'new' NEW ZEALAND VISA STARTS OCT 2019

[WESTEAST]

We are booked on Oceania's cruise Sydney to Auckland in February 2020 and doing research, found that NZ will require previous visa exempt countries to have a visa:

 

"From 1 October 2019, all air travellers from 60 visa waiver countries, and all cruise travellers, will need to hold an ETA before travelling to New Zealand. An ETA will last up to 2 years and cost NZD $9.00 for mobile application requests and NZD $12.00 for web browser requests."

 

Link: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/media-centre/news-notifications/government-confirms-electronic-travel-authority-details

[Classiccruiser777]

Government’s endless quest for more revenue.

[Chris86]

9 hours ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

Government’s endless quest for more revenue.

Interesting you point that out. Australia have an upcoming election and the Labour party are proposing many new taxes. Seems everyday they are discovering a new tax to charge. Already proposals to charge more taxes on our homes and now a deficit repair levy. Perhaps the opposition are looking at how well Labour are doing in New Zealand. If they win perhaps Australia will have a Visa fee for you aswell!

[Shawnino]

Honestly what's the point of the Commonwealth if we can't expedite a little visa-free tourist travel between ourselves?

 

May as well shut it down and save the money at this rate.

[Cruise Junky]

3 hours ago, Shawnino said:

Honestly what's the point of the Commonwealth if we can't expedite a little visa-free tourist travel between ourselves?

 

May as well shut it down and save the money at this rate.

Hmmmm you realize Canada and the US already have this in place?  why wouldn't New Zealand put it in place?  and it's not a Visa, its an Electronic Travel Authorization.

[Shawnino]

4 hours ago, Cruise Junky said:

Hmmmm you realize Canada and the US already have this in place?  why wouldn't New Zealand put it in place?  and it's not a Visa, its an Electronic Travel Authorization.

 

Hmmmm my question stands: why have a Commonwealth if we're slapping visa requirements on each other Hmmmmmm

[Cruise Junky]

1 hour ago, Shawnino said:

 

Hmmmm my question stands: why have a Commonwealth if we're slapping visa requirements on each other Hmmmmmm

We're not slapping VIsa's on people, they're travel authorizations for Visa Free Countries, totally different beast

[1985rz1]

On 4/11/2019 at 2:47 PM, Cruise Junky said:

We're not slapping VIsa's on people, they're travel authorizations for Visa Free Countries, totally different beast

Isn't this just symantics?  Both are official permissions to enter a country, with different levels of scrutiny.  One is electronic while the other is a physical attachment.

Edited April 13, 2019 by 1985rz1

[Cruise Junky]

5 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

Isn't this just symantics?  Both are official permissions to enter a country. One is electronic while the other is a physical attachment.

I entered the US last month and was asked if I was entering on a VISA or an ESTA. Do you think if I answered it’s just semantics they’d have been impressed? 

[Ken the cruiser]

On 4/10/2019 at 5:10 PM, WESTEAST said:

We are booked on Oceania's cruise Sydney to Auckland in February 2020 and doing research, found that NZ will require previous visa exempt countries to have a visa:

 

"From 1 October 2019, all air travellers from 60 visa waiver countries, and all cruise travellers, will need to hold an ETA before travelling to New Zealand. An ETA will last up to 2 years and cost NZD $9.00 for mobile application requests and NZD $12.00 for web browser requests."

 

Link: https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/media-centre/news-notifications/government-confirms-electronic-travel-authority-details

Thanks for the heads-up as we will be flying into Aukland Oct 7, 2019 to go on a HAL  cruise.

[1985rz1]

56 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

I entered the US last month and was asked if I was entering on a VISA or an ESTA. Do you think if I answered it’s just semantics they’d have been impressed? 

That's not the point.  There are various types of visas, tourist, working, etc.  This is just another, if lightweight, visa.  It's permission to enter the country.

 

 

Edited April 13, 2019 by 1985rz1

[Cruise Junky]

2 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

That's not the point.  There are various types of visas, tourist, working, etc.  This is just another, if lightweight, visa.  It's permission to enter the country.

It is a travel authorization for countries that do not require a visa. Countries that are required to get a visa do not qualify for this. They are very different and if you don’t get it right, you won’t get in. 

[1985rz1]

1 minute ago, Cruise Junky said:

It is a travel authorization for countries that do not require a visa. Countries that are required to get a visa do not qualify for this. They are very different and if you don’t get it right, you won’t get in. 

I guess we agree to disagree on what the definition a visa is.  As long as you get the right document, there's not a problem, regardless if you call it a visa or waiver.