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New Zealand tourism · Guest Home Country: countryx

NEW ZEALAND TRAVEL & INFORMATION TIPS

Before you arrive

When to come
New Zealand is suitable to visit all year round. Travelling is more pleasant, however, during the warmer summer months (November to April). The Christmas period is the busiest, with the schools holidays in the second half of December and all of January. We, therefore, recommend November, February and April as the best months to travel in New Zealand. Skiing is, of course, only possible during the winter months and is usually best during July and August.

Insurance
While the Accident Compensation Scheme covers visitors for personal injuries caused by accident, this does not include loss of earnings outside of New Zealand. We highly recommend arranging travel insurance that includes accidents.

Passport, Visas & Vaccinations
Only a passport valid for three months beyond the intended date of leaving the country is necessary for citizens of most countries. We recommend you visit the New Zealand Immigration website for further information.
No vaccination certificates are required to enter New Zealand.

VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) countries referred to in the chart above, including US nationals from American Samoa, Swains Island and nationals of New Zealand Associated Territories (Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau) for stays of up to three months, although transit visas are required for nationals of the following only holding one-way tickets: Cook Islands, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tokelau, Tonga and Vanuatu;
(b) 1. nationals of the UK and other British passport holders who have evidence of the right to live permanently in the UK for visits of up to six months may be granted a visitors permit on arrival;
(c) 2. nationals of EU countries (except nationals of the UK) for visits of up to three months (Portuguese nationals must have right of residence in Portugal), except nationals of Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovak Republic and Poland, who do require a visa;
(d) 3. nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong (SAR or British Nationals Overseas passports), Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea (Rep), Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Norway, Oman, Qatar, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, USA (including nationals from American Samoa and Swains Island) and Vatican City for stays of up to three months;
(e) 4. nationals of Australia who hold a current Australian resident return visa or nationals of New Zealand with a residence permit;
(f) transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft within 24 hours, providing they hold onward or return documentation and are not leaving the airport (some nationals passing through New Zealand always require a transit visa, even when not leaving the transit lounge of the airport; enquire at the New Zealand Immigration Service for details);
(g) nationals travelling on a UN laissez-passer for visits of up to three months.

Note: All nationals listed above must have sufficient funds to cover the duration of stay. This may be NZ$1000 for each person for every month or NZ$400 if the accommodation is already paid for. If travelling on a visa as a student, it is sometimes necessary to submit evidence of NZ$10,000 per year or NZ$1,000 per month if staying for less than 36 weeks, as well as submitting an additional form. If national is unable to submit proof of sufficient funds, it is possible to submit guarantee of accommodation and maintenance from a New Zealand citizen/resident who is a friend/relative and is serving as the national’s sponsor.

Types of visa and cost: Visitor: £50. Transit: £65. Work: £80. Student: £80. For details of special visitor categories, including group, conference and business visitor visas, contact the New Zealand Immigration Service (see Contact Addresses section).

Validity: The maximum period of time most visitors can remain in New Zealand is nine months within an 18-month period. Single-entry visas are usually valid for stays of up to six months. If national has stayed for nine months or more in the last 18 months, it is necessary to leave New Zealand for the same amount of time before returning as a visitor. It is possible to qualify for a three-month extension if national can prove they have financially supported themselves during their stay, or have already lodged an application for residence that is still under consideration at the time of review, or if the national cannot leave New Zealand due to mitigating circumstances that are deemed outside of their control, or the national can prove to be a genuine tourist seeking only three months' additional stay in order to complete an itinerary. If a national has stayed in New Zealand for 12 months out of the last 24 months, they must leave New Zealand for 12 months before being allowed to return as a visitor. Visitors not requiring visas are initially allowed a stay for up to six months with a British passport.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy or Immigration Service at High Commission); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements: Visitor: (a) Completed application form. (b) One recent passport-size photo of each person named in the application. (c) Passport valid for 3 months beyond the date of departure. (d) Sufficient funds for duration of stay. (e) Onward or return ticket. (f) Fee (payable in cash or by bank/building society cheque, credit card, [spam word detected] or bank draft). (g) For business trips, a company/sponsor letter. (h) Valid ticket for country the national has right of entry to. Work: (a)-(h) and, (i) Valid offer of employment in writing from a New Zealand employer with a full job description and, in many cases, confirmation that the position cannot be filled by a New Zealander. Student: (a)-(h) and, (i) Confirmation of placement at an approved educational institution.

Note: Those applying for a visa may also be asked to undergo an interview and/or a medical examination prior to travel, or by the Immigration Officer at port of entry.
Anyone applying for residency or temporary entry with a visa allowing a stay of greater than 12 months is required to complete a health declaration form supported by medical records that can be no more than three months old.

