Immigration New Zealand is encouraging travellers intending to spend the festive holidays with their loved ones to start processing their visitor visa applications early. 

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) expects to receive over 260,000 visitor visa applications over the summer peak processing period. 

“We encourage prospective travellers to submit their applications as soon as possible,” said INZ. 

According to the INZ, the summer holiday months were an incredibly busy time for the office. 

“We experience a surge of visa applications from people who want to spend Christmas and New Year's with their loved ones in Aotearoa New Zealand, or who want to explore our beautiful country,” said INZ.

“Anyone planning to travel to New Zealand for Christmas should submit their application no later than 15 October 2024. 

“If you are travelling in the New Year, including the Chinese Lunar New Year, you should submit your application no later than 15 November 2024.”

INZ warned if an application is submitted after these dates, it may not be processed in time for the intended travel date.

In addition to submitting applications well in advance, INZ strongly encourages travellers to provide complete applications with all necessary documentation. This will help avoid delays with your visa application.

Applications missing supporting documents or English translations are more likely to be declined. 

Making a complete visitor visa application early means you will receive your visa decision sooner, enabling you to spend more time planning your trip to New Zealand, assured INZ.