New Zealand to Grant Visa-Free Access for Chinese Travelers Arriving from Australia

If you’re a Chinese national visiting Australia, it may be wise to add New Zealand to your itinerary as well. Starting November 2025, New Zealand will trial a 12-month visa-free entry policy for Chinese nationals visiting from Australia.

This new visa waiver policy applies specifically to Chinese nationals possessing a valid Australian visitor, work, student, or family visa. It allows them to stay in New Zealand for up to three months using a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) instead of undergoing the traditional visa application process.

To make the travel planning easier, you can also explore our 10-day New Zealand itinerary for the ultimate trip.

New Zealand to Trial Visa-Free Entry for Chinese Nationals (Visiting from Australia)

China is a cornerstone market for New Zealand, presenting significant growth opportunities in both trade and tourism sectors. According to New Zealand’s Immigration Minister Erica Stanford, “Our immigration settings play an important role in brightening our country’s economic future. More than 240,000 Chinese visitor visas were granted in 2024, and we want those numbers to grow.” This new trial reflects an ongoing commitment to encouraging tourism from China.

The proposed trial will last for 12 months, during which further improvements to immigration processes are also planned, aimed at facilitating easier applications for visas.

Several noteworthy improvements accompanied the visa waiver policy include:

• The establishment of contact and support centers in China for ‘Approved Destination Status’ travel agents, making it easier for Chinese tourists to plan their trip to New Zealand.
• Updated and simplified Chinese web content on the Immigration New Zealand website, streamlining the information available to prospective travelers.
• Removal of the requirement for Visitor Visa applicants to have their document translations certified, which substantially reduces the additional burden of translation fees for visitors worldwide.

Supplementing the visa waiver trial, New Zealand Immigration mentioned that, starting in November 2025, individuals holding a Chinese passport will be able to transit through New Zealand using the NZeTA instead of requiring a Transit Visa. This policy aligns with new routes announced by China Eastern Airlines, which will connect Shanghai Pudong Airport with Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport via Auckland International Airport, expected to launch in December 2025, assuming all regulatory approvals are granted.

(Feature image credit: Samuel Ferrara/Unsplash)

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Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.

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