Can Chinese Passport Holders Travel from Australia to New Zealand with an NZeTA in 2026?

Yes, for eligible travellers. The arrangement began on 3 November 2025 as a 12-month trial. Immigration New Zealand’s October 2026 update says that eligible Chinese and Pacific Islands Forum visitors can continue to apply for and use an NZeTA to travel to New Zealand from Australia, rather than applying for a Visitor Visa, until further notice.

The same update says the pilot will be evaluated after the first 12-month period ends, and that further information will be available once decisions have been made. The 3 November 2026 anniversary therefore did not, by itself, end the arrangement.

No new end date has been announced, and the arrangement has not been described as permanent. Because it is under evaluation, the rules can change, so check the current position before you book. This guide covers Chinese passport holders only.

An NZeTA is not a visa. If entry is granted at the border, a visitor visa is given at that point. Eligibility depends on several conditions, and all of them must be met. Under the official arrangement, a traveller must:

Only the Australian visa subclasses on the official list qualify. Not every temporary visa does. You can confirm your subclass number on your visa grant notification letter or in Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO).

The table below follows the grouping used on the official page. Some subclasses appear under more than one heading, so a number can repeat. Confirm your exact subclass against your own visa before you rely on this table.

Yes. The eligible Australian visa must be valid when you check in to your flight to New Zealand. A visa that expires before that flight does not meet this condition, even if it was valid when you first arrived in Australia.

Check the expiry date against your actual travel dates before you book, and keep your visa details ready when you prepare your application.

No. Transiting through Australia does not count. To use an NZeTA under this arrangement, you must be in Australia having entered it by passing through immigration, and fly from an Australian airport. The official text also excludes transiting through Australia on the way to New Zealand, and any journey that starts outside Australia.

Two travellers show the difference. The first holds an eligible Australian visa, has entered Australia through immigration and flies from an Australian airport to New Zealand, so may qualify if every other condition is met. The second travels from mainland China and only connects through an Australian airport before flying to New Zealand. That journey is not travel from Australia, so this arrangement does not cover it.

Yes. Australian permanent residents can visit New Zealand on an NZeTA through a separate eligibility pathway. This is distinct from the temporary Australian visa arrangement described in this guide.

Do not assume that the temporary-visa conditions apply to you because you live in Australia. Permanent residents should assess their eligibility under the rules that apply to them and check the current requirements before applying.

Eligible travellers can stay in New Zealand for up to 3 months at a time, for as long as they hold a valid eligible Australian visa.

The NZeTA’s validity period is a separate matter from the length of an individual visit. Holding a valid NZeTA does not mean you can remain in New Zealand for the whole validity period. The permitted stay is decided under the conditions in force at the border.

Not under this arrangement. The Australia pathway applies only to travel to New Zealand from Australia, so a holiday flight from mainland China does not become eligible simply because the traveller holds a Chinese passport.

Depending on the purpose and route of the trip, a New Zealand Visitor Visa may be required before departure. The continuation of the trial does not mean that every Chinese citizen can now visit New Zealand with an NZeTA. Read our NZeTA guide for Chinese passport holders for the full picture.

These cases follow separate rules from the Australia arrangement, so check the requirements for your specific journey rather than relying on the trial.

Auckland transit: Chinese passport holders are on New Zealand’s transit visa waiver list and can transit Auckland International Airport on an NZeTA instead of a Transit Visa, provided they meet the NZeTA requirements. Transit is limited to 24 hours. You must stay in the airport’s transit area at all times, and you cannot leave it for any reason, including to collect baggage or stay at a hotel.

Cruise travel: a passenger who arrives at a New Zealand port aboard a cruise ship can hold an NZeTA as a cruise passenger. A passenger who flies to New Zealand to join a cruise ship must meet all the requirements to enter New Zealand by air, which may include a visa. Review the whole itinerary, because the first point of arrival matters.

Our application service asks each applicant to prepare the following:

Before you apply, work through these steps. They take a few minutes and help avoid corrections later.

Travel rules can change, especially while an arrangement is under evaluation. The October 2026 continuation is important, but it is not a permanent guarantee that the rules will stay the same.

Before you book, check your eligibility, your Australian visa subclass, your travel route and the current NZeTA requirements, and check again close to departure. Our requirements page summarises the main conditions for every traveller.

The continuation of the China–Australia NZeTA arrangement is welcome news for eligible Chinese passport holders planning a New Zealand visit from Australia. The most important point is that the 3 November 2026 anniversary did not automatically end it.

Eligibility still depends on your Australian visa subclass, the visa’s validity at check-in, travelling directly from Australia and your individual circumstances. Verify those details before you depart.