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New Zealand digital nomad visa: there isn't one
New Zealand has no special visa for remote workers. Since 27 January 2025 it doesn't need one: every visitor visa, including the one you get at the border with an NZeTA, lets you work remotely for an overseas employer or overseas clients, with no limit on hours.
- Nomad visa
- None (visitor visa)
- Stay
- 3 months per visit on an NZeTA (UK: 6)
- Remote work
- Allowed for overseas employers or clients
- NZeTA
- From NZD $17 + NZD $100 levy
What exists today
Remote work on a visitor visa: the 27 January 2025 rule
All visitor visas applied for on or after 27 January 2025 allow remote work in New Zealand, and Immigration New Zealand says there is no limit to how much you do. That covers tourists and people visiting family, partners and guardians on longer visitor visas, and visa-waiver travellers who arrive with an NZeTA. If you're self-employed or a digital nomad, you can work for clients outside New Zealand.
INZ defines remote work as work for gain or reward for a company, employer or client that is not in New Zealand. "Gain or reward" includes payment and anything with a money value, such as accommodation, food or services.
Sources: INZ: Working remotely in New Zealand on a visitor visa ↗, INZ news: Working remotely from New Zealand (27 Jan 2025) ↗ · read Nov 2, 2026
What counts as remote work, and what doesn't
Counts, per INZ:
- Answering emails and phone calls
- Coding and testing
- Writing reports
- Attending meetings or giving presentations to colleagues outside New Zealand
- Creating content as a social media influencer, as long as you are not promoting an activity, event or product for gain or reward from a New Zealand business or person
Doesn't count (you'd need a visa that lets you work in New Zealand):
- Work for a New Zealand employer
- Work with a New Zealand business or person in exchange for goods or services (for example free accommodation in exchange for a review)
- Work that requires you to be in New Zealand
One more line from INZ's Operational Manual: remote work is not, in and of itself, a lawful purpose for visiting. Working remotely while you're there for another reason, like sightseeing or visiting family, is fine.
Sources: INZ remote work page ↗, INZ Operational Manual E3.15.1: Remote work for visitor visa holders ↗ · read Nov 2, 2026
NZeTA or Visitor Visa: what you need to get in
NZeTA: passport holders from visa waiver countries and territories travel on a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority and get a visitor visa on arrival. It costs from NZD $17 in the official app (the website costs more), INZ says to allow 72 hours, and it's valid for 2 years and multiple trips. Most travellers also pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL), NZD $100, every time they request an NZeTA; it isn't refunded, even if the request is declined. Australian citizens need neither an NZeTA nor a visa.
Visitor Visa: everyone else applies before travelling. INZ lists it from NZD $441, with 80% processed within 2 weeks. You need to show you'll leave at the end of your stay and have enough money: at least NZD $1,000 a month, or NZD $400 a month if your accommodation is already paid.
Sources: NZeTA ↗, visa waiver countries ↗, IVL ↗, Visitor Visa ↗ · read Nov 2, 2026
How long you can stay, and staying longer
On an NZeTA: up to 3 months per visit, or 6 months on a UK passport, and no more than 6 months in any 12-month period, counted back from the date you plan to leave.
On a Visitor Visa: a multiple-entry visa allows up to 6 months in each 12-month period; a single-entry visa allows up to 9 months in an 18-month period. If you're already in New Zealand and need more time for a genuine reason, you apply for a new Visitor Visa before yours expires; you can't stay longer by requesting another NZeTA.
Sources: NZeTA ↗, Visitor Visa ↗ · read Nov 2, 2026
Family members
On a Visitor Visa you can include your partner and dependent children aged 19 or younger in your application, with proof of the relationship, or they can apply separately. On an NZeTA, each traveller needs their own request; the app lets you request up to 10 at a time.
Sources: Visitor Visa ↗, NZeTA ↗ · read Nov 2, 2026
Working holiday visas: local work rights if you're 18 to 30 (or 35)
If your country has a working holiday agreement with New Zealand, you can travel and work, generally for up to 12 months; Canadians can stay up to 23 months and UK citizens up to 36. The usual age range is 18 to 30, or 18 to 35 for a few countries. You must work for an employer, not run your own business, and holidaying should be the main purpose. You can only get one once, even if you don't use it.
