New Zealand Digital Nomad Visa Coming Soon [July 2024]

A new opportunity for digital nomads could be on the horizon. With a proposed New Zealand digital nomad visa, remote workers can live in this astoundingly beautiful country for one year. 

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford understands the win-win that drawing digital nomads would have on the country but expresses the digital nomad visa is “unfortunately not an immediate priority.”

In the first year, only 250 New Zealand digital nomad visas will be approved. This limit may increase in the next year. We saw Cyprus conduct their digital nomad visa similarly, allowing only 500 to be approved in total.

We do know that the New Zealand digital nomad visa would be valid for at least one year. 

There are some rumors that the government will introduce new favorable tax policies for New Zealand digital nomad visa holders. 

New Zealand will be the first country in Oceania to introduce a digital nomad visa. However, there are currently countries in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and the Philippines, with digital nomad visas. 

As more information is released about the New Zealand digital nomad visa, Nomads Embassy will update this article. To be the first to know about these updates, join the waiting list by completing the contact form below. 

What is a Digital Nomad Visa?

A digital nomad visa allows remote workers to temporarily live in a foreign country. 

To be eligible for this special type of visa, you must be a freelancer, employee, or business owner working from a laptop for a company or clients located outside of the country where you wish to hold the visa. 

It’s important to understand that you will not be able to partake in local economic activities while living abroad with a digital nomad visa. 

Some digital nomad visas will allow applicants to include family members and can even lead to permanent residency. 

New Zealand Digital Nomad Visa Requirements

While no official eligibility requirements have been announced for the New Zealand digital nomad visa, we can assume that it will require the following:

• Valid Passport
• Minimum Income Requirement
• Clean Criminal Record
• International Health Insurance

These assumptions are based on more than 30 other digital nomad visas currently available. 

We will update this section as the government releases official eligibility requirements for the New Zealand digital nomad visa. 

How to Apply for the New Zealand Digital Nomad Visa

[COMING SOON!]

How to Visit New Zealand Now

If you just can’t wait to experience the natural beauties of New Zealand, digital nomads can still visit the country with a tourist visa. 

Visa-Exempt and Waiver Countries

There is a select list of countries with a visa-exempt or visa waiver agreement with New Zealand. Citizens of these countries will request a NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) via the official online portal.

You can review which countries can apply for the NZeTA here.  

The NZeTA is valid for two years, allowing you to visit the country multiple times as a tourist without applying for the travel authority for each entry. 

Depending on your citizenship, most travelers can stay in New Zealand for up to three months. However, UK citizens are allowed to stay for up to six months. 

New Zealand for Digital Nomads

While New Zealand may not be the most budget-friendly destination for digital nomads, it certainly has some spectacular cities and nature for them to explore. 

The most popular cities frequented by digital nomads are Wellington, Auckland, Queenstown, and Christchurch. The average cost of living is around $3,000 USD for an individual, and this could deter some digital nomads. 

As for wifi, the country is implementing a fibre wifi connection, increasing speeds up to 400 Mbps. However, digital nomads may still have some difficulty finding outstanding wifi while working from cafes. 

From mountains to beaches to busy cities, there is a little something for everyone in New Zealand. Plus, it has much fewer creepy crawlers than its neighbor country, Australia! 

And we can’t ignore the fact that the cinematic marvels The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies were filmed here.

Apply for a Digital Nomad Visa with Nomads Embassy’s Help

Applying for a digital nomad visa and moving to a new country isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes time, research, and navigating foreign bureaucracy. In many cases, digital nomads give up halfway through the application process!

Nomads Embassy: The World’s First Embassy for Digital Nomads changes that with our streamlined process, hand-selected local immigration lawyers, and innovative platform. 

We have scouted for the best, most reliable immigration lawyers worldwide to assist our members with their digital nomad visa applications. 

Ready to jumpstart your digital nomad visa application? 

Request our free digital nomad visa eligibility check today!