New Zealand does not have a dedicated digital nomad visa. Instead, since 27 January 2025, all visitor visas and New Zealand Electronic Travel Authorities (NZeTAs) applied for on or after that date automatically include conditions permitting unlimited remote work for overseas employers or clients. The policy was introduced as part of the government's "Going for Growth" initiative, recognizing that remote workers tend to stay longer and spend more than typical short-term tourists. No separate application, endorsement, or additional fee is required -- remote work permission is built into the standard visitor visa framework.
Visitor Visa:
NZeTA:
The visitor visa allows stays of up to 9 months within any 18-month period on a single-entry visa, or up to 6 months within any 12-month period on a multiple-entry visa. The NZeTA (for visa-waiver nationals) permits stays of up to 3 months per visit (6 months for UK citizens), with the NZeTA itself valid for 2 years covering multiple entries.
Visitor visas cannot be renewed in the traditional sense. To extend your stay, you must apply for a new visa, subject to the maximum stay limits. Single-entry visas expire upon departure from New Zealand.
There is no separate dependant category under the remote work provision. Each family member -- spouse, partner, or child -- must hold their own visitor visa or NZeTA. Partner and dependent child visitor visas have separate application streams with their own eligibility requirements and documentation, including relationship evidence and identity documents. Guardian visitor visas are available for parents accompanying international students. Each applicant pays their own visa fee and International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL). All visitor visas applied for on or after 27 January 2025 include the same remote work permission.
Visitors may owe New Zealand income tax depending on the length of their stay. If income is taxed in another country and the visitor is present fewer than 92 days in any 12-month period, the income is generally exempt from NZ tax. For tax residents of the 40+ countries with which New Zealand has a Double Tax Agreement (DTA), this exemption period extends to 183 days.
Visitors present in New Zealand for more than 183 days in any 12-month period ordinarily become New Zealand tax residents, with residency backdated to the first of those 183 days. However, for visits commencing on or after 1 April 2026, a new "non-resident visitor" tax category (enacted by the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2025-26, Compliance Simplification, and Remedial Measures) Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 30 March 2026) lets a qualifying visitor remain a NZ non-resident for tax purposes for up to 275 days in any 18-month period even if they exceed 183 days. To qualify, the visitor must be lawfully present, not have been a NZ tax resident immediately before arrival, remain a tax resident of a foreign country with a substantially similar income tax, not work for or supply goods or services to NZ persons or businesses, and not receive a Working for Families entitlement.
Visitor Visa:
Paper applications can be submitted using form INZ 1017 with supporting documents as listed in the INZ 1018 Visitor Visa Guide.
NZeTA (for visa-waiver nationals):
The NZeTA app allows requesting for up to 10 people simultaneously. All visitor visas applied for on or after 27 January 2025 automatically include remote work permission -- no separate application is needed.
All visitors must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) online within 24 hours before travel. Upon arrival, immigration officers grant either a Visa Waiver Visitor Visa (for NZeTA holders) or confirm visitor visa conditions. No biometric registration, local ID issuance, or mandatory post-arrival reporting is required. Multiple-entry visa holders may travel freely in and out of New Zealand during the visa validity period.
Remote work is permitted only for employers or clients located outside New Zealand. Visa holders must not work for a New Zealand-based employer, provide goods or services to people or businesses in New Zealand, perform work requiring physical presence at a New Zealand workplace, or promote New Zealand-based activities, events, or products for compensation from local entities. Content creators and social media influencers must be careful not to accept compensation from NZ-based businesses -- for example, accepting free accommodation in exchange for reviewing a New Zealand property would breach visa conditions.