[settersred]

This probably seems a silly question to most of you, but not having travelled before i am a bit confused about visa's etc.
People tell me i can visit NZ for upto 6mths on a visitors visa yet on the NZ Gov website it says UK is classed as a visa free country.
Just what is a VISA? Do i need to apply to visit NZ or is a visa the stamp that goes in my passport?
I know this is a bit lame, but the websites assume everyone knows what a visa is and they don't clarrify things. :confused:
Please don't laugh at this, I feel silly enough having to post this question as it is!!! :(

[Lupin]

From the UK you just arrive in NZ and they stamp your passport at the border allowing you six months from date of entry for visiting purposes...at least that was the case five years ago and I don't think that has changed, but maybe someone could correct me if it has?

[GeordieLass]

A VISA gives you permission to travel to a country.

When the site states that the UK is a VISA FREE country, it means that you do not have to apply for a visa before you leave as you automatically have permission to travel by virtue of your UK Passport.

A PERMIT, on the other hand, is permission to stay in a country.

If you arrive in NZ without a visa (assuming you have a UK passport) you will be granted a six month Visitor's Permit. This is the stamp that you get in your passport when you go through the passport desk at the airport in NZ.

If you want to stay for longer than 6 months, or if you want to work while you are there, then you will need to apply for a Work or Residence VISA which will then get you the appropriate PERMIT stamp on arrival.

[katandbob]

yep your not being silly, I think its not very clear either....and posted a similar question on behalf of my son the other day

so your not alone.... :nice1 thanks for the clarification....now which do you think is the best answer to say at the desk where they stamp and ask what your here for....

A) I am here to visit my boyfriend

B) I am here to visit family friends

cheers

Kat :cheers

[settersred]

Thanks guys
I was so worried that we would get turned around at the airport.
Now I can enjoy the rest of my day and concentrate on the more important issues like cleaning for prospective purchasers. A nightmare with 3 kids and their friends in the holidays :(

[Toronto_Kiwi]

It's confusing no doubt.
My husband and I are flying to Auckland on September 5th... maybe. In June he gave all his work visa paperwork to the company he's accepted an offer with. Yesterday they called and asked him for a bunch of updated paperwork (some of the health paperwork expired since the company's lawyers left the filing for an additional two months - ugh).

And then... the company's lawyers asked if he could send his passport to them in New Zealand so they could put the work visa in. We are travelling for the next two weeks. Obviously he needs to have his passport. We're trying to figure out how this affects our plans to arrive in New Zealand in September. The company wanted him there earlier - we didn't want to leave until October. Double double ugh. I have a New Zealand passport so I guess we could still arrive with all our stuff whenever regardless of the slowdown in getting his work visa.

[GeordieLass]

yep your not being silly, I think its not very clear either....and posted a similar question on behalf of my son the other day

so your not alone.... :nice1 thanks for the clarification....now which do you think is the best answer to say at the desk where they stamp and ask what your here for....

A) I am here to visit my boyfriend

B) I am here to visit family friends

cheers

Kat :cheers

It shouldn't make a difference. They will want to see your return ticket I'd imagine but the truth will usually work fine.

When asked the purpose of his visit on a trip to Ireland recently him indoors answered "to drink lots of Guiness" which was considered a fair enough answer by the immigration official!

[anna_c]

katandbob, chances are they won't ask you anything that requires an answer beyond ticking the box saying you're here for a holiday

I saw a documentary a couple of years about the storming of the US embassy in London during the Vietnam war, one of participants interviewed said when he was entering the UK and they asked him reason for entring he said "tourism" and they stamped his passport. The person behind him replied to the same question with "storming the US embassy" and they let him through without hesitation.

Oh, the mere thought of that happening these days...

[ruthyroo]

It is confusing but GeordieLass has it nailed - Visas allow you to travel and enter a country for a particular purpose, while Permits allow you to stay there and do whatever the permit allows you to do - work, study, join your wokring partner, set up a business.