New Zealand - Immigration
Immigration Procedure:
Passports must be valid for at least three months beyond the departure date. However, if you are traveling on a passport which can be reissued in NZ, then the passport only needs to be valid for one month past the planned departure date.
Visas
Most travellers need either a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority ( NZeTA) or a visa to travel to New Zealand. This depends on the passport you are travelling on, and if you will be a visitor or a transit passenger.
For a list of visa waiver countries and information on who can apply for a NZeTA – visit the NZ Immigration Website.
See also this information Guide for Visitors Arriving by Yacht, produced by NZ Immigration.
Note: The NZeTA is separate to the New Zealand Traveller’s Declaration (NZTD) which is a online system from NZ Customs that travellers can use to complete a declaration, answering a series of questions for biosecurity, restricted and prohibited goods (customs) and immigration if relevant for risk assessments on their entry. See the Customs section for details.
Length of Stay:
Visitors to NZ can stay a total of no more than nine months in an 18-month period (the 9/18 month rule) on a visitor visa.
The 18-month period is calculated backward from the last day you intend to be in NZ. For example, if you want to stay until 1 May 2024, you should count back 18 months, which would be an arrival date in NZ of 1 November 2022.
Ordinarily, owners and crew of yachts will be granted a multiple entry visitor visa enabling an initial stay of up to three months or 6 months for British citizens resident in the U.K. However, it can be easier to apply for the full 9-month visitor visa before you arrive. Allow at least a month for processing. Most visas are e-visas.
Owners and crew of superyachts (i.e. yachts over 20m) will be granted a multiple entry visitor visas enabling an initial stay of up to six months.
Notes on the 9/18 month rule:
- The 9/18 month rule means it is not possible therefore to come to NZ for the cyclone season (Nov-May), go to the tropics for the winter, then come back to NZ in November for cyclone season again. For example: from November to May 18 months later, only a total stay of 9 months is permitted. If this is the objective, then careful planning will be required.
- One way around the 9/18 rule would be after arrival in NZ on your vessel in November, you depart by air for a time and then re-enter before sailing in May for the tropics, in order to spend enough time offshore so your visit can be extended after re-entering the following November.
- Another option is for recreational sailors to work during the November-May time period. If you hold a job offer then you can apply for a work visa. Time spent on a work visa does not count in determining the 9/18 rule. The best option currently would likely be the Specific Purpose work visa, which is granted for a limited time e.g. a few weeks to 6 months (of particular use if you can teach sailing or navigation courses or have a specialist skill not readily available in NZ).
Visa Extensions:
Visa extensions are possible in line with the 9/18 rule, permitting a total stay in New Zealand of up to 9 months. However, it can be easier to apply for the full 9-month visitor visa before you arrive.
Extensions beyond the maximum permitted period (of up to 12 months) may be granted for private yacht owners if a yacht needs to undergo refitting or major repairs, or yacht crews wish to wait out the South Pacific hurricane season (October to April). See NZ Immigration for confirmation of this rule. This is an exception to the 9/18 rule so in that instance it will be 12 out of 24 months.
To extend your visa you must complete a 20+ page form and submit it with copies of your bank statements showing that you have the financial means to support yourself whilst in NZ, boat papers, and 2 passport photos.
Immigration Requirements:
- All yacht crew are required to show evidence of funds of $400 NZ per month if living on the yacht.
- Anyone leaving the vessel in New Zealand may also be required to show an onward ticket or sufficient funds to purchase one.
- The owner of the yacht must show evidence of ownership and of adequate 3rd party insurance.
- Crew on a private recreational vessel applying for visas are not counted as “crew” by NZ Immigration. This term only applies to professional paid crew on commercial vessels.
- If you want to stay in NZ for a total of more than 9 months you must have a medical exam and chest x-rays from a New Zealand doctor.
- If you’ve recently visited New Zealand for a total of 12 months, you have to remain outside New Zealand for 12 months before you can apply for another Visitor Visa.
