What you need, by type of trip
Start by matching your plans to the table below. It shows which document a Bolivian passport holder needs for each kind of journey.
| Your plan | What you need |
|---|---|
| Changing planes at Auckland within 24 hours, without leaving the airport | Transit NZeTA |
| Arriving in New Zealand on a cruise ship | NZeTA as a visitor |
| Flying to New Zealand for a holiday, family visit or business | Visitor visa |
| Changing planes at Christchurch or another airport | Transit visa |
| Studying or working in New Zealand | Student or work visa |
Our service handles NZeTA applications. Visas are a separate process with the New Zealand immigration authorities.
The transit visa waiver, explained
New Zealand divides countries into groups. Visa-waiver countries can visit with just an NZeTA. Transit visa-waiver countries, including Bolivia, can use an NZeTA for transit only. Everyone else needs a transit visa even to change planes.
Being in the transit group is useful for Bolivians. Several routes between South America and Australia pass through Auckland, so you can use them without a visa, as long as you hold an NZeTA. It has been required since 1 October 2019 and is valid for up to 2 years, or until your passport expires.
The Auckland transit rules
Land at Auckland
Transit without a visa is only possible at Auckland International Airport.
Stay airside
Remain in the international transit area. You don't go through immigration or collect checked bags unless the airline tells you to.
Leave within 24 hours
Your onward flight must leave within 24 hours of your arrival.
Fly to a third country
Hold a confirmed onward ticket and meet that country's entry rules.
Check your baggage arrangements. If your bags aren't checked through to your final destination, you might need to collect them, which means passing through immigration. That needs a visa. Ask your airline before you book separate tickets.
Routes from La Paz and Santa Cruz
There are no direct flights from Bolivia to New Zealand or Australia. Most Bolivian travellers first fly from El Alto (La Paz) or Viru Viru (Santa Cruz de la Sierra) to Santiago de Chile, Lima or Buenos Aires. From Santiago, there are services across the Pacific to Auckland, with onward connections to Australian cities.
Each country on your route may have its own transit rules. Check the requirements for Chile, Peru or Argentina, as well as your destination, before you travel. For New Zealand, have your NZeTA approved before you check in on the first flight in Bolivia.
Your passport and how to write your name
- Use a valid Bolivian passport. Your cédula de identidad is not accepted.
- Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after your travel date.
- Enter both surnames, paternal and maternal, if the passport shows both.
- Write your name as it appears in the machine-readable zone, without accents.
- If you renew your passport, apply for a new NZeTA.
Bolivians with a second nationality, for example Spanish, should check the rules for that passport. Spain is in the full visa-waiver group, so a Spanish passport may let you visit New Zealand with an NZeTA. See our Spain page.
Applying for your NZeTA online
Our English-language form takes about 10 minutes. Choose "Transit" as your purpose, unless you're arriving by cruise ship. You'll need your passport, a face photo taken against a plain background, an email address and a payment card.
Allow up to 72 hours for a decision. Choose Normal (48–72 hours), Emergency (24–48 hours) or Rush (12–24 hours) processing depending on your departure date. Transit applicants don't pay the IVL. See the fees page for prices.
Apply for a transit NZeTA from Bolivia
After you apply, you can follow progress on the application status page. Your approval arrives by email. Keep a copy on your phone for check-in.
Cruises and visitor visas
Cruises: Bolivian citizens arriving in New Zealand by cruise ship can apply for an NZeTA as a visitor. That lets you go ashore at each New Zealand port on the itinerary. A visitor NZeTA includes the IVL levy. Find out more on our cruise NZeTA page.
Visitor visas: to fly into New Zealand as a tourist, visit family or attend business meetings, apply for a visitor visa. This separate process usually takes much longer and asks for more evidence than an NZeTA, such as your travel plans and finances. Apply early.
For general transit questions, read our transit NZeTA guide, or compare the rules for neighbouring Peru and Paraguay. When you're ready, start your NZeTA application.
Preguntas frecuentes: Bolivian travellers
To visit New Zealand after arriving by air, yes, Bolivian citizens need a visitor visa. To pass through Auckland Airport in transit, you only need an approved NZeTA.
A transit NZeTA for the Auckland stop, provided you stay airside for 24 hours or less, plus the correct authority to enter Australia.
No. You need a valid Bolivian passport for the NZeTA and for your journey. Identity cards used for travel within South America are not accepted.
No. Transit passengers are exempt from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. It applies only if you apply as a visitor, for example on a cruise.
No. On a transit NZeTA, you must stay in the international transit area. To leave the airport, you need a visa.
Yes. You can include up to 10 travellers in one application, but each person, including children, receives their own NZeTA.