europe travel visa nz

Get a visa to visit another country

Check which visas you'll need and organise to get them well ahead of your travel dates.

What type of visa you’ll need

Different countries have different rules — some countries allow you to stay for certain periods without a visa. If you do not have the correct visa you can be refused entry. The type of visa you need will depend on:

• the country you’re travelling to
• the passport you hold
• the purpose of your trip
• the length of your stay.

You can find out about the visa you’ll need from:

• the foreign representative to NZ of the country you want to visit (for example, embassies, high commissions or consulates)
• your travel agent.

Find an embassy, high commission or consulate

Applying for your visa

Different countries have different application processes — getting a visa can often take weeks, so make sure you give yourself enough time. Also make sure you have a valid passport when applying for a visa.

A visa does not always mean you’ll be able to travel

Having a visa does not mean you’ll be allowed to enter another country — you’ll still have to clear customs and immigration when you arrive.

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Last updated 14 September 2021

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Date printed 04 April 2024

Do you need a visa for Europe?

Whether you need to obtain a visa for your travels to Europe largely depends on which country your passport is from and which European country you're travelling to with a Schengen Agreement in place for 26 countries including Italy , France , Germany , and Spain that allows visa-free travel between them.

Passport holders from over 150 countries will need to obtain a Schengen Visa before arriving in their European destination of choice, however, there are some nationals that don't require a visa at all, just a passport with at least 6 months validity and an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) travel authorisation. These nationals can move between the countries part of the Schengen Agreement for a period of up to 90 days within a 6-month period. 

The countries that don't require their nationals to obtain a visa include: 

• New Zealand
• United Kingdom
• United States

For the full list of countries that do and do not require a visa to travel to Europe, please visit the  Online Visa Global Travel Services website.  

Passport holders from a country that's part of the Schengen Agreement follow a different set of travel requirements if their final destination is a country that's also part of the agreement. For example, if a national from France is travelling to Germany, they don't need to present a passport at the airport or to immigration officials to be granted access to the country. They can also stay in that country for an unlimited amount of time. You can find the full list of Schengen countries  here.  

However, it's important to remember that obtaining a Schengen visa or an ETIAS doesn't automatically mean you'll be granted access upon your arrival to your preferred European country. Regardless of the visa requirements, you'll still need to clear immigration once you've landed and it's up to these officials to grant you access to the country. 

Applying for a Schengen visa is relatively straightforward and easy with the best way being to visit an embassy, government office, or consulate of the European country you're arriving into. Make sure you schedule this visit well before your intended arrival in Europe (you can do this online or by calling the embassy/consulate) as it can take up to 3 weeks for the application process to be completed. There are some variations within this time frame - it could take less time or it could take more - so it's always better to leave at least a couple of months between applying and your arrival date to avoid any potential disruption to your travel plans. 

Before your appointment, you'll need to download the application form and fill it in. The form will require you to provide your personal information, any background information that might be relevant to your application, why you're requesting a Schengen visa and other details regarding your travel itinerary and country movements. 

You'll need to print out two copies of the fully filled-in form and bring them with you to your visa appointment, along with your passport, photos, travel insurance, flight itinerary (including your return flights), proof of accommodation, and proof of financial stability (bank statements). 

Once your visa interview is completed, you'll have to pay for the application before it can be processed. The cost of the visa can vary but you can expect to pay around AUD$129, however, this fee can be reduced depending on the individual situation. For more detailed information regarding visa requirements, please visit your nearest embassy or consulate. 

Getting an ETIAS online visa waiver is as simple as applying for a Schengen visa; all you have to do is fill out an online form with your basic personal, passport, and travel information, and answer some security questions, before submitting your application. Once completed, you'll have to pay the application fee with your preferred method of payment. The cost of this fee is subject to change but it's usually no more than AUD$4.50. 

Once your payment has gone through, your application will start being processed. This is almost instantaneous and will automatically be linked electronically to your passport, although you will get an email notifying you of this so feel free to print this out and carry it with you on your travels as hard-copy proof.  

To start your application, please visit the  ETIAS Visa website.  

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ETIAS Requirements for New Zealanders

Citizens of New Zealand traveling to the Schengen Area of Europe from 2025 will need to register with the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). This online visa waiver will be an entry requirement for around 30 countries.

The ETIAS for New Zealand citizens will allow visa-free visits for tourism and business purposes. It will be quick and easy to get by completing a short online form.

You must simply meet a few basic ETIAS requirements for citizens of New Zealand.

How to Apply for ETIAS for New Zealand Citizens

The ETIAS application for citizens of New Zealand will be done entirely online . The whole process is designed to be simple and streamlined to make it convenient for New Zealanders and other eligible foreigners to authorize their trips to Europe.

You must enter your details into a quick form using a computer or device. This will take a matter of minutes.

There is a small processing fee that must be paid as part of the application. This can be done with a credit or debit card. All transactions are processed and protected by secure servers.

The ETIAS will be approved in a few business days at most. Applicants from New Zealand will receive confirmation of their travel authorization by email. The visa waiver is electronically linked to the New Zealand passport registered in the application.

The ETIAS application form for New Zealanders

To register for ETIAS, New Zealand citizens must enter their basic personal information :

• Date of birth
• Nationality

You must also provide the details of a valid passport , including the following:

• Passport number
• Dates of issue and expiry
• Issuing country (New Zealand)

Some contact details are also required, including:

• Email address
• Contact phone number
• Residential address

You must also indicate which Schengen country you plan to enter first on your trip. There are also a few questions related to security, including about your travel history.

Once all the required information has been entered, it is advisable to double-check it all before submitting the form as errors can lead to issues further down the road.

Countries that New Zealand Citizens Can Visit with ETIAS

The ETIAS visa waiver will allow citizens of New Zealand to travel to any country in the Schengen Area. This region includes 27 European countries , which will all introduce ETIAS as an entry requirement in 2025.

The Schengen Area is currently made up of 23 European Union (EU) countries and the 4 member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

New Zealanders will also be able to use the ETIAS to visit 3 other EU nations that are in the process of joining Schengen (Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania). This means that the ETIAS will grant entry to all EU and EFTA countries except the Republic of Ireland .

New Zealanders will also need the ETIAS to visit 4 European microstates : Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City. Although they are not members of the Schengen Area, they can only be accessed by land from Schengen member states, for which you will need the ETIAS to pass through. These microstates have no visa policy of their own for visitors from New Zealand.

The countries that New Zealanders can visit with ETIAS are shown below.

ETIAS Countries

• Czech Republic
• Liechtenstein
• Netherlands
• Switzerland
• Bulgaria (*)
• Croatia (*)
• Ireland (*)
• Republic of Cyprus (*)
• Romania (*)

ETIAS Requirements for