- Current details of visa requirements for visitors arriving by yacht are online at www.immigration.govt.nz
Incoming Crew and Guests:
If arriving in NZ by air, commercial vessel or cruise ship, you need to apply for an NZeTA prior to arrival. You do not need to apply for an NZeTA if you are an NZ citizen traveling on an NZ passport, an Australian citizen traveling on an Australian passport or holder of a Visa.
Last updated: December 2024
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Looking for affordable haul out facilities and storage in New Zealand. Boat is 15 meters, 2.1m draft. Any recommendations?
November 2022 – reported by Werner Gysi of SY Princess Del Mar:
Princess Del Mar arrived at the Bay of Island Marina in Opua Nov 1st, 2022. We did the same 8 years ago, when the word biosecurity did not exist. This time I was asked to haul out either in Opua or Marsden Cove Marina and have the hull cleaned. I inquired and found the cost to do so reasonable at $350 for in/out, power wash and one day on hard compared to Opua at $500 plus $25 environmental fee. Marsden Cove Marina would have also been able to accomodate me on Nov 8. already rather Nov. 21. in Opua. Three days later I received an email from Biosecurity that Marsden Cove Marina does not at the time have the licence to do so, so I had to stick around and use the marina in Opua. I did not think that to be very professional, but suggest that sailors arriving in NZ that are not sure about their hull cleanliness should skip Opua and sail the extra 50 or so nm to Marsden Cove Marina. If indeed they have to haul out they at least get a better deal. By the way the re-inspection by Biosecurity after power wash was a modest charge of about $50 to receive the necessary paperwork to keep sailing in NZ.
I assume that after all Biosecurity noticed that my hull was clean enough. In any case, I was told that the inspector was lenient.
To get the latest pricing contact:
info@marsdencovemarina.co.nz
info@boimarina.co.nz
Werner Gysi
Princess Del Mar
Oceania Marine,; Whangarei, New Zealand Haul Out at Boat Yard
After a raucous sail up the west coast with over 6 meter seas and 45 knots of wind, boat speeds above 16 kn hitting 20kn, tired after logging our first ever 300+ mile day….We decided to haul-out in Whangarei at Oceania Marine. They had the very best rate for the haul-out and also if we paid them to do all the anti-fouling… so they were almost the most competitive priced of all the yards that had a travel lift for our beam. (Their Travel lift is 10+ meters wide so easily accommodated our 8.06 meter beam.)
In the last four year of world cruising with two major refits and three bottom jobs…. I would say that I am the most satisfied with this yard for quality of work, friendliness of the staff, and overall ability to get the work done just like I wanted it. This in my experience… is a rare thing to get when you are not doing everything yourself. They did an outstanding job and I am more than 100% satisfied.
We are hanging in the slings now ready to go back in the water. April 23, 2021.
All TIEs are now renewed/extended until June 2022.
Good new for those of us with yachts stuck in New Zealand
Still here! Over five months now on the north island of New Zealand.
There is now one (1) active Covid case here. NZ has beaten the pandemic!!
The problem is where to go from here. All the islands in the South Pacific are closed. When they will open is anyone’s guess.
Should we go on westwards through Asia and the Indian Ocean with the virus looming, or bang our way back to Panama (with the virus looming)?
Suggestions are welcome.
After spending several months moored in Opua I would like to share my experiences with the local technicians doing business there. There seems to me that the business owners prey on new arrivals and look at them as their personal solution to providing money for their lives. For sure several yacht owners do not know very much about the inner workings of their vessels so they have no choice but to pay someone to take care of their problems. That’s of course OK, but when they start getting beat up with ridiculous pricing for things being done and for things that really do not need doing then the ugly starts showing.
My personal experience and nightmare was with a boat watcher that just stopped looking after my boat while I was in the US. Upon my return I found grave damage done due to his incompetence which ultimately cost him several thousand dollars and never an apology or a reason for his failure.
