New Zealand visit visa for Pakistan passport holders

New Zealand lets travellers from its visa waiver list arrive with an NZeTA, but Pakistan is not on that list. Pakistani passport holders apply for a Visitor Visa from Immigration New Zealand (INZ) before travelling. The visa covers holidays and visits to family or friends, and it also lets you study for up to 3 months. You cannot work for a New Zealand employer, but INZ allows remote work for a business based overseas. INZ lists the cost as from NZD 441 and says 80% of Visitor Visa applications are processed within 2 weeks. That figure covers all nationalities, and the exact fee for your situation appears when you pay.

From 1 October 2026, Visitor Visa applications must be made online, so paper forms are no longer accepted. You create an account, fill in the application, upload documents and pay. If approved, you receive an eVisa by email rather than a label in your passport. INZ recommends not booking non-refundable travel until the visa is approved. It also warns that September to March is its busiest period, with a rush of applications before Christmas, so apply early if you plan to visit in the southern summer.

INZ looks at five things: good health, good character, genuine reasons for the visit, enough money, and proof you will leave at the end. For money, INZ sets a clear figure. You need at least NZD 1,000 a month of your stay, or NZD 400 a month if your accommodation is already paid. Bank or credit card statements must be in your name and show the bank and the currency. If a relative in New Zealand is supporting you, they complete the Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) and can send bank statements, payslips and proof of your accommodation. You must also show a ticket out of New Zealand, or enough extra money to buy one.

Health and police checks depend on your plans. For stays under 6 months you do not normally need a chest X-ray, and for under 12 months you do not normally need a medical certificate, though INZ may still ask. Police certificates are needed if you are 17 or older and your total time in New Zealand will reach 24 months. Any X-ray or medical evidence must be less than 3 months old when INZ receives it. You can include your partner and dependent children aged 19 or under in the same application, with marriage and birth certificates to prove the relationship.

INZ decides whether to issue a single-entry or multiple-entry visa. A multiple-entry visa allows visits totalling up to 6 months in each 12-month period, and you can stay a maximum of 9 months in any 18-month period. Leaving New Zealand on a single-entry visa ends it. Before you fly, everyone must complete the New Zealand Traveller Declaration, which opens 24 hours before your journey. At the border you may be asked again for your onward ticket and proof of funds, and you can be refused entry if you are not a genuine visitor or your circumstances have changed since the visa was issued.