New Zealand : a tourist tax and an ETA from October 1st

In order to reduce local spending on the country’s tourism infrastructure and strengthen border security, speed up the immigration process at airports and thus simplify formalities for travellers, last year the New Zealand authorities launched a discussion on the introduction of a tourism tax and the creation of an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). At the end of the year, these two projects will be implemented in 2019!

Today, the Kiwi government is therefore transmitting some details on the formalities for entering the country, which will be introduced in the 4th quarter. Presentation of this next procedure.

Why an ETA?

This press release highlights that the implementation of this ETA is intended to enhance security and reduce immigration risks, improve the travel experience, support the country’s international relations and agreements, and adapt to the evolving needs and requirements of government, stakeholders and travellers over time.

When will it be implemented?

ETA can therefore be claimed online before the trip, from July 2019 and its obtention will become mandatory from October 1st 2019.

Who should obtain an ETA ?

From 1 October 2019, travellers from 60 countries*, including France, currently exempt from visa requirements, as well as all cruise passengers regardless of nationality, will be required to present an ETA upon arrival in New Zealand.

Airline and cruise crews will also be required to have a crew ETA by this date.

* Countries currently exempt from visa requirements: France, Germany, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, United States, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Czech Republic, Romania, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Vatican.

Exempt from the ETA procedure will be New Zealand citizens, foreign nationals holding a valid resident or temporary visa, Australian citizens, crews and passengers on ships other than cruises, crews of foreign ships carrying cargo, government guests, persons travelling under the Antarctic slave trade and members of military forces accompanied by their crew members.

What validity and price for ETA?

The ETA will be valid for up to 2 years for travellers from countries currently exempt from visas. It will be valid for 5 years for crew members.

Depending on the support used for the request, ETA will cost 9.00 NZD (∼ 5.40€) for requests made via a future mobile application or 12.00 NZD (∼ 7.20€) for requests made via a web browser. The price of the crew ETA will be 9.00 NZD.

What will it be necessary to provide to obtain ETA?

From July 2019 and activation of the online service, applicants will be required to provide information relating to their passport (personal data, passport number, validity dates,…), details of the contact on site as well as certain declarations of the history of possible criminal convictions and detailed purpose of the stay. In addition, it will be necessary to insert a copy of the passport online.