While there I happened to hear a government report of boats that checked into New Zealand then moved on to different anchorages due in part to Opua’s growing reputation for not a nice place to stay and severe lack of supplies available. The government count was 300 less boats staying in the area for the 2018 season.
Opua is a convenient place to check into the country, but that’s all it is good for in my humble opinion.
A short situation report from New Zealand.
After spending most of the 2019-2020 cyclone season (November through April) in the South Pacific exploring the varied and beautiful eastern coast of the North Island of NZ the fabric of modern civilization has fallen apart. We are now in limbo.
Conditions here in NZ are identical to the reports coming in from other countries and islands. Self-isolation until further notice. A short visit to the nearest grocery store, pharmacy or medical clinic is the only acceptable reason to venture off the boat.
The NZ authorities have also urged all local boat owners to stay off the water for two reasons. First to avoid contact with others and second to minimize the necessity of any rescue operations by the Coast Guard whose personnel are also in self-isolation. In order to further discourage the use of private boats they have specifically forbidden fishing as well.
Being a foreign (Norwegian) vessel we have little choice but to keep to ourselves and enjoy the now near empty anchorages. Many of our neighbors are also flying courtesy flags and are in the same situation.
Our plans were to sail back up to Tonga in the middle of May before exploring Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and on. We have considered venturing north and accepting the weeks of self-isolation that are required at the few destinations that have not specifically announced that entry is not allowed at all. However, should the situation remain unchanged until the next cyclone season, it will be a dubious proposition to legally reenter the safety of New Zealand waters.
What to do? Hope/try to avoid the virus and stay put, at least until the situation becomes more transparent. It’s hard to see how this lockdown can be upheld for many months as the results will be devastating for most individuals and all nations. Our circumnavigation may be prolonged for a year, but hopefully society will be back on track soon.
Stay safe!
Lionheart
A lot of yachties have been worried about the new regulations for boats arriving in NZ, so here is the latest experience from my arrival from Tonga yesterday 24th November 2019.
Met at the Dock with a handshake and a smile. Quickly filled in the documents and then the quarantine guy used his camera on a stick to check the hull. He was very happy and gave me my clearance which allows me to sail to any other areas of the coast. Just before I left Tonga I had a local Tongan scrub the Hull thoroughly (unfortunately this removes a lot of the antifouling but that can’t be helped), was very inexpensive and satisfied all the NZ requirements.
So, it looks as if we don’t need to worry too much.
Having done this trip 12 times now I can confirm that both NZ and Tonga are friendly and welcoming places: just make sure that you conform to the regulations, particularly sending Advance Notice of Arrival, which is easy enough.
Mike Watts
SV Kokoamo
Dockland 5 – The story of a shipyard on the other side of the world
The sun has just risen and the level of the Hatea River has almost reached the high water mark. Europe is still asleep and New York is getting ready for work. But here, in New Zealand, where time begins, there is already pure action. It is early morning because the tides dominate the operation. The forklift, heavily loaded with shipyard equipment, wooden blocks, supports and pallets are on there way to the next hardstand. The new manager, Boss John Peagram and Big-John, who are always prudent travel lift operators, are preparing to lift out a larger motor vessel. The travel lift, heavy lift-belts and shackles are carefully inspected before is going down to business.
Nothing is left to chance in this not always uncritical business. The tide has to be right, the currents of the river and often also the wind which blows in the Hatea Valley, but mostly weaker than in the country. The Dockland 5 shipyard is surely one of the best on the river. A short time later, the heavy vessel is hanging over the washing area and is been cleaned by the water jet. The offwash is collected, separated and disposed of, but this is handled by shipyard and does not need to burden the respective captains or owners.
After 30 minutes to approx. 2 hours depending on the size of the vessel and the amount of cleaning required, the ship stands at its stand and shipowners work can commence. Whether DIY or contractors is left to the ship owner’s decision. If you need advice, you are in the right hands with Boss John and Big John. In administrative matters, postal matters and the local business environment. Natasha in here office likes to advice.
