New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) for US Travelers: Free, Separate from NZeTA
Short answer: The New Zealand Traveller Declaration is free and required for everyone entering New Zealand. It collects travel, customs, immigration, and biosecurity information and is separate from an NZeTA or visa—you still complete it if you already hold one. Stand: 25 September 2026.
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NZTD is not an NZeTA
An NZeTA or visa is about travel authorisation before you fly or sail. The Traveller Declaration is the arrival form New Zealand uses for travel, customs, immigration, and biosecurity details at the border.
If you hold a New Zealand visa or an NZeTA, you must complete a declaration as well. The digital declaration replaces the old paper Passenger Arrival Card. Completing it does not grant an NZeTA, a visa, or entry—New Zealand border agencies decide entry.
For NZeTA eligibility and request steps, see the NZeTA guide.
Who must complete a declaration
Everyone travelling into New Zealand must complete a declaration, including New Zealand passport holders.
A declaration is needed for each traveller, including babies and children. One form for the whole party is not enough.
When you can submit (air and sea)
Air and sea both use a 24-hour earliest window, but the clock starts from different points—and the finish line differs too. Pick your travel mode first; that choice sets when the form opens and when it must be done.
By air: The earliest you can submit is 24 hours before you start your trip to New Zealand. Submit by the time you reach passport control in New Zealand. On a long-haul journey with multiple flights and no stopover, you may submit 24 hours before the first leg—so open the form from that first-leg clock, not from a later connection on the same itinerary.
By sea: The earliest you can submit is 24 hours before departing the vessel’s last foreign port before New Zealand. Submit by the time the vessel has berthed at its first New Zealand port.
If you fly, count 24 hours from when your New Zealand trip starts (or from the first leg on a long-haul itinerary with no stopover), and finish before passport control. If you sail, count 24 hours from leaving the last foreign port, and finish before the vessel berths in New Zealand.
Official DIY channels and form help
Complete the declaration on the official online form or the NZTD app at travellerdeclaration.govt.nz. Questions may appear in multiple languages; answers must be in English.
If you want help filing the arrival declaration, my-evisas.com can assist with the form. That help covers the declaration only—not an NZeTA. For optional NZeTA request help, use the New Zealand visas page.
FAQ
Is the New Zealand Traveller Declaration free?
Yes. The official declaration is free.
Do I still need it if I already have an NZeTA?
Yes. Visa or NZeTA holders must complete a Traveller Declaration as well.
Does it replace the paper Passenger Arrival Card?
Yes. The NZTD replaces the old paper Passenger Arrival Card.
When is the earliest I can submit by air?
24 hours before you start your trip to New Zealand—or, on long-haul flights with no stopover, 24 hours before the first leg. Finish by passport control in New Zealand.
Can babies skip the declaration?
No. Each traveller needs a declaration, including babies and children.
How my-evisas.com can help
The free arrival declaration and an NZeTA are different steps, so the help paths do not mix. Decide which job you are finishing before you choose a route.
| Path | What you do |
|---|---|
| Official self-service | File the free declaration on the official site or NZTD app. |
| Arrival-declaration form help | Optional private help can file the arrival declaration form for you. |
| NZeTA help (separate) | Need an NZeTA as well? Use NZeTA help—that route is for the travel authorisation, not the arrival form. |
If you only need the free arrival declaration, use official self-service or optional declaration form help—not the NZeTA route. If you still need travel authorisation, open NZeTA help separately; that does not replace the declaration.
New Zealand border agencies decide entry. The declaration does not grant an NZeTA or a visa.
For the wider New Zealand entry picture, start at the New Zealand hub.
Sources
- New Zealand Traveller Declaration (accessed 25 September 2026)
- About the New Zealand Traveller Declaration (accessed 25 September 2026)
Important Notice
The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. my-evisas.com is a private service provider and not a government authority, embassy, or consulate.
Visa requirements and entry regulations can change at short notice. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information provided. Only the official regulations in force at the time of your application are authoritative.
As of: 25 September 2026
Binding and up-to-date information is provided exclusively by the relevant official authorities. Please verify the currently applicable requirements before your application or travel: https://www.travellerdeclaration.govt.nz/