New Zealand Visit Visa From Pakistan 2026: Requirements, Fees and Process

New Zealand is one of the great long-haul journeys a Pakistani traveller can take. In a single trip you can stand beneath the cliffs of Milford Sound, walk the geothermal valleys of Rotorua, and drive some of the most photographed coastlines in the world. The distance is the reason it stays on the bucket list for so long, and the visa is the first real step.

This guide explains the New Zealand Visitor Visa exactly as Immigration New Zealand (INZ) describes it: who needs it, how long you can stay, what it costs, which documents to prepare, and how to apply online from Pakistan. Every rule below comes from INZ’s own pages, which were checked in October 2026. Where a figure could not be read on an official page, that is stated plainly rather than guessed.

Milford Sound fiord with Mitre Peak, New Zealand — Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park, one of New Zealand’s most visited natural landmarks

Key Facts at a Glance

Item	Detail
Visa needed by Pakistanis	Yes. Pakistan is not on New Zealand’s visa waiver list, so a Visitor Visa is required before travel. The NZeTA is not available to Pakistani passport holders.
Maximum stay	Up to 9 months in an 18-month period (single-entry); multiple-entry allows up to 6 months in each 12-month period.
Total fee	NZD 441 per applicant (NZD 341 application fee including the immigration levy, plus the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy). Non-refundable.
How to apply	Online through an Immigration New Zealand account.
Funds requirement	At least NZD 1,000 per month, or NZD 400 per month if accommodation is prepaid.
Passport validity	At least 3 months beyond your planned date of departure from New Zealand.
Result	An electronic visa (eVisa) linked to your passport; no physical label.

Do Pakistanis Need a Visa for New Zealand?

Yes. New Zealand runs a visa waiver system for around 60 countries and territories. Pakistan is not on that list, which INZ publishes officially. That means:

You must hold a Visitor Visa before you travel. You cannot board your flight without one.
The NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) is for visa-waiver nationals. It is not an alternative route for Pakistani passport holders.
Australian citizens and some other categories have separate exemptions, but they do not apply to an ordinary Pakistani passport.

New Zealand does not issue a separate “tourist visa”. The single Visitor Visa category covers holidays, sightseeing, visiting family and friends, short business-related visits and short courses of study, so if you have been searching for a “New Zealand tourist visa”, the Visitor Visa is the visa you are looking for.

What the Visitor Visa Lets You Do

With a Visitor Visa you can:

Travel around New Zealand as a tourist, visit friends and family, or take part in amateur sports and adventure activities.
Study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period.
Include your partner and dependent children aged 19 or younger in your application.

There are firm limits as well:

You cannot work for a New Zealand employer. If your reason for travel involves paid work in New Zealand, you need the right work visa. Remote work for an employer or client based outside New Zealand is permitted on a Visitor Visa.
Business trips can be made on the Visitor Visa, but if business is your main purpose INZ directs you to the separate Business Visitor Visa.
Stay limits apply. You can stay up to a maximum of 9 months in an 18-month period. A multiple-entry visa allows up to 6 months in each 12-month period, and you must have been outside New Zealand for at least 9 months in the 18 months before you apply. A single-entry visa lets you enter once; if you leave New Zealand, it expires.
Your visa is valid from the date you enter New Zealand if INZ approves it while you are offshore. You must leave before it expires.

Who Can Apply

INZ sets five conditions for every Visitor Visa applicant. You must:

Be in good health.
Be of good character.
Have genuine reasons for coming to New Zealand.
Have enough money to pay your living expenses, or have an acceptable sponsor.
Show you can leave New Zealand at the end of your stay.

The third point matters more than applicants expect. INZ assesses whether you are a genuine visitor from everything you provide: your reason for travel, your personal circumstances in Pakistan, and anything you submitted in earlier applications. A clear, honest file beats a thick one.

Documents Required

INZ’s official document list for the Visitor Visa is straightforward. When you apply you will need to provide:

A copy of your passport (valid for at least 3 months after your planned departure from New Zealand).
One acceptable photo (meeting INZ’s photo requirements).
Proof you have enough money to live on (see the funds section below).
Proof of your plans in New Zealand, to show you are a genuine visitor.
Proof you can leave New Zealand at the end of your stay.
Police certificates and chest X-ray or medical evidence, only if required (explained below).
Documents showing your relationship with your partner and dependent children, plus their identity documents and photos, if you are including them.
A completed Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry, if you have a sponsor.
English translations of any document not in English, with copies of the originals.

Documents checklist and form being prepared for a visa application — Prepare a clear, complete document file before you apply online

A few points from INZ’s “how to apply” guidance are worth following carefully: enter your identity details exactly as they appear in your passport, because mistakes can delay or sink an application; and use the visa checklists INZ publishes, which exist in several languages.

Financial Requirements

If you are paying for yourself, INZ requires:

At least NZD 1,000 per month, or
NZD 400 per month if your accommodation is already paid for.

Acceptable evidence includes bank or credit card statements, proof of prepaid accommodation such as hotel vouchers, bank drafts or traveller’s cheques. The evidence must show that the account is in your name, which bank it is with, and which currency the money is in.

For a Pakistani applicant this is the section that needs the most honest preparation. Six months of bank statements showing a stable balance and regular income carry far more weight than a large deposit that appears the week before you apply. INZ also looks at whether the money is genuinely yours and available to you.

If someone in New Zealand is supporting you, your sponsor completes INZ’s Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry and provides their own evidence such as bank statements, pay slips and their employment agreement. A sponsor is responsible for you during your stay.

Proof You Will Leave New Zealand

You must show a plan to leave at the end of your stay. INZ accepts:

Your ticket for travel out of New Zealand, or
Documents such as bank or credit card statements showing you have enough money to buy one.

Important: the money for your ticket must be in addition to what you need to live on. It cannot be counted twice.

Health and Character Checks

Health. You must be in good health. INZ may ask for a chest X-ray, a medical examination, or both. The official thresholds:

Staying less than 6 months: you do not normally need a chest X-ray.
Staying 6 months or more: you need a chest X-ray if you are a citizen of a country that does not have a low incidence of tuberculosis. Pakistan is not on INZ’s low-TB-incidence list, so Pakistani citizens staying more than 6 months should expect to be asked for one.
Staying less than 12 months: you do not normally need a full medical certificate.

Any X-ray or medical evidence must be less than 3 months old when INZ receives it, so do not book medicals before you understand the timeline.

Character. You must be of good character. INZ can ask for police certificates that are less than 6 months old. For a standard Visitor Visa this is only required if you are aged 17 or older and your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer, including time spent there on earlier visas. For most Pakistani tourists applying for a short holiday, police certificates are not part of the standard file, though INZ can request them during processing if it has character concerns.

Fees and Additional Costs

New Zealand charges the Visitor Visa fee and a separate tourism levy. The current figures:

Charge	Amount (NZD)	Notes
Visitor Visa application fee	341	Includes the NZD 41 immigration levy set in Schedule 6 of the Immigration Regulations.
International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL)	100	Charged per person when you apply for a temporary entry visa; paid together with the application.
Total to INZ per applicant	441	Paid online when you apply.

A few things to know about the money:

Neither the fee nor the levy is refunded if your application is declined. INZ states this plainly, and the levy has been non-refundable since it was introduced. This is the strongest argument for submitting a complete, careful application the first time.
The IVL applies to most Visitor Visa holders (partner and dependent categories are excluded) and is charged per person, so a family of four pays the levy four times.
The fee rose from NZD 211 to NZD 341 and the levy from NZD 35 to NZD 100 on 1 October 2024. Older guides and agents still quote the old totals, so ignore anything that says the visa costs around NZD 246.
The figures above are the widely reported current totals consistent with INZ’s published fee schedule. INZ advises confirming the exact amount in its “Fees, decision times and where to apply” tool before you pay, because fees can change.
Separate costs may apply: a service fee at the Visa Application Centre (see below) and the cost of any medical examinations.

Processing Time and When to Apply

INZ publishes its processing times and updates them regularly. Recent published figures for the Visitor Visa have shown an average of about one week with 80 percent decided within about two weeks, measured in working days. These figures move with application volume and are not a promise for your case; one in five applications takes longer, and complex cases or missing documents extend the wait. Summer is INZ’s peak season, with a visible surge in Visitor Visa applications before Christmas, so apply as early as you can and do not book non-refundable travel before the visa is granted.

Check INZ’s current published processing time when you apply rather than relying on the figure in any guide.

How to Apply: Step by Step

Gather your documents. Work through INZ’s official checklist for the Visitor Visa: passport, photo, funds evidence, travel plans, onward travel evidence, and translations where needed. If a chest X-ray or medical is likely, identify an approved panel physician early.
Create your INZ account and apply online. Log in to your Immigration New Zealand account, or set one up. Fill in the application, upload your documents and pay the fee and the IVL online. From 1 October 2026, INZ stopped accepting paper applications for the Visitor Visa (and several other visitor visas), so the online route through INZ’s enhanced Immigration Online system is the standard path.
Attend the Visa Application Centre if required. INZ works with VFS Global, which operates visa application centres for New Zealand in a number of countries, including one in Karachi at 43/1/D, Razi Road, PECHS, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Karachi. The centres handle front-end administrative tasks; INZ alone makes the decision. A separate VAC service fee applies, and it was increased from 1 January 2026. Check the VFS Global site for New Zealand for the current fee and what to bring.
Wait for the decision and track your application. Log in to your INZ account to check status. INZ will email you when a decision is made and may contact you first if it needs more information.
Receive your eVisa. If approved, INZ issues an electronic visa linked to your passport and sends you a copy. There is no visa label or sticker. Before you fly, complete the New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD), which for air travel can be submitted from 24 hours before your journey begins.

Step-by-step infographic: how to apply for a New Zealand visitor visa from Pakistan — The application process at a glance

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Weak funds evidence. A single recent statement, an account not in your name, or statements that do not show the bank and currency will slow or sink an application.
No clear reason to return. Employment, family, property or study ties in Pakistan are the backbone of the genuine-visitor assessment. Address this directly in your cover letter.
Double-counting the ticket money. INZ requires the money for your onward ticket to be separate from your living expenses.
Applying on paper. The paper route for Visitor Visas ended on 1 October 2026; paper applications are now only accepted in exceptional circumstances.
Ignoring the photo rules. An unacceptable photo is one of the most common avoidable delays.
Booking non-refundable flights first. INZ’s own advice is to apply early and wait for the grant before committing money you cannot recover.

Transiting Through New Zealand

If you are only passing through New Zealand on the way to another country, different rules apply. You need a Transit Visa if you are passing through Auckland International Airport as a transit passenger and you are not a New Zealand citizen or resident, do not hold a valid New Zealand visa, are not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and are not travelling on a passport from a transit visa waiver or visa waiver country. Transit is only possible at Auckland International Airport, the only NZ airport with a transit area, for a maximum of 24 hours, and you must stay in the transit area. One exception: if you are passing through New Zealand to or from Australia, you can apply for an NZeTA instead of a Transit Visa. Transit passengers passing through Auckland without entering New Zealand do not pay the IVL.

If Your Visa Is Refused

A refusal is not the end of the road, but handle it correctly. Read the refusal letter carefully to understand which requirement was not met. You can apply again, but a second application that repeats the first one’s weaknesses usually gets the same result. Strengthen the specific area INZ questioned: better funds evidence, clearer ties to Pakistan, or a more detailed travel plan. Remember that the fee and the IVL are not refunded, so each application carries the full cost again. If your circumstances are complex, a licensed immigration adviser is worth the cost.

Staying Longer

If you are already in New Zealand on a Visitor Visa and need more time for a genuine reason, you can apply for a new Visitor Visa before your current one expires. The 9-months-in-18-months ceiling still applies, and the new visa will be single-entry. Note that if your current visa is about to expire while you wait for a decision, INZ will normally issue an interim visa so you remain lawful.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the New Zealand Visitor Visa cost from Pakistan?
NZD 441 per applicant: a NZD 341 application fee (which includes the immigration levy) plus the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. Neither is refunded if the visa is declined. A separate VAC service fee may also apply.

How long can I stay in New Zealand on a Visitor Visa?
Up to 9 months in an 18-month period on a single-entry visa. A multiple-entry visa allows up to 6 months in each 12-month period.

Can I work in New Zealand on a Visitor Visa?
No, not for a New Zealand employer. You may work remotely for an employer or client based outside New Zealand. For business travel as your main purpose, apply for the Business Visitor Visa instead.

Can I study on a Visitor Visa?
Yes, for up to 3 months in any 12-month period.

Do I need an NZeTA if I am Pakistani?
No. The NZeTA is for nationals of visa-waiver countries. Pakistani passport holders need a full Visitor Visa before travel.

How long does processing take?
INZ’s recently published figures show about one week on average with 80 percent decided within about two weeks, but the numbers move with volume and season. Apply early and check the current published figure on INZ’s website.

Do I need a chest X-ray or medical?
Not normally for stays under 6 months. For stays over 6 months, Pakistani citizens should expect to be asked for a chest X-ray, because Pakistan is not on INZ’s low-TB-incidence list.

Do I need a police certificate?
Only if you are 17 or older and your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer, including previous visits. INZ can still request one during processing.

Is the visa a sticker in my passport?
No. Approved applicants receive an eVisa linked electronically to their passport, plus a copy by email.

Can I include my family in one application?
Yes. Your partner and dependent children aged 19 or younger can be included in your application with relationship and identity evidence.

Do I need travel insurance?
It is not a visa requirement for the standard Visitor Visa, but INZ recommends full medical insurance for your stay, because you must pay for any health care you need in New Zealand.

Official Sources

Immigration New Zealand, “Visitor Visa”: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/visitor-visa/
Immigration New Zealand, “How much visa applications cost and when to pay”: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/process-to-apply/applying-for-a-visa/fees-processing-times-and-refunds/how-much-visa-applications-cost-and-when-to-pay/
Immigration New Zealand, “Paying the International Visitor Levy”: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/process-to-apply/applying-for-a-visa/fees-processing-times-and-refunds/paying-the-international-visitor-levy/
Immigration New Zealand, “Visa waiver countries and territories”: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visit/what-you-need-to-visit-new-zealand/visa-waiver-countries-and-territories/
Immigration New Zealand, “Transit Visa”: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/transit-visa/
Immigration New Zealand, “Changes to use of paper applications for some visitor and transit visas” (announcement, 4 September 2026): https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/changes-to-use-of-paper-applications-for-some-visitor-and-transit-visas/
Immigration New Zealand, “VAC service fee increase” (announcement, 15 December 2025): https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/vac-service-fee-increase-3/
Immigration New Zealand, “Collecting and using biometric information”: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/process-to-apply/applying-for-a-visa/providing-evidence-and-documents-to-support-your-visa-application/identity-information/collecting-and-using-biometric-information/
Immigration New Zealand, “Visitor Visa Guide” (INZ 1018, October 2026)
Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010, regulation 26AAD (IVL of NZD 100) and Schedule 6 (visitor visa immigration levy of NZD 41)

Genuine Limitations

The NZD 441 total and the “80% within about two weeks” processing benchmark are the currently reported figures consistent with INZ’s published schedules; INZ’s own fee and processing-time tools could not be read directly during research, so confirm both on immigration.govt.nz before you apply or quote them. The VAC service fee for Pakistan and current biometric practice at the Karachi centre were not published on an official page in this session. Rules change: always check the live INZ pages linked above before acting.

Related Guides

Australia Visit Visa from Pakistan 2026: the closest comparison to New Zealand, another long-haul English-speaking destination with a similar online application.
UK Visit Visa from Pakistan 2026: the classic benchmark for funds evidence and the genuine-visitor test.

Disclaimer

TourPointGo is an independent visa-information website, not a government authority, embassy, immigration adviser or travel agency. This article summarises publicly available information from Immigration New Zealand as checked in October 2026 and is general information only, not immigration advice. Rules, fees and processing times change. Always confirm the current position on immigration.govt.nz before you apply. No article can guarantee a visa decision.