The NZeTA itself lasts 2 years, but that is not how long you may stay. Most visa-waiver travellers may stay up to three months per visit.
The UK exception
Holders of a UK passport with the right of abode in the United Kingdom may stay up to 6 months per visit. This is the single most-missed detail on English-language guides.
The limit most guides leave out
Three months is the per-visit limit. Separately, you may only visit New Zealand for up to 6 months in any 12-month period. Leaving the country and coming back does not create new time — it only splits the time you already have.
Conditions that apply to your stay
- You must hold an onward or return ticket
- You must have funds to support yourself — NZD $1,000 per month, or NZD $400 per month if your accommodation is already paid for
- Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave
- You may not work for a New Zealand employer
- Study is limited to 3 months in any 12-month period
Source: Immigration New Zealand — Visa Waiver Visitor Visa
The border officer has the final say
An approved NZeTA permits you to travel. The immigration officer at the airport decides whether you may enter and for how long, and may ask about your plans, your accommodation and your funds.
Repeated back-to-back visits are noticed. If your pattern of travel looks like living in New Zealand rather than visiting, expect questions.
More on the NZeTA
Check your status
Where the confirmation is sent, how to check an existing NZeTA, and what to do if the email never arrives.
FAQ
Short answers to the questions travellers ask most about the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority.
6 months in any 12
Three months per visit is not the whole story: visa-waiver travellers may spend at most six months in any twelve-month period, however many trips that takes.
Leaving and returning
A short trip to Australia and back does not give you a fresh three months. What resets, what does not, and why repeated entries attract questions.
Extending your stay
The NZeTA itself cannot be extended. What you can do is apply for a visitor visa from inside New Zealand — and the timing of that application matters.
Passport validity
Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you plan to leave New Zealand — not after you arrive. Renewing mid-trip also invalidates your NZeTA.