New Zealand visa may not be as powerful as other visas, but it can still get you VISA-FREE entry to a few countries. As of 2026, there are 13 VISA-FREE countries for New Zealand visa or permanent residence permit holders.
One challenge with New Zealand visas is that New Zealand is moving towards issuing only electronic visas. The airline staff or immigration officers may not be familiar with verifying the authenticity of electronic visas.
In this guide, you will learn about these 13 countries, whether or not they accept e-Visas, eligible nationalities, and the entry rules to keep in mind.
If you are here but you don’t hold a New Zealand Visa, read the full guide on various types of New Zealand visas for tourists, requirements, eligibility and application process.
Table of Contents
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What New Zealand Visas are Accepted?
Depending on the VISA-FREE country, any of the following New Zealand visas can be used.
- NZeTA
- Visitor Visa (tourism, business, academic, etc)
- Work Visa (talent, accredited, etc)
- Student Visa (exchange, fee-paying, etc)
- Residence Visa (Skilled migrant, permanent residence, etc)
Refer to each country below for permitted New Zealand visas. Some countries require the New Zealand visa to be multiple-entry and have been used at least once to travel to New Zealand.
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Are New Zealand e-Visas accepted?
New Zealand is moving towards issuing only e-Visas. Whether or not a country accepts New Zealand e-Visa is completely dependent on that country’s immigration being familiar with New Zealand’s Visa Verification Service (also called Visa View).
New Zealand’s Visa Verification Service (Visa View) is the official portal to verify the validity of New Zealand e-Visas. However, using this service requires prior consent from the visa holder. Also, a RealMe account is necessary to log into the Visa View portal.
That means, it not only takes time but also requires consent from the visa holder and RealMe credentials to verify a New Zealand e-Visa.
Countries with friendly and patient immigration officers may adapt to using online systems to verify the authenticity of electronic visas. As of now, it’s difficult to say if you can gain a smooth VISA-FREE entry into the below countries with a New Zealand e-Visa.
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Asia
01. Malaysia (temporarily suspended)
- Eligible Nationalities: Following nationalities only
- Bangladesh
- India
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
- Permitted New Zealand visas: All valid used/unused multiple-entry (or used single-entry) New Zealand visas
- Permitted New Zealand PRs: All valid New Zealand residence visas
- Are New Zealand eVisas accepted? UNCLEAR
- Duration of stay: 120 hours (5 days)
- Additional requirements:
- Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but you are eligible to obtain Transit Without Visa (TWOA) at the VOA counter
- TWOA is free of charge, valid for 120 hours (5 days), single-entry only
- TWOA is available at Kuala Lumpur Airport (KLIA1 and KLIA2 terminals) only
- TWOA is available only if flying with Malaysian Airlines, AirAsia or Malindo Air
- Must be in transit to reach New Zealand as the destination. Must hold a confirmed onward eTicket or original boarding pass to New Zealand within 120 hours. (Exception for longer-term pass holders such as work visa, student visa, etc., who can depart to any third country)
- Issuing of TWOA is at the discretion of the immigration offices at Kuala Lumpur Airport
- Official source: Consulate General of Malaysia in Chennai, India
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02. Singapore
- Eligible Nationalities: Following nationalities only
- China
- India
- Permitted New Zealand visas: All valid used/unused single/multiple-entry New Zealand visas, except transit
- Permitted New Zealand PRs: All valid New Zealand residence visas
- Are New Zealand eVisas accepted? YES
- Duration of stay: 96 hours (4 days)
- Additional requirements:
- Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but you are eligible to obtain the Visa Free Transit Facility (VFTF) upon arrival
- Must be traveling to or from the country of the passport. Example: Must be traveling to a third country from India via Singapore or traveling to India from a third country via Singapore. An example itinerary would be India-Singapore-Bali or Bali-Singapore-India.
- Both arriving and departing flights in Singapore must be on the same itinerary
- New Zealand visa must be valid for at least 1 month at the time of arrival
- Official source: Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
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03. South Korea
- Eligible Nationalities: All nationalities (except these 23 countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Cuba, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Senegal, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Uzbekistan and Yemen)
- Permitted New Zealand visas: All valid used/unused multiple-entry New Zealand visas, except transit
Permitted New Zealand PRs: All valid New Zealand residence visas - Are New Zealand eVisas accepted? NOT ACCEPTED
- Duration of stay: 30 days
- Additional requirements:
- Must be traveling to/from New Zealand via South Korea
- If there is a transit or stopover before South Korea, it cannot be more than 3 days
- New Zealand visa or residence permit MUST be a sticker in the passport (NZ e-Visas are NOT accepted)
- Official source: South Korea Embassy in Washington DC, USA
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04. Taiwan
- Eligible Nationalities: Following nationalities only
- Cambodia
- India
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Myanmar
- Vietnam
- Permitted New Zealand visas: All valid used/unused multiple or single-entry New Zealand visas, except transit
- Permitted New Zealand PRs: All valid/expired New Zealand residence visas
- Are New Zealand eVisas accepted? YES
- Duration of stay: 14 days
- Additional requirements:
- Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but you are eligible to apply for Taiwan Travel Authorization Certificate (TAC) online
- TAC is free of charge, valid for 90 days, and multiple-entry
- Official source: Bureau of Consular Affairs of Republic of China (Taiwan)
RELATED: 17 countries you can visit VISA-FREE with an Australian visa in 2026
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Oceania
05. New Zealand (of course!)
Includes New Zealand territories: The Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau.
The Cook Islands and Niue are VISA-FREE for all nationalities. But flights to these two islands are only through New Zealand, so a visa for New Zealand is required. If you hold a New Zealand visa, you can not only travel to New Zealand but also to its territories Cook Islands and Niue.
RELATED: 55 countries you can travel VISA-FREE with a US visa in 2026
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Europe
06. Armenia
(a) Visa on Arrival (VOA) with NZ Visa or PR
- Eligible Nationalities: Following nationalities only
- Algeria
- Belize
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Egypt
- Fiji
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Iraq
- Jamaica
- Kiribati
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- Myanmar
- Nauru
- Nicaragua
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Philippines
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Samoa
- Saudi Arabia
- Solomon Islands
- Suriname
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Permitted New Zealand visas: All valid used/unused multiple-entry New Zealand visas
- Permitted New Zealand PRs: All valid New Zealand residence visas
- Are New Zealand eVisas accepted? YES
- Duration of stay: 21 days
- Additional requirements:
- Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but are eligible to apply for Visa ON ARRIVAL or Armenia e-Visa (only for Egypt, India and Iraq nationals)
- VOA fee is 11 USD, valid for 21 days, single-entry
- Australia residence visa must be valid for at least 6 months from the arrival date
- Official source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
(b) VISA-FREE with NZ PR (Temporary from 01 Jan to 01 Jun 2026)
- Eligible Nationalities: Following nationalities only
- Algeria
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brunei Darussalam
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo, Dem. Rep. of
- Congo, Rep. of
- Costa Rica
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Indonesia
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestine
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Rwanda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Syria
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- Permitted New Zealand visas: None
- Permitted New Zealand PRs: All valid New Zealand residence visas
- Are New Zealand eVisas accepted? YES
- Duration of stay: Up to 180 days
- Additional requirements:
- New Zealand residence visa must be valid for at least 6 months from the arrival date
- Total stay cannot be more than 180 days within a 1-year period
- Official source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
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07. Georgia
- Eligible Nationalities: All Visa-Required nationalities
- Permitted New Zealand visas: All valid used/unused multiple-entry New Zealand visas
- Permitted New Zealand PRs: All valid New Zealand residence visas
- Are New Zealand eVisas accepted? YES
- Duration of stay: 90 days
- Additional requirements:
- New Zealand visa must be valid on the day of arrival in Georgia
- Total duration of consecutive stays must not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period
- Official source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia
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08. Montenegro
- Eligible Nationalities: All Visa-Required nationalities
- Permitted New Zealand visas: All valid used/unused multiple-entry New Zealand visas
- Permitted New Zealand PRs: All valid New Zealand residence visas
- Are New Zealand eVisas accepted? YES
- Duration of stay: 30 days
- Additional requirements: New Zealand visa must be valid for the intended period of the stay
- Official source: Government of Montenegro
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09. United Kingdom
- Eligible Nationalities: All Visa-Required nationalities
- Permitted New Zealand visas: All valid used/unused multiple-entry New Zealand visas
- Permitted New Zealand PRs: All valid New Zealand residence visas
- Are New Zealand eVisas accepted? YES
- Duration of stay: 24 hours only (Transit Without Visa)
- Additional requirements:
- Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but you are eligible to request a 24-hour entry at London (LHR) or Manchester (MAN) airports
- Must be traveling to or from New Zealand
- Must arrive and depart by air
- Must hold the boarding pass for the onward flight
- Onward flight must be within 24 hours (on the same day or the next day before midnight)
- Granting the 24-hour entry is at the sole discretion of the immigration officer
- Official source: GOV.UK
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Middle East
10. Qatar
- Eligible Nationalities: All Visa-Required nationalities
- Permitted New Zealand visas: All valid used/unused multiple-entry New Zealand visas, except transit
- Permitted New Zealand PRs: All valid New Zealand residence visas
- Are New Zealand eVisas accepted? YES
- Duration of stay: 30 days
- Additional requirements:
- Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but you are eligible to apply for A3 Visa online on the Hayya portal
- A3 Visa fee is QAR 100, valid for 30 days, single-entry only
- New Zealand visa or residence permit must be valid on the day of the A3 Visa application
- Official source: Qatar Tourism Board
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11. United Arab Emirates
- Eligible Nationalities: Indian passport holders only
- Permitted New Zealand visas: None
- Permitted New Zealand PRs: All valid New Zealand residence visas
- Are New Zealand eVisas accepted? YES
- Duration of stay: 14 days
- Additional requirements:
- Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but you are eligible to obtain UAE Visa on Arrival (VOA)
- VOA fee 100 AED, valid for 14 days, single-entry only
- New Zealand residence permit must be valid for at least 6 months from the day of arrival
- Only New Zealand residence visas are accepted (tourist visas are NOT accepted)
- Official source: TIMATIC on the Emirates website
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Africa
12. Egypt
- Eligible Nationalities: All Visa-Required nationalities, except Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Iran, Israel, Mali, Niger, Palestine, Sudan, and Syria
- Permitted New Zealand visas: All valid USED multiple-entry New Zealand visas
- Permitted New Zealand PRs: All valid USED New Zealand residence visas
- Are New Zealand eVisas accepted? UNCLEAR
- Duration of stay: 30 days
- Additional requirements:
- Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but you are eligible to obtain Visa ON ARRIVAL at all international airports
- VOA fee is 30 USD, valid for 30 days, single-entry only
- New Zealand visa or residence permit must have been used to enter New Zealand at least once
- Official source: IATA Travel Centre
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13. Morocco
- Eligible Nationalities: All Visa-Required and non-e-Visa eligible nationalities, except Iran, Palestine and Syria
- Permitted New Zealand visas: All valid used/unused multiple-entry New Zealand visas
- Permitted New Zealand PRs: All valid New Zealand residence visas
- Are New Zealand eVisas accepted? YES
- Duration of stay: 30 days
- Additional requirements:
- Visa is NOT EXEMPT, but you are eligible to apply for Morocco e-Visa
- E-Visa fee is 770 MAD, valid for 180 days, single-entry only
- New Zealand visa or residence permit must be valid for at least 90 days from the day of arrival
- Official source: Morocco E-Visa Portal
RELATED: 81 countries you can travel VISA-FREE with Schengen visa in 2026
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Change history
| Date | Changes |
|---|---|
| 30 Mar 2026 | Countries removed: (1) Nicaragua (eliminated their VOA and “VOA with substitute visa” policy on Feb 16, 2026, as announced in Provision No. 002-2026) Countries updated: (1) Armenia (added new VOA fee details; added new temporary VISA-FREE provision for 113 nationalities holding NZ PR) (2) Qatar (no need to book a hotel through Discover Qatar for its A3 visa; any hotel is fine now) (3) Egypt (9 high-risk countries are now excluded from this provision, and the VOA fee went up from $25 to $30) |
| 09 Sep 2025 | Countries added: UAE (UAE now accepts NZ residence visas for VOA) |
| 20 May 2025 | Countries added: Nicaragua (accepts NZ residence visas) Countries removed: Thailand (everyone is now eligible for Thai eVisa) Countries updated: Added NZ eVisa acceptance to all countries |
| 22 Mar 2024 | Countries added: Thailand (residents of NZ are now eligible for Thai eVisa) |
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That’s it. 13 VISA-FREE countries you can visit with New Zealand visa, updated for 2026. Have you used your New Zealand visa to travel to any of these countries? Do you know any other countries that offer VISA-FREE entry with New Zealand visa? Let me know in the comments below.
Credits: Maps are made with mapchart.net
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