Many improvements and future plans are on the to-do list and there is a healthy optimism prevailing. Finally, the Steve & Bev Bowling Group is behind Dockland 5 and that’s a good thing. Bev and Steve are longtime entrepreneurs and are real go-getters as in the book. Their group works from the South Seas to the Antarctic. So it’s good reason to believe in a good future for Dockland 5.
That was not always so! Years of sales efforts and the associated future uncertainties had brought down the yard down to the bones. The management was deprived of the ground under their feet day after day, on which a healthy company should stand. In May 2019 the sale and thus the takeover finally took place. From one day to the other, the customers came back. From now on emails and phone calls where answered and appointments been kept. A completely new and heart freshening feeling.
Today, the main focus targets the worldwide sailing scene, fishing, pilot boats, rescue boats, work pontoons, tug boats, dive- and specialty-vessels and local boats from small dinghies to mega-yacht, the storage of vessels, transfers from land to water or on to trucks and vice versa.
In the yard itself and in the nearby environment there is a wide range of service companies for shore site assistance. That makes Dockland 5 a hotspot in the entire NZ Northland region if not even the South-West Pacific.
Finally, a little bit about the history of Dockland 5: The shipyard was founded in the last century by Dave Culham (Culham Engineering). Later it was sold to Jack and Mary Maclardy, who had it operated by a manager for a little over 20 years. Jack and Mary sold Dockland 5 because they wanted to retired and travel, spending more time with their family. One of the many highlights in the shipyard history was the construction of the 22.8m yacht “Isabel of Newport” by the then United States Secretary of State John Forbes Kerry and many other yachts of the former Friendship era.
Today, in 2019, it is fair to say:
“The dockyard shipyard Dockland 5, for generations support for world circumnavigators from all over the world, has awakened to a new life ”
How to reach Dockland 5:
Boss John Peagram
Email: john@dockland5.co.nz
Mobil: 0064 (0) 274 930 812
Phone 0064 (0) 9438 8558
Office:
Admin Natasha Bowling
Email: support@dockland5.co.nz
Phone 0064 (0) 9438 8558
By Mail:
Dockland 5 Marine Limited
211 Lower Port Road
Postbox 11031
Whangarei / New Zealand
Website of Dockland 5: https://www.dockland5.co.nz/
English Site http://www.atlantis-sail.de/Maritim/Technische_Berichte/Dockland-5_Shipyard_2019-english.htm
German Site: http://www.atlantis-sail.de/Maritim/Reiseberichte/Shipyard-Dockland-5-Whangarei-NZ-2019.htm
A report of http://WWW.Atlantis-Sail.de
Email: Mailbox@Atlantis-Sail.de
Has anyone tried using an Android Tablet for operating Navionics charts instead of an iPad ( for example)?
Yes. Bought a Samsung Galaxy TabA and it works. Way cheaper too.
Missing harbour — Kaikoura (South Island, east coast). Anchoring is available off the northern beach, but there are no marina facilities. Subsequent to the 2016 earthquake, some areas of the seabed have risen by between 1 and 5m from their charted depths. It is not advisable to rely on shallow areas of the charts without good current local knowledge. In an emergency it may be possible to shelter within the harbour at South Bay (south west of peninsula), by contacting Whale Watch Kaikoura by phone. Although this is shown as almost drying on most charts there is room for vessels up to 2.1m draft after dredging (2019). Berths in the harbour are private and should be entered only by invitation. Entry should only be considered if Lyttelton (south) or Picton (north) are not practical, each of which are around 12 hrs away.
This now seems to be settled (at least for 2019) and many of the ports listed as Port Of Entry are now no longer available – see https://www.mpi.govt.nz/importing/border-clearance/vessels/arrival-process-steps/yachts-and-other-recreational-vessels/
Statement from MPI:
Ports of first arrival are approved for specific types of craft (i.e recreational craft). Approval can be removed if the port no longer wishes to receive a certain type of craft or does not have the facilities (hull cleaning facilities) to manage the type of craft. As biofouling requirements have been brought in this season, MPI is reconfirming with each port that normally receives yachts if they are still intending to receive yachts or not.
