South African citizens need a visa before travelling to New Zealand, and for tourism that is the Visitor Visa, applied for online with Immigration New Zealand (INZ). South Africans are not on the visa-free route: INZ required a visa from all South African nationals from 21 November 2016.
To qualify you must plan to leave at the end of your stay, have enough money (or an acceptable sponsor) and not plan to work. The visa costs from NZD $441 and INZ decides 80% of applications within 2 weeks.
Eligibility and Entry Requirements at a Glance
- Plans to leave New Zealand at the end of your stay
- Enough money to pay your living expenses, or an acceptable sponsor
- No plan to work in New Zealand, unless you work remotely for a business overseas
- A passport valid for at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave
- Meeting INZ’s health and character requirements
You can include your partner and dependent children aged 19 or younger in your application, with evidence of relationship and identity. A single-entry visa expires if you leave New Zealand; a multiple-entry visa lets you return.
Passport and Travel Document Requirements
Your passport or certificate of identity must be valid for at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave New Zealand. Submit a copy of the passport or one acceptable photo with your application.
Everyone entering must also complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration covering customs, immigration and biosecurity. Air travellers can submit it from 24 hours before the journey. Entry can be refused on arrival if you are not a genuine visitor, have character issues, your circumstances have changed or you cannot show onward travel or money.
Visa and Supporting Document Requirements
- Passport copy or one acceptable photo
- Proof of funds, or the sponsor’s completed Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025)
- 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, where required
- Family relationship and identity documents if you include a partner or children
- English translations and copies of the originals for any document not in English
INZ does not name an employment letter or evidence of ties to South Africa as required documents. They may help show genuine intentions, but they are not what INZ lists.
Financial, Health and Entry Conditions
Funds. You need at least NZD $1,000 a month, or NZD $400 a month if your accommodation is already paid for. Acceptable evidence includes proof of prepaid accommodation, bank or credit card statements, bank drafts or traveller’s cheques; the account must be in your name. A sponsor, who can be an individual or an organisation, completes INZ 1025 and is responsible for you in New Zealand.
Ticket out. Show a ticket out of New Zealand, or bank or credit card statements showing money to buy one. That money must be in addition to your living funds, though a sponsor can show funds instead.
Fees. The visa costs from NZD $441 for a South African applying from outside New Zealand: an NZD $300 application fee, an NZD $41 immigration levy and the NZD $100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, which is non-refundable. See the INZ fees guide for the current schedule. Fees are not refunded if the application is declined.
Health. You do not normally need a chest X-ray for stays under 6 months or a medical certificate for stays under 12 months, but INZ may ask for either. For stays over 6 months a chest X-ray is required if you are a citizen of, or spent more than 3 months in the last 5 years in, a country without low TB incidence. Evidence must be less than 3 months old when INZ receives it, and the exam must be done by an INZ panel physician unless there is none in your country. INZ checks whether you would add significant cost to New Zealand’s health services, and private insurance cannot be considered; medical waivers may be available.
Character. Police certificates (under 6 months old) are needed if you are aged 17 or older and your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer. A criminal conviction or security risk may lead to refusal.
Stay. You can stay up to 6 months in each 12 months on a multiple-entry visa, or up to 9 months in an 18-month period on a single-entry visa. You can study for up to 3 months in any 12-month period. You cannot work. To extend, apply for a new visitor visa before the current one expires; if approved it is single-entry, for up to 9 months in an 18-month period.
Biosecurity. Biosecurity is part of the New Zealand Traveller Declaration. Declare food, plant material and outdoor gear you are unsure about, and check the Ministry for Primary Industries rules before you pack.
How to Prepare or Apply
- Gather your passport copy or photo, funds evidence or sponsorship form, proof of your plans and proof you can leave
- Book a panel physician early if a medical or X-ray is required, and collect police certificates if they apply
- Log in or create an account on the INZ website, complete the tourist visa application, upload your documents and pay the fee
- Wait for the decision by email; INZ issues an eVisa
Since 1 October 2026, applications for the Visitor Visa must be made online. INZ recommends not booking non-refundable travel until the visa is approved, and processing is busiest from September to March.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do South Africans need a visa or a travel authority?
A visa. All South African nationals have needed a visa before travelling since 21 November 2016. The NZeTA-only route applies to visa-waiver countries. Check the current waiver list with INZ before booking.
How much money do I need to show?
At least NZD $1,000 a month, or NZD $400 a month if your accommodation is already paid for, or an acceptable sponsor.
What is sponsorship?
A sponsor, an individual or an organisation, completes the Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) and is responsible for you in New Zealand. A sponsor can also show funds for your ticket out.
How do I apply for a New Zealand tourist visa?
Apply online with INZ, as above. It costs from NZD $441, and INZ decides 80% of applications within 2 weeks.
Do I need a medical or chest X-ray?
Not normally for stays under 6 months, but INZ may ask. Over 6 months it depends on the TB incidence of the country you are a citizen of or have lived in.
Confirm current requirements with Immigration New Zealand before you apply. See the visa requirements hub and browse all travel and immigration requirements.