Canadian citizen or permanent resident?
This is the first question to answer, because New Zealand bases its rules on your passport, not on where you live.
Canadian citizens
Canada is a visa-waiver country. Travel on your Canadian passport with an approved NZeTA and stay up to 90 days per visit.
Permanent residents of Canada
A PR card is not a passport. Check the rules for the country that issued your passport. If it's on the visa-waiver list, you can apply for an NZeTA with it. If not, you may need a visa.
Dual citizens, for example Canadian and British, can choose either passport. Remember that the NZeTA, the flight booking and the passport you show at the border must all match. UK citizens can stay up to 6 months, so some dual nationals prefer to travel on their British passport. See our UK page.
NZeTA basics for Canadians
The New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) has been mandatory since 1 October 2019 for visa-waiver travellers arriving by air and for all cruise passengers. If you're used to applying for a US ESTA or Australia's ETA, the idea is similar: a quick online check before travel, linked electronically to your passport.
- Valid for up to 2 years, or until your passport expires
- Multiple visits allowed, up to 90 days each
- Covers tourism, family visits, business visitor activities and study of up to 3 months
- Passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your departure from New Zealand
- Every traveller needs one, including infants
Your NZeTA fee includes the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL), which supports tourism infrastructure and conservation in New Zealand.
NZeTA, working holiday or visa?
| Your plan | What you need |
|---|---|
| Holiday, road trip or visiting family, up to 90 days | NZeTA |
| Business meetings, conferences or trade shows | NZeTA. See our business guide |
| An English or other course of up to 3 months | NZeTA |
| Travelling and working for a season | Working Holiday visa (separate application) |
| Staying longer than 90 days, studying long-term or taking a job | The appropriate visa |
| Changing planes in Auckland on the way to Australia | NZeTA (as a transit or visitor) |
The Canada Working Holiday scheme is popular with young Canadians who want to ski, work in hospitality or travel for an extended period. It has its own eligibility criteria and is not part of the NZeTA process.
Your pre-trip timeline
When you start planning
Check your passport expiry date. If it ends within 3 months of your return date, renew it before you apply for an NZeTA.
Once your flights are booked
Apply for your NZeTA. Allow up to 72 hours, though many decisions come sooner.
A few days before departure
Fill in the New Zealand Traveller Declaration, a separate arrival form, and save your NZeTA approval email.
At check-in
The airline checks your NZeTA electronically. Have your approval email handy in case of questions.
Applying online from Canada
The form takes about 10 minutes. You'll need your passport, a clear face photo, an email address and a credit or debit card. You can include up to 10 travellers in a single application, which is ideal for families and tour groups.
Choose a processing speed to suit your trip: Normal (48–72 hours), Emergency (24–48 hours) or Rush (12–24 hours). Prices are on the NZeTA fees page. Our team checks every application for errors before it's submitted, and you can follow progress on the status page.
Apply for your NZeTA as a Canadian citizen
Names with accents: French-Canadian names such as Bélanger or Gagné appear without accents in your passport's machine-readable zone. Enter them that way, and include hyphenated or compound surnames in full.
Flights and cruises from Canada
Vancouver is the main Canadian gateway to New Zealand. Non-stop flights to Auckland have operated from Vancouver in recent years, often on a seasonal basis, and take around 14 hours. Travellers from Toronto, Montréal, Calgary and other cities usually connect in Vancouver or on the US West Coast, such as Los Angeles or San Francisco. If you connect in the United States, you'll need the right US travel authority for that leg.
Seasons are reversed. When Canada is in winter, New Zealand enjoys summer, which makes December to March a popular escape. Skiers do the opposite and head south from June to September.
Cruising is another favourite. Many Canadians join South Pacific or trans-Tasman cruises that call at Auckland, the Bay of Islands, Wellington and Fiordland. Every cruise passenger needs an NZeTA before boarding. Read our cruise ship NZeTA guide for more.
At the border: entry and biosecurity
An NZeTA is permission to travel, not a guarantee of entry. When you land, the border officer may ask to see:
- The Canadian passport linked to your NZeTA
- A return or onward ticket
- Evidence of enough money for your stay
- Where you'll be staying
- Your completed New Zealand Traveller Declaration
Biosecurity: clean hiking boots, tents and fishing gear before you pack them. Declare all food, including jerky, cheese, fruit and homemade snacks. New Zealand's biosecurity rules are among the strictest in the world, and undeclared items can mean an instant fine.
Travelling with American friends? Their rules are on our United States page. For trip ideas, see the tourist NZeTA guide. When you're ready, start your New Zealand eTA application.
Canadian travellers' FAQs
No. Canadian citizens can visit New Zealand for up to 90 days per visit without a visa. You need an approved NZeTA before you fly or board a cruise ship.
Canadian permanent residence does not give you visa-waiver status. Your NZeTA eligibility depends on the passport you hold, so check the rules for your country of citizenship.
No. The 6-month allowance applies only to UK citizens. Canadian citizens can stay up to 90 days on each visit.
Yes. New Zealand has a Working Holiday scheme for Canadian citizens, and young Canadians may be eligible. It is a separate visa, not an NZeTA, and you must apply for it on its own.
Yes. All cruise passengers need an NZeTA, whatever their nationality. Apply before the ship leaves Sydney.
No. Your NZeTA is linked to your old passport number. Apply for a new NZeTA with your new passport before you travel.
No. These documents are for travel between Canada and the United States only. You need a valid Canadian passport for New Zealand.