealand eTA or electronic travel authorisation would allow you to visit the country with the help of an electronic permit for a given period of time.

If you belong to one of the visa waiver countries of New Zealand then you would be eligible to travel with a New Zealand eTA.

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In case you are travelling from some other country, you must check your country's eligibility for NZeTA before entering New Zealand.

Ensure that you have checked the eligibility for your Online New Zealand Visa. If you are from a Visa Waiver country then you can apply for an Online New Zealand Visa or New Zealand eTA regardless of the mode of travel (Air / Cruise). United States citizens, European citizens, Canadian citizens, United Kingdom citizens, French citizens, Spanish citizens and Italian citizens can apply online for New Zealand eTA. United Kingdom residents can stay on New Zealand eTA for 6 months while others for 90 days.