Working days required: This may vary depending on type of visa required and nationality of the applicant.

Temporary residence: Enquire at the nearest New Zealand High Commission or Immigration Service for details.

What to bring
If you plan to visit New Zealand during the colder months between May and September, bring warm clothes and a waterproof jacket. This is especially important in alpine regions where the weather can change rapidly.
It's also worth noting that the climate is colder the further south you travel - the opposite of the northern hemisphere.
Insect repellent for mosquitoes and sunscreen for the strong sunrays are also important during the summer months. Of course, these can be purchased on arrival.
Because of the importance of agriculture in the economy, strong restrictions are placed on animal products, fruit, plant material, and foodstuffs being bought into the country. Our advice is simply not to bring them. Visitors bringing in a quantity of medication are advised to have a doctor's certificate to avoid possible problems with Customs.

Getting there
New Zealand's three international airports are at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Which one to fly into is indicated when you create your itinerary on this site. Flying times are approximately 3 hours from Australia, 10 hours from Singapore, and 12 hours from the west coast of the United States.
Every person arriving in New Zealand must complete the arrival card handed out on the aircraft.

Money

Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of NZ$100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of NZ$2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents.

Currency exchange: Exchange facilities are widely available throughout New Zealand.

Credit & debit cards: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services that might be available.

Travellers cheques: Can be exchanged at official rates at trading banks, large hotels and some shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars, Pounds Sterling or Australian Dollars.

Currency restrictions: There are no restrictions on the import and export of foreign or local currency.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the New Zealand Dollar against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date May '04 Aug '04 Nov '04 Feb '05
£1.00= 2.89 2.77 2.68 2.65
$1.00= 1.62 1.50 1.44 1.40

Duty Free

The following items may be imported into New Zealand by persons of 17 years of age and over without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco or a mixture of all three weighing no more than 250g; 4.5l of wine or beer; 1.125l or 40oz of spirits or liqueurs; goods to a total value of NZ$700.

Prohibited items: Because of the importance of agriculture and horticulture to the New Zealand economy, certain animal products, fruit, plant material or foodstuffs that could contain plant or animal pests may not be allowed into the country. For further information, contact the nearest Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The import of the following items is also prohibited: firearms and weapons (unless a special permit is obtained from the New Zealand police); ivory in any form; tortoise or turtle shell jewellery and ornaments; medicines using musk, rhinoceros or tiger derivatives; carvings or anything made from whalebone or bone from any other marine animals; cat skins or coats and certain drugs (eg diuretics, depressants, stimulants, heart drugs, tranquillisers, sleeping pills) unless covered by a doctor’s prescription.

Health:

Food & drink: Mains water is considered safe to drink. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are generally considered safe to eat.

Other risks: There are no snakes or dangerous wild animals in New Zealand. Sandflies are prevalent in Fiordland, but these can be effectively countered with insect repellent. The only poisonous creature is the very rare katipo spider.

Health care: Medical facilities, both public and private, are of a high standard. Telephone numbers for doctors and hospitals are listed at the front of the white pages of local telephone directories. Should visitors need drugs or pharmaceutical supplies outside normal shopping hours, they should refer to ‘Urgent Pharmacies’ in the local telephone directory for the location of the nearest pharmacy or check with their hotel. Many hotels have doctors on call. Long-staying visitors with a valid permit to stay for two or more years are entitled to health care services on the same basis as New Zealand citizens. There is a reciprocal health agreement with the UK, which entitles short-term British visitors to publicly funded health treatment. They will receive free treatment as a hospital inpatient, but must pay some charges for any services provided by outpatients and private doctors. Medical insurance is advised to cover any additional charges.

Electricity
Electricity is supplied throughout New Zealand at 230/240 volts (50 hertz), although most hotels and motels provide 110 volt AC sockets (rated at 20 watts) for electric razors only.

Time
New Zealand is 12 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). In summer, on the first Sunday in October, New Zealand has daylight saving when clocks are put forward one hour. Daylight saving finishes on the last Sunday of March.

Driving
Most foreign driver licences are acceptable in New Zealand (check with your travel agent). New Zealanders drive on the left, give way to all traffic crossing or approaching from the right. Most rental car companies will provide a short list of the more important rules.

Tipping
Tips in New Zealand are optional and are generally given in appreciation of extra good service. You should tip 5-10% of the bill in a restaurant (not in a simple café) if you feel you have received exceptional service.

Information Centres
New Zealand has a network of national visitor information centres that can provide comprehensive information and booking service, seven days a week.
Regional visitor information centres provide general information and booking service, seven days a week, and local information centres provide local information, usually five days a week.