What transit status means for Palau
New Zealand sorts passports into groups. Some countries can visit without a visa, some need a visa for everything, and a third group can pass through without a visa but not stay. Palau is in that third group, known as transit visa-waiver countries.
For a Palauan passport holder, this means you can change planes at Auckland International Airport without a transit visa, provided you hold an approved NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority). The NZeTA has been compulsory for transit passengers since 1 October 2019. Your airline checks it when you check in for the flight that lands in Auckland, so it must be approved before you leave Palau or before your first connection.
A transit NZeTA is not permission to enter New Zealand. You can't leave the airport, check into a city hotel or visit friends in Auckland during your connection.
Conditions for transiting Auckland
To transit without a visa, every one of these conditions must apply to your trip:
- You arrive and depart through Auckland International Airport, not another New Zealand airport
- Your connection is 24 hours or less
- You stay inside the international transit area for the whole time
- You hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country, not back to the country you flew from
- You have any visa or entry permission needed for your final destination
- You hold a Palauan passport valid for your whole journey and an approved NZeTA linked to it
If any of these does not apply, for example a layover longer than 24 hours or a change of airport, you need a different visa. Our transit NZeTA guide covers the rules in more depth and explains what counts as staying airside.
It also helps to book your whole journey on a single ticket where possible, so that your bags are checked through to your final destination. If you hold separate tickets, check that you will not need to collect your luggage in Auckland, because that would mean passing through immigration.
Visiting New Zealand from Palau
Many Palauans have family, church or study links across the Pacific, and some will want to spend time in New Zealand rather than just pass through. That requires a visitor visa. The NZeTA can't be upgraded to a visitor visa, and you can't apply for one on arrival.
Transit NZeTA
For changing planes at Auckland within 24 hours. Quick online application, decision usually within 72 hours. Apply through our form.
Visitor visa
For holidays, family visits or business trips inside New Zealand. A separate process with the New Zealand immigration authorities, which asks for more evidence and takes longer. Plan well ahead.
If you plan to study or work in New Zealand, you need the matching student or work visa instead.
Cruise passengers
Cruise travel is the one exception for Palauan citizens. If you arrive in New Zealand on a cruise ship, you can apply for an NZeTA as a visitor, even though you would need a visa to fly in. That NZeTA covers the cruise and the ports you visit. If you fly into New Zealand to join the ship, though, the flight is treated as a normal arrival by air and the cruise exception does not cover it.
Read the cruise ship NZeTA guide before you book, then apply for your cruise NZeTA online before the cruise starts.
Flying from Palau via Auckland
Palau's international airport near Koror connects with regional hubs such as Guam, Manila and Taipei. Auckland is not usually on the shortest route out of Palau, but it can be a useful connecting point if you are flying on to the South Pacific, South America or another destination served from Auckland.
Before you book, check the transit rules of every country on your route, not just New Zealand. A connection in Guam, for instance, is subject to United States rules, and an Australian connection is subject to Australian rules. Your airline can tell you what documents it will ask for at check-in.
New Zealand is 3 hours ahead of Palau, or 4 hours ahead during New Zealand daylight saving, so check your connection times carefully when you read your itinerary.
Applying for a transit NZeTA
Select transit
Start the form and choose "Transit" as your reason for travel. Enter your email and choose a processing speed.
Add passport details
Enter your name exactly as shown on your Palauan passport, plus the passport number and expiry date.
Answer the declarations
Short questions about your health, character and travel history.
Upload a photo and pay
A clear photo of your face and a card payment. Transit passengers don't pay the IVL.
Processing options are Normal (48–72 hours), Emergency (24–48 hours) and Rush (12–24 hours). Prices are on the NZeTA fees page.
Apply for a transit NZeTA from Palau
An approved NZeTA stays valid for up to 2 years, or until your passport expires, and can be used for several transits. If you renew your passport, apply for a new NZeTA. You can track your application with our status checker.
Palau transit FAQs
Not by air. Palau is a transit visa-waiver country, so a Palauan passport holder flying in can only use an NZeTA to transit at Auckland International Airport. To visit New Zealand, you need a visitor visa, which is a separate application.
Up to 24 hours. You must stay in the international transit area and leave from Auckland on a flight to a third country.
No. Transit without a visa is only available at Auckland International Airport. If your route connects anywhere else in New Zealand, you need a visa.
No. Transit passengers don't pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL). The levy applies to visitors who enter New Zealand.
If you arrive in New Zealand on a cruise ship, you can apply for an NZeTA as a visitor, even with a Palauan passport. Apply before the cruise begins.
Yes. Every traveller needs their own NZeTA, including infants. You can add up to 10 people in one application.