Should any changes occur this will be notified on the below webpage. Please check the webpage prior to arrival to ensure you arrive at an MPI approved port.
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/importing/border-clearance/places-of-first-arrival/seaports/
Auckland is no longer a port of entry, as we received the following mail from the Customs NZ:
Due to changes with biosecurity requirements governed by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in New Zealand, all arriving small craft can only now be cleared at approved Ports of First Arrival (POFA).
Auckland is no longer a POFA.
Auckland is a POFA according to the MPI Web Site.
Auckland is NOT a POFA for recreational vessels (yachts). It is only a POFA for “Super yachts only for specified clients only” as per the Biosecurity NZ website.
New biosecurity rules for boats arriving in NZ: Marine pests and diseases introduced to New Zealand on vessel hulls (biofouling) are a threat to NZ’s marine environment and resources. From May 2018, all commercial and recreational vessels arriving in New Zealand will need to have a clean hull. This means vessels will only be allowed to be carrying a slime layer and goose barnacles. For more info go to http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz.
Have a dive and check niche areas of your hull before you leave for NZ (bottom of the keel tends to get less antifoul and more growth).
Re. Wet Exhaust Silencers/Water Locks:
Brent at Marine Exhausts Ltd in Auckland was very helpful. We had leaky stainless end caps on our Volvo warlocks that had reached the end of their life. Brent fabricated entire new fibreglass units that exactly matched our old units for our main engine and generator.
The fibreglass option will never pit and corrode as the stainless steel ones did. He completed the job for less than the cost of the new Volvo parts only!
As we have met many cruisers who report the same issue with their waterlocks, I thought I’d put his details here and hopefully, it helps someone.
Brent can be contacted on 021-119-3043.
I spent last cyclone season in Whangarei working on my yacht. Whilst I believe there must be some honest and hardworking contractors I didn’t find any. Almost without exception the work was delayed, poor or came in way over quotation. Not a good destination for yachties.
Comment from Noonsite
The 2 years Alan mentions is for the YACHT only, NOT for the crew. See the Immigration section above for the details on visas etc.
Alan! I just read your comment regarding the 2-year stay in New Zealand! Where can I find information about this? We were just about to apply for VISA- but after reading your comment maybe this is all for nothing!
//Daniel
No fresh produce can be bought into NZ! If the Quarantine officer finds any kind of pests(bugs or anything) in your dry stores, they may be taken and destroyed, meat rules change as to where you can bring certain goods in from as the authorities react to outbreaks of diseases in other countries, therefore rules can change overnight.
They often want to check wooden souvenirs especially from the Pacific islands for insect damage (or insects themselves) NZ has very few pests and diseases making it’s meat and produce some of the best you will ever have! But there are VERY strict rules in place to keep it this way. I know of a person who tried to hide (his salami and cheeses of all things) and almost ended up in prison, but got away with a hefty fine, $12,000NZD I believe. Please declare and ask if you are unsure. From a former Quarantine Inspector-turned-cruiser.
Additional comment from Alan:
Word of caution – no meat can be brought in to NZ, except bacon from Sweden and Finland!!…don’t ask; read the rules, they are very strict.
A French boat ahead of us had two large sacks of probably most of their provisions taken away by quarantine.
If you want any SSB work done in Auckland, contact Jaques Calvo, Calvotech,
+64 29 415 0454
http://www.calvotech.co.nz
Visiting yachts now get an automatic 24 month stay allocated – no extensions, everyone gets 2 years, whether you want it or not!
Re ICOM radio repairs: If you are having issues with your ICOM HF radio go to anyone in New Zealand but ICOM NZ. I took my 802 to them (as did one other yacht) and the result was they said “we cannot find out what the fault is but it is uneconomical to repair. We recommend you buy a new one”. In addition, they charged several hundred dollars for their failed efforts. You’d be throwing your money away.