Source: INZ: Who can apply for a working holiday visa ↗ · read Nov 2, 2026
Not legal advice. Border officers decide entry and length of stay. INZ says you may have to pay tax while working remotely and points travellers to Inland Revenue; nothing here covers tax. Check with Immigration New Zealand before you rely on it.
Nearby countries with a real remote-work visa
If you want a visa built for remote workers, these four in Asia-Pacific are open and checked on their official pages.
| Visa | Money test | Stay | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| JapanDigital Nomad Visa | JPY 10,000,000 per year | 6 months | mofa.go.jp ↗Checked Nov 2, 2026 |
| South KoreaWorkation Visa | 1× to 2× Korea's GNI per capita (KRW 52,416,000 in 2026), depending on age and region; 1× for ages 18–34 outside the Seoul area, 1.5× for 18–34 in the Seoul area or 35+ outside it, 2× for 35+ in the Seoul area | 1 year, extendable 1 year at a time up to 3 years | overseas.mofa.go.kr ↗Checked Nov 1, 2026 |
| TaiwanDigital Nomad Visa | Annual salary ≥ USD 40,000 (age 30+) or ≥ USD 20,000 (age 20–29) in one of the last two years, or a digital nomad visa from another country | Not confirmed | boca.gov.tw ↗Checked Nov 1, 2026 |
| MalaysiaDE Rantau Nomad Pass | USD 24,000 per year (tech roles); USD 60,000 per year (non-tech) | 3–12 months | mdec.my ↗Checked Nov 1, 2026 |
Compare them head to head
Quick answers
Does New Zealand have a digital nomad visa?
No. As of Nov 2, 2026, New Zealand has no separate visa for digital nomads. Instead, since 27 January 2025 every visitor visa, including the one you get at the border with an NZeTA, lets you work remotely for an overseas employer or, if you're self-employed, for clients outside New Zealand (immigration.govt.nz, read Nov 2, 2026).
Can I work remotely in New Zealand on a visitor visa?
Yes, for visitor visas applied for on or after 27 January 2025. Immigration New Zealand says there is no limit to the amount of remote work you can do. The work must not be for a New Zealand employer, must not offer goods or services to New Zealand businesses or people for gain or reward, and must not need you to be at a workplace in New Zealand (immigration.govt.nz, read Nov 2, 2026).
Can remote work be the reason for my trip?
Not on its own. INZ's Operational Manual says remote work is not, in and of itself, a lawful purpose for visiting New Zealand, but intending to work remotely while doing something else, such as sightseeing or visiting family, is acceptable (immigration.govt.nz, E3.15.1, read Nov 2, 2026).
How long can I stay in New Zealand as a visitor?
With an NZeTA, up to 3 months per visit (6 months on a UK passport), and no more than 6 months in any 12-month period. With a Visitor Visa, up to 6 months in each 12 months on a multiple-entry visa, or up to 9 months in an 18-month period on a single-entry visa (immigration.govt.nz and immigration.govt.nz, read Nov 2, 2026).
How much does the NZeTA cost?
From NZD $17 in the official app; INZ says the app is cheaper than the website. Most travellers also pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) of NZD $100 each time they request an NZeTA, and it isn't refunded. Australian passport holders don't need an NZeTA or pay the IVL. An NZeTA is valid for 2 years (immigration.govt.nz and immigration.govt.nz, read Nov 2, 2026).
Can my family come with me?
On a Visitor Visa you can include your partner and dependent children aged 19 or younger in your application, or they can apply for their own visas. Each traveller on an NZeTA needs their own request (the app lets you request up to 10 at a time) (immigration.govt.nz and immigration.govt.nz, read Nov 2, 2026).
Do I have to pay tax in New Zealand as a digital nomad?
Possibly. INZ says you may have to pay tax while visiting and working remotely, and tells travellers to contact Inland Revenue about their situation. We don't summarise tax rules here.
Is there a longer option with local work rights?
Working holiday visas let young people from countries with an agreement with New Zealand (normally aged 18 to 30, or 18 to 35 for a few countries) travel and work, generally for up to 12 months; up to 23 months for Canadians and 36 months for UK citizens. You can only get one once (immigration.govt.nz, read Nov 2, 2026).