South Africa Visa For New Zealand Passport
Taking the New Zealand Visa office in South Africa can be confusing. Especially because the information you will find about requirements for New Zealand Visas on the official NZ website is not necessarily up to date. So make sure you read this article and check out our practical tips.
Applying for a visitor visa is often a time-consuming process. Thankfully, it’s made easier by using the VFS Visa Centre and VisaCoach – experts in obtaining South Africa visas.
A foreign resident is a person who is not a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident and holds a current visa. There are two types of Visas for South Africans to apply for, the NZ$50K Investor Visa and the NZ$10k Working Holiday Visa. The $10,000 Working Holiday Visa open to groups of 10 or more people.
Passport holders of all nationalities can apply for an eVisa to visit New Zealand if they are planning a holiday. An eVisa application takes less than 3 minutes to fill out, and you get your travel permission in your inbox immediately after submission.
South Africa Visa For New Zealand Passport
South Africa is a popular destination for New Zealanders but many visitors are often unsure if they need a visa to enjoy a stay in the country. This page outlines the requirements for a South African visa for New Zealand citizens and whether it is always necessary to obtain travel documents to visit.
While many foreign nationalities need a visa to visit South Africa no matter the period of stay, the country also extends a visa waiver policy to many countries. New Zealanders are granted visa exemption for a stay of up to 90 days for tourism or business motives.
However, for longer consecutive stays or other purposes, a visa for South Africa from New Zealand will be required. South Africa has recently launched a new electronic visa system for 14 nationalities to expedite the process of obtaining a visa for the country.
However, at the moment New Zealanders are not included in the list of eligible nationalities and it has not yet been announced if they will be added in the future. This means that citizens of New Zleand who need a visa for South Africa must continue to submit an embassy application at this time.
Do New Zealanders Need A South Africa Tourist Visa?
As noted above, New Zelaand passport holders do not need a visa for South Africa for short tourist stays. Therefore, they do not need a tourist visa if the stay is under 90 consecutive days.
If they wish to visit the country for longer stays for tourism, then they will require an approved South African tourist visa. It should be noted that a tourist visa also allows the holder to undertake the following activities:
- Visiting family or friends
- Business visits
- Conferences, or charitable or voluntary activities
- Sporting events
- Medical treatment
- Scientific research
- Study programs with a maximum duration of 3 months
- To work on a TV/film production
- To join a spouse who is in South Africa on a work or study permit
- To join a fiancée/ fiancé in South Africa, with the intention of marrying within 90 days.
- To join parents who are in South Africa on work or study permits
However, as New Zealanders are not currently authorized to use the online eVisa application form, they must submit an embassy visa application to obtain a long-term visa for these activities.
South Africa Visa Types for Citizens of New Zealand
In addition to the visitor visa for South Africa, there are several other visa types for a New Zealander planning a long-term trip in the country.
These include:
While the first 2 types are somewhat self-explanatory, the critical skills visa is part of a program to encourage foreigners with exceptional skills to come and work in the country in in-demand roles.
It is aimed mostly towards professionals in the following sectors:
- Academics and researchers
- Agriculture
- Business, management, and economics
- Business process outsourcing
- Construction
- Engineering
- Health professionals and related clinical sciences
- Information technology and communication
- Life and Earth sciences
- Professionals and associate professionals
- Traders
The work visa and Critical Skills visa for South Africa from New Zealand can be issued with a validity of up to 5 years. The study visa, meanwhile, is usually issued for the duration of the applicant’s educational course.
South Africa Visa Application for New Zealanders
As the eVisa application is not currently available for New Zealanders, it is currently necessary to apply for any of the types of visa for South Africa for citizens of New Zealand from an embassy or consulate.
This process involves:
- Completing a South Africa visa application form
- Gather a range of supporting documents depending on visa type
- Attend an in-person consular interview with all the documentation
- Pay the fee for the South Africa visa type
- Collect the visa once it has been processed and approved
As embassy and consular processing times can be lengthy, the applicant is strongly advised to submit their request for a South African visa from New Zealand well in advance of their intended departure date.
Passport and document requirements for citizens of New Zealand
New Zealanders will need to meet certain requirements to apply for a South Africa visa.
All applicants will need to have:
- A valid passport
- A completed application form
- A payment method to pay the visa fee
However, additional supporting documents will also be requested depending on the type of South Africa for NZ citizens the applicant requires.
For example, many applications ask for passport-style photographs, and proof of sufficient funds to cover the stay.
Additionally, those applying for a South Africa study visa from New Zealand will need to supply a letter of invitation from the educational institute, among other documents.
Work and critical skills visas also have their own detailed document requirements.
South African Embassies in New Zealand
There are two South African diplomatic offices in New Zealand: the High Commission in Wellington and the Honorary Consulate in Auckland. New Zealanders can apply for various types of visas at these offices.