A few weeks after the New Zealand government announced it would soon launch an electronic system to grant e-visas to nationals of sticker visa-free countries, non-official eTA websites started popping all over the internet. Many of them, though not directly claiming they are the official eTA website, try to look like that.
Others claim they offer “expert” application assistance, when in fact the travelers can easily complete the whole procedure on their own.
The NZeTA is an e-visa that has been announced by the New Zealand government over a year ago. While the government set a price of NZD $9.00 for mobile application requests and NZD $12.00 for web browser requests, non-official websites offering such “services” charge applicants with fees several times higher.
Nick Aldous, policy director for Immigration New Zealand (INZ) told to The Independent that the INZ is working with the travel and tourism sector to ensure visitors know how and where to apply for an NZeTA.
“INZ is also working hard to monitor and where possible, correct any misinformation online,” he said.
What Is NZeTA?
The eTA is short for the Electronic Travel Authority. The government established the scheme in a bid to improve security by reducing immigration risks, addressing smuggling and biosecurity risks.
The New Zealand e-visa is very similar to the US Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and the Canadian Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). The European Union is also set to launch a similar system named the European Travel Information Authorization System (ETIAS) by January 2021.
To get an eTA for Nez Zealand, travelers will have to complete an online form, and pay a fee of NZD $9.00 for mobile application requests and NZD $12.00 for web browser requests.
Who is Eligible for a New Zealand eTA?
Nationals of 60 countries, which have been so far exempt from the requirement of a visa or any authorization to enter New Zealand, need to apply for an eTA. These countries are:
- All European Union member countries
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Bahrain
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- Hong Kong
- Iceland
- Israel
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Liechtenstein
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Norway
- Oman
- Qatar
- San Marino
- Saudi Arabia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Republic of South Korea
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- United Arab Emirates
- United States
- Uruguay
- Vatican City
Australian citizens will be exempt from applying for the eTA. Yet Australian permanent residents will need to apply for one before traveling to New Zealand.