ETIAS for New Zealand citizens
Every visa-waiver visitor flying into Auckland needs an NZeTA before boarding, so New Zealanders already know how this kind of system works, usually from the other side of the counter. ETIAS is Europe’s version of the same idea, and this time it is Kiwi travellers filling in the form.
Quick answer
ETIAS at a glance
- Status
- Not live yet
- Expected launch
- 2027
- Applications open
- Not yet
- Official fee
- Expected €20
- Validity
- 3 years or until passport expiry
- Stay limit
- 90 days in any 180-day period
- Official application route
- Official EU ETIAS website / app when live
- Private help
- ETIAS Pro may offer optional support when applications open
Do New Zealanders need ETIAS for Europe?
Yes, once it becomes mandatory. Right now a New Zealand passport gets you into the Schengen area for short stays with no paperwork beyond the passport itself. That changes when ETIAS launches: every New Zealander visiting Europe for tourism, family visits or short business trips will need an approved ETIAS linked to their passport before departure. One authorisation covers the whole Schengen area plus Cyprus, 30 countries in total. Trips taken before launch need nothing at all.
You already know this system: it’s the NZeTA in reverse
New Zealand has required the NZeTA since October 2019. Visa-waiver visitors and cruise passengers request it before travelling, pay NZD $17 through the app or $23 on the website, add the visitor levy, and usually get an answer within hours. Kiwis never need an NZeTA themselves, because it exists for foreign visitors, which is exactly why some assume they already hold something similar for Europe. They don’t. ETIAS is Europe’s version of the same idea, aimed at visitors from visa-exempt countries, and New Zealand is on that list. The differences are in the detail: price, validity and how much territory one approval covers.
NZeTA vs ETIAS at a glance
| Feature | NZeTA | ETIAS |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | Immigration New Zealand | European Union |
| Who needs it | Visa-waiver visitors and cruise passengers travelling to New Zealand | Visa-exempt visitors to Europe, including New Zealanders |
| Fee | NZD $17 in the app, $23 online, plus a NZD $100 visitor levy for most | Expected €20 (free under 18 and over 70) |
| Validity | Up to 2 years | Up to 3 years or until passport expiry |
| Covers | New Zealand only | 30 European countries |
| Stay limit | Up to 3 months for most visa-waiver visitors | 90 days in any 180-day period |
| Status | Live since 2019 | Not live yet, expected 2027 |
What ETIAS will cost New Zealanders
The official fee is expected to be €20, about NZD $37 at recent exchange rates. Compare that with what New Zealand charges inbound visitors once the NZD $100 International Visitor Levy is added to the NZeTA fee: more than NZD $115 all in, to visit one country. Against that, Europe’s price looks modest. One payment covers unlimited trips to 30 countries for up to 3 years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. Travellers under 18 and over 70 are expected to pay nothing, though they still need an approved ETIAS each.
The big OE meets the 90/180 rule
The traditional Kiwi trip to Europe is measured in months, not weeks, and that is where planning gets real. ETIAS does not decide how long you can stay; the Schengen 90/180 rule does. You get at most 90 days inside the Schengen area within any rolling 180-day window, counted across all Schengen countries combined, not per country. Since the EES border system became fully operational on 10 April 2026, every entry and exit is recorded digitally, so the count is enforced by computer rather than by passport stamps. The classic workaround still works: the UK, Ireland and most of the Balkans sit outside Schengen, so time there does not spend your 90 days. Note that the UK now asks New Zealanders for its own ETA, a separate application from ETIAS.
ETIAS is not a work visa
ETIAS authorises visits: tourism, family stays and short business trips. It does not permit employment of any kind, paid or cash-in-hand. New Zealanders wanting to fund a longer stretch in Europe have two separate routes. Several European countries run working holiday schemes with New Zealand, among them France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands, each applied for individually as a national visa through that country’s embassy or consulate. The UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme, open to New Zealanders aged 18 to 35, is a third option, but it covers Britain only. It has nothing to do with Schengen and neither shortens nor extends your 90 European days.
Passport validity bites hardest on long itineraries
Two rules stack. Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the day you leave the Schengen area, and an ETIAS expires the moment the passport it is linked to does. On a five-month route the arithmetic sneaks up: a passport with seven months left when you fly out of Auckland fails the three-month rule before the trip ends. Check the expiry date against the end of the itinerary, not the start. If your passport is anywhere near its final year, renew it first, then apply for ETIAS on the new one once applications open, so you do not pay twice.
When does this start for New Zealanders?
ETIAS is expected to launch in 2027, with the exact date still to be confirmed, with a transition period before strict enforcement around six months after launch. Nobody can apply yet, from New Zealand or anywhere else, and any site offering to sell an ETIAS today is not legitimate. When applications open, the official route will be the EU’s own website and app. Until then the useful work is planning: sketch the itinerary against the 90/180 rule, confirm your passport outlasts the trip with three months to spare, and leave your email below if you want a single message when applications actually open.
Popular ETIAS destinations for New Zealand travellers
Country-specific guides for the most-searched ETIAS destinations.
Get the ETIAS launch alert for New Zealand travellers
Get one email when ETIAS applications open. No passport details. No payment before launch.
Common questions
I’ve heard of the NZeTA. Is that the same as ETIAS?
No. The NZeTA is New Zealand’s authorisation for foreign visitors entering New Zealand, so as a New Zealand citizen you will never hold one. ETIAS is the European equivalent, and that one will apply to you: once it becomes mandatory, New Zealand passport holders will need an approved ETIAS for short stays in 30 European countries.
Can I do a six-month trip around Europe on ETIAS?
Not inside the Schengen area alone. ETIAS covers short stays of up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period, counted across all Schengen countries combined, and the EES border system now logs every entry and exit. A six-month route only works if roughly half of it runs through non-Schengen stops such as the UK, Ireland or the Balkans, or if one country grants you a national long-stay visa.
Do I need ETIAS for the London leg of my trip?
No. The UK left the EU and runs its own scheme, so New Zealanders need a UK ETA for Britain and an ETIAS for the Schengen area. They are two separate applications to two different systems, and days spent in the UK do not count towards your 90 Schengen days.
I hold both New Zealand and EU passports. Do I need ETIAS?
No, provided you enter Europe on the EU passport, because EU citizens do not need ETIAS at all. Plenty of Kiwis hold Irish, Dutch, Croatian or other EU citizenship through a parent or grandparent. Use the EU passport at European borders and the New Zealand one everywhere else, and ETIAS never applies to you.
Is ETIAS Pro official?
No. ETIAS Pro is a private information and assistance service. We are not affiliated with the European Union, Frontex or any government. When ETIAS opens, you will be able to apply directly through the official EU ETIAS website or app.
Related pages
Be ready when ETIAS opens for New Zealand travellers
ETIAS is not live yet. Check whether you’re likely to need it and get one email when applications open.