How to Visit Queenstown with New Zealand eTA?
By: New Zealand Visa Online
Planning a trip to New Zealand is a long pending dream of many travelers wanting to explore the best of nature in this part of the world. To keep you updated on easy ways to travel to other countries, this article aims to provide all the necessary information regarding the e-visa application process to help you plan a hassle-free trip to Queenstown.
There used to be several complex entry requirements that caused travelers to either delay their travel plans or postpone the trip due to some kind of bureaucratic hurdle.
The article aims to resolve the following issues regarding your trip to New Zealand:
- Who needs a visa to visit Queenstown?
- How to travel to Queenstown with an e-visa or New Zealand eTA?
- How to reach Queenstown via air or cruise ship?
Read along to discover more about the New Zealand eTA application process to plan a hassle-free trip to this beautiful town in New Zealand.
New Zealand Visa Application Form now allows visitors from all nationalities to obtain New Zealand eTA (NZETA) by email without visiting New Zealand Embassy. Government of New Zealand now officially recommends New Zealand Visa or New Zealand ETA online rather than sending paper documents. You can obtain NZETA by filling out a form in under three minutes on this website. The only requirement is to have a Debit or Credit Card and email id. You do not need 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.
How to apply for New Zealand eTA?
The New Zealand eTA application process is very easy as compared to a traditional visa application and foreign citizens who are eligible for the same must avail the benefit of traveling with New Zealand eTA to Queenstown.
Foreign travelers must check the availability of the below documents before visiting Queenstown:
- A valid passport with an expiry of at least 3 months from the intended date of departure from New Zealand.
- A traditional visa or a New Zealand eTA.*
*Note that only one among a traditional visa or New Zealand eTA is required by travelers.
Those with a traditional visa need not apply for an e-visa for New Zealand. However, those without a traditional visa must check their eligibility before applying for New Zealand eTA.
Citizens of many nationalities are allowed to visit New Zealand for a short-term period even without a visa. You must check your eligibility before making your travel plans.
After checking the availability of the above documents, you can easily start your New Zealand eTA application process.
The easy e-visa application process would save you time from physically visiting any embassy or consulate to get your visa for New Zealand.
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So you're arranging an excursion to New Zealand or Aotearoa aka Land of Long White Cloud. Learn about Travel Guide for First Time Visitors to New Zealand
Plan a Thrilling Trip to Queenstown, New Zealand
If you are an adrenaline junkie looking to explore different ways to fuel your passion, then New Zealand is the best country to start exploring.
Known as the adventure capital of the world, Queenstown has nothing that an adventurer wouldn't wish for. There is all that can be imagined plus more crazy fun can be found in Queenstown.
You can explore different adventures for all age groups within Queenstown. Some of the most famous activities include activities like skydiving and scenic flights over The Remarkable, Mount Cook, and Milford Sound.
Thrilling water adventures like Shark ride, boat trip, river cruise, and white-water rafting is definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Finally, you will get the taste of off-road adventures where you can explore the backcountry in Queenstown.
For those who want to experience the remote and wild side of New Zealand, there is the option of exploring various remarkable locations through horseback riding.
Besides, to enjoy the scenic beauty of the countryside, you can also choose to journey through picturesque highways, like from Queenstown to Kingston where you would be accompanied by gorgeous mountain and lake scenery all along the way.
These adventure activities will make you prioritize visiting Queenstown on your next trip to New Zealand.
READ MORE:
For short stays, vacations, or professional visitor activities, New Zealand now has a new entrance requirement known as the eTA New Zealand Visa. All non-citizens must possess a current visa or digital travel authorization to enter New Zealand. Apply For NZ eTA with the Online New Zealand Visa Application.
Use your E-visa to visit Queenstown
Since New Zealand eTA is an all-online application process, it becomes even more time saving to apply for an e-visa rather than a traditional visa to visit New Zealand for a short period of time.
You may use your New Zealand eTA for the following purposes:
- Tourism anywhere within New Zealand
- Business trip to Queenstown or anywhere in New Zealand
Other benefits of traveling with New Zealand eTA include:
- Permission to stay within New Zealand for a period of 3 months. For citizens of the UK traveling with New Zealand eTA, permission to stay within New Zealand is up to 6 months period.
- New Zealand eTA allows visitors to enter New Zealand multiple times within a 2-year period or until the date of expiry of the passport of the New Zealand eTA holder; whichever is earlier.
As a travel authorization to enter New Zealand, you can use your New Zealand eTA to visit anywhere within the country including Queenstown.
All these benefits make an e-visa much more attractive to short-term travelers than traveling with a traditional visa.
What documents do you need to fill New Zealand eTA application form?
Although getting an e-visa is an easy process in all online formats, you must keep the following documents ready for quick completion of your New Zealand eTA application form:
- A passport-size photograph of the applicant.
- Passport from a New Zealand eTA-eligible country. *Note that only citizens belonging to countries eligible for New Zealand eTA can apply for an e-visa through the online e-visa application portal.
- A valid debit or credit card for payment of your New Zealand eTA application form. The payment for the e-visa application can only be made online using a debit or credit card.
READ MORE:
From the 1st October 2019, visitors from Visa Free countries also known as Visa Waiver countries must apply on https://www.visa-new-zealand.org for an online electronic Travel authorisation in the form of New Zealand Visitor Visa. Learn about New Zealand Tourist Visa information for all Visitors seeking short term travel to New Zealand.
How do I fill out New Zealand eTA Application Form?
You can fill out your e-visa application form in 3 easy steps. Traveling with New Zealand eTA would save a great amount of your time from making any physical appearance at any embassy office.
Follow the 3 steps below to quickly get your e-visa to visit Queenstown:
- Visit the New Zealand eTA application page and apply as an applicant for an e-visa to New Zealand.
- Pay the fees for the e-visa application. After processing your application you will only need to follow the third step.
- The third step of getting your e-visa is to download the emailed pdf e-visa document from the email address provided at the time of filling out the application.
- You can show this copy of your e-visa in printed format to the authorities at the time of arrival to Queenstown or anywhere in New Zealand.
What is asked in the E-visa Application Form?
All applicants must provide the necessary information asked in the New Zealand eTA application process.
The following basic information is asked of all applicants in the online eTA application form:
- Applicant's full name, date, and year of birth, citizenship, or nationality.
- Passport-related information like passport number, date of issue, and expiry date of the passport.
- Applicant's email address and other contact details.
You must fill your New Zealand eTA application form carefully with all the accurate information.
Any discrepancy in the information provided in the application form will result in unnecessary delays in the processing of the e-visa application.
At the end of the application form, applicants are asked to pay the general visa waiver application fee as well as the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL).
The required New Zealand eTA application fee can only be paid using a valid credit or debit card.
All the above information is asked equally to all applicants without any age, gender, or caste-related bias.
All information provided in the New Zealand eTA application form is solely collected for the purpose of e-visa processing and is not sold to any third party for any other use than mentioned above.
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We previously covered Travel Guide to Nelson, New Zealand.
How long does it take for New Zealand eTA to Process?
If you plan to travel to New Zealand using New Zealand eTA then you do not need to wait much in order to receive your e-visa.
Most New Zealand eTA applications are processed within 3 business days and applicants receive their e-visa through email in a pdf format which can later be downloaded.
The application form for New Zealand eTA can be completed in a few minutes without needing to make any in-person visit to an embassy or visa office.
To avoid last-minute delays, all applicants are advised to apply for their e-visa in sufficient time in advance of their trip to Queenstown.
Make sure that the information provided in the New Zealand eTA application form is accurate and up to date as any discrepancy in the same might result in restriction of entry by the officials at the point of arrival in New Zealand.
New Zealand eTA gives travelers permission to visit the country at multiple points within a 2-year time period or until the date of expiry of the applicant's passport; whichever is earlier.
Ways to reach Queenstown with New Zealand eTA
You can choose to visit New Zealand by cruise or by air. There are various options for reaching Queenstown for foreigners wanting to visit the country.
After making sure that you have all the required documents including an approved New Zealand eTA for your visit to New Zealand, you can arrive at the port in New Zealand through the following routes:
- Queensland International Airport
- Port of Auckland
At the time of arrival in New Zealand, passengers must present the same passport that is used to fill out the New Zealand eTA application form.
A passenger's e-visa is linked to the passport provided at the time of the New Zealand eTA application process.
New Zealand eTA acts as a multiple entry permit that allows citizens of eligible nationalities to enter New Zealand multiple times within a 2-year time cycle or until the date of expiry of passport; whichever is earlier.
Travel with New Zealand eTA for Transit
If you are a transit passenger transiting through Queenstown to a third country, then you can use your transit New Zealand eTA while traveling.
A passenger must present a transit visa or a transit New Zealand eTA while transiting from New Zealand.
Although, transit passengers can only pass through Auckland International Airport at the time, hence visiting Queenstown with a transit New Zealand eTA is not a suitable option for those planning to visit this city of New Zealand. In such cases, passengers will have to take domestic flights connecting Auckland to Queenstown for their onward journey.
As a transit passenger traveling with transit New Zealand eTA, you must:
- Stay within the designated transit area at Auckland International airport.
Or
- Inside the aircraft till the duration of transit time in New Zealand.
The maximum duration allowed to stay within the transit area at New Zealand port for those with a transit visa or transit New Zealand eTA is 24 hours.
Foreign nationals with an e-visa of New Zealand who are planning to visit Queenstown can take connecting domestic flights from Auckland to Queenstown, given that they hold a New Zealand eTA or a traditional visa of New Zealand.
Visitors with an approved New Zealand eTA are allowed to visit anywhere within New Zealand for a specified duration of time.
Do you need a Traditional Visa to visit Queenstown?
While e-visa for New Zealand is an easy online visa application process, not all people wanting to travel to Queenstown in New Zealand with an e-visa might find an option to travel with New Zealand eTA.
New Zealand eTA is eligible for citizens belonging to around 60 nationalities and those not falling under this category are rather required to apply for a traditional visa instead.
A traditional visa for New Zealand is needed if:
- Not all New Zealand eTA eligibility requirements are met by the applicant like nationality, security-related issues, etc.
- Planning to stay in Queenstown for longer than 3 months duration (or longer than 6 months’ time in case of UK citizens) since New Zealand eTA allows stay within New Zealand for up to 3 months period in general and for 6 months specifically in case of UK citizens.
- The purpose of visiting New Zealand is other than tourism or business.
In case of all the above reasons, an applicant will have to apply for a traditional visa application instead of a New Zealand eTA.
A traditional visa application process is long and time-consuming, which requires applicants to make an in-person visit to an office or embassy.
If you are planning a trip to Queenstown with a traditional visa, then your application process must start well in advance from your intended date of travel.
E-visa to visit New Zealand for Australian Citizens
If you are an Australian citizen wanting to visit Queenstown, then you can enter New Zealand without an e-visa or a traditional visa.
Passengers traveling with an Australian passport need not apply for New Zealand eTA, however, if you are traveling with a passport other than that of Australia then you will need a proper document for gaining entry to New Zealand.
Ensure that you have checked the eligibility for your New Zealand eTA. If you are from a Visa Waiver country then you can apply for an eTA regardless of the mode of travel (Air / Cruise). United States citizens, European citizens, Hong Kong citizens, and United Kingdom 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.
Please apply for a New Zealand eTA 72 hours in advance of your flight.