New Zealand relaxes entry for Chinese tourists

New rules will make it simpler for Chinese travellers to visit or transit through New Zealand.

In an effort to attract more tourists form China, the government is rolling out in November 2025 some smart initiatives to make it easier for Chinese nationals to visit the country.

A Chinese national holding a multiple-entry valid Australian visitor, work or student visa will be able to travel as a tourist to New Zealand directly from Australia and visit for up to 3 months. They will not have to apply for a New Zealand visitor visa but will need to apply for a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)

At the same time, Chinese nationals will also be able to transit through New Zealand without a visa but will need a NZeTA. A transit through New Zealand does not allow a person to leave the airport but helps facilitate people catching connecting flights onto other destinations.  

Making it easier for Chinese tourists to visit or transit through New Zealand will help grow our economy. This is a high-level description of the November changes. More detail will be released closer to the time of these changes going live. We will keep you posted on developments in our newsletter.

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