ETIAS FOR NEW ZEALANDERS
EUROPE’S TRAVEL AUTHORISATION FOR CITIZENS OF NEW ZEALAND
This website is not associated with or owned by the EU. The European Union’s official website is europa.eu.
For up to 90 days, New Zealand passport holders can enter the Schengen Area without a European visa.
Citizens of New Zealand can visit any Schengen member nations with a valid passport if they fulfil the visa-free entry requirements. This is due to New Zealand’s participation in the EU’s visa-exemption scheme.
New Zealand citizens will be eligible to apply for ETIAS visa-free travel to Europe beginning in November 2023. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is a new visa waiver system for Europe. It will become a prerequisite for admission.
ETIAS is being implemented to strengthen Schengen border security. It will make European locations safer for New Zealanders and visitors from all around the world.
ETIAS permits New Zealanders to travel to all Schengen member states from November 2023:
- EU Schengen
- Non-EU Schengen States
- Non-Schengen EU States
Non-EU Member States:
Micro-States de facto part of Schengen Area:
Non-Schengen EU States
ETIAS FOR NEW ZEALAND CITIZENS APPLICATION
As of November 2023, the ETIAS visa waiver will be a legal necessity for New Zealanders entering the Schengen zone. The visa waiver can be obtained online by utilising a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer to visit the ETIAS application form and completing the simple online process.
New Zealanders applying for an ETIAS must give the following basic personal information:
- Full name
- Date and place of birth
- Street address
- Contact phone number
- Accurate passport details such as country of issuance, issuance date, expiration date and passport number
Citizens of New Zealand completing the online ETIAS application will also be asked to provide the following information:
- Criminal records
- Employment history
- Drug use
- Ties with human trafficking
- Prior travel to conflict areas or history of deportation from any EU Member States
- Past European travel information
The ETIAS application process is simple and straightforward, and the form should take no more than 10 minutes to complete for New Zealand citizens. The application process is also quick; New Zealand citizens will only need to apply a few days before their trip to Europe.
Before submitting their European visa waiver application, applicants should carefully review all of the information to ensure that there are no typing errors or inconsistencies in their data. This is to ensure that their ETIAS request is processed smoothly, as any errors may cause the process to be delayed.
Payment is made using a credit or debit card as the final step in the ETIAS travel authorization application process.
WHERE IN EUROPE CAN NEW ZEALAND CITIZENS VISIT WITH ETIAS?
The Schengen zone includes EU member countries, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
It also comprises four non-EU countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, as well as the microstates of Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City.
ETIAS will also be necessary to travel to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania, all of which are EU nations that are in the process of entering the Schengen Area.
The new ETIAS electronic travel authorization will allow New Zealanders to travel to all of the above-mentioned countries, as well as between them.
New Zealand passport holders should be aware that the United Kingdom and Ireland are not part of the Schengen Area. ETIAS will not be accepted for travel to the United Kingdom or Ireland, and New Zealand nationals should verify the particular entry requirements.
EUROPE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW ZEALAND CITIZENS
New Zealand citizens do not require a visa to visit the Schengen Area for up to 90 days. This will not change as a result of the implementation of ETIAS. ETIAS is a visa waiver or electronic travel authorization for visa-exempt travellers, not a European visa.
To travel to Schengen nations after November 2023, New Zealand passport holders will need to register with ETIAS. The ETIAS authorization will be connected to the traveller’s passport electronically and validated at the external Schengen border.
New Zealand citizens will retain their visa-free status, but will be needed to get travel authorization beginning in November 2023.
REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY FOR EUROPE’S TRAVEL AUTHORISATION FROM NEW ZEALAND
The ETIAS visa waiver will be offered to New Zealanders via an easy-to-use online application system. The following are the conditions for an ETIAS visa-waiver application:
- A New Zealand passport that is machine-readable and valid for at least 3 months after the intended date of departure from the European ETIAS countries
- A debit or credit card to pay the ETIAS fee
- A current email address, needed to receive the approved ETIAS visa waiver
These are the fundamental ETIAS criteria for New Zealand nationals visiting any Schengen Member State. The Schengen Area is made up of European countries that agreed to join forces to integrate passport and border control.
ETIAS SECURITY CHECKS FOR NEW ZEALAND NATIONALS
Once submitted, the application will be cross-checked against European border security and criminal databases.
The information submitted through the ETIAS application system enables European immigration authorities to pre-screen all citizens planning to visit the Schengen area. ETIAS checks are performed to identify potential threats and to improve security for the safety of both residents and visitors.
The European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice, also known as eu-LISA, checks all data provided on the Europe visa waiver application against multiple security databases.
Among the security databases used for screening are:
- VIS, a database that compiles visa information
- SIS, a shared European database used to identify individuals that are suspected to have a criminal background, as well as missing people, and stolen assets
- EURODAC, a database that compiles fingerprint info
All ETIAS security measures and processes are being implemented with the goal of identifying citizens who enter the Schengen Area illegally or commit identity theft and other types of fraud.
If a NZ citizen’s application raises any red flags during its automated screening against security databases, the form will have to be manually processed by ETIAS staff.
If an ETIAS application requires manual assessment by the European Coast or Border Guard, the processing and delivery times will be extended.
If a citizen of New Zealand has been involved in serious criminal activity, an ETIAS visa waiver is likely to be denied.
NEW ZEALAND’S BILATERAL AGREEMENTS WITH EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
The New Zealand government has successfully negotiated individual visa waiver arrangements, known as bilateral agreements, with several countries in Europe. This means that citizens of New Zealand can visit these countries for more than the 90-day visa-free permission already in place.
All types of passports meeting the validity requirements and issued by New Zealand can be used to visit the below nations as an extended stay:
- Belgium (2 months)
- Denmark (3 months)
- Germany (3 months)
- Italy (3 months)
- Luxembourg (90 days)
- Netherlands (90 days)
- Iceland (3 months)
- Liechtenstein (90 days)
- Norway (90 days)
- Switzerland (90 days)
For the specified additional period, New Zealanders with ordinary passports can enter the following countries:
- Greece 90 days
- Spain (90 days)
- France (90 days)
- Austria (3 months)
- Portugal (90 days)
- Finland (90 days)
- Sweden (3 months)
Visitors from New Zealand with diplomatic, service, or official passports may also enter Austria for up to three months beyond the UE’s 90-day visa-free period.
A bilateral agreement is a contract signed with a single government. This means that under one agreement, New Zealanders can only travel visa-free to the country to which the agreement applies and must stay for the duration of the reciprocal arrangement’s application.
Those who want to visit more than one Schengen Member State without a visa should apply for an ETIAS visa waiver for Europe.
It should be noted that bilateral agreements between New Zealand and EU member states may differ depending on new legislation enacted.
TRAVELLING FROM NEW ZEALAND TO EUROPE WITH ETIAS
The ETIAS will be emailed to the applicant once the travel authorization has been approved. Because applicants’ passports will be digitally associated and reflect their status as ETIAS holders to immigration officials, no physical documents will be sent to them.
The ETIAS visa waiver is valid for three years from the date of approval and allows unlimited entry into the Schengen zone. The EU visa waiver is electronically linked to the passport of the citizen, specifically the passport used in the application process.
This means that dual citizens must travel on the same passport number that was entered when completing the ETIAS online application form.
ETIAS, similarly, cannot be transferred to a different passport. As a result, if a traveller’s passport expires before the ETIAS 3-year validity period is completed, the electronic travel authorization will be rendered null and void on the expiration date of the passport.
Because ETIAS will be required for New Zealanders, citizens will be required to apply for a new ETIAS if their visa waiver or passport expires.