Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Rt Hon Winston Peters speaks to Pacific journalists about visa changes at Pasifika TV’s 10-year anniversary event, in Auckland. Photo credit: Office of Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Travel is becoming more affordable for Pacific visitors coming to Aotearoa New Zealand, with further visitor visa settings.
Foreign Affairs Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters, and Immigration Minister Hon Erica Stanford recently made the announcement, impacting visitors from American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Minister Peters says from June 1 this year, the total cost of applying for a visitor visa for Pacific nationals will drop from $216 to $161, for a 12-month period, as part of New Zealand’s ongoing work to deepen Pacific connections.
“This is a practical update to visitor visa settings that reduces cost, supports easier travel and helps strengthen the relationships that matter most,” Minister Peters says.
The updates build on earlier improvements, such as longer visa durations – from one year to two years with multiple entries – along with reduced processing times, new escalation processes to support urgent travel, and the current visa‑free trial for Pacific travellers coming from Australia.
These changes make it less challenging and less expensive for Pacific visitors to come to New Zealand, while ensuring the system remains clear, predictable and secure.
Minister Stanford says the Government will review the impacts in a year’s time, before deciding what happens next.
As part of the Realm of New Zealand, people from the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau do not need visas to travel to New Zealand, and neither do citizens and permanent residents from Australia, given the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement.
People from New Caledonia and French Polynesia are French citizens and already eligible for visa-free travel, while those from Pitcairn Islands may be eligible for the reduced fee, as British citizens they are also already eligible for visa-free travel.
Visitor visas for Pacific Islands Forum nationals moved to a 24‑month multi‑entry default from July 6, 2025.
A 12‑month trial, from November 3, 2025, allows Pacific passport holders travelling from Australia on a valid Australian visa to enter New Zealand visa‑free with an NZeTA for visits of up to three months.
Visit Immigration New Zealand’s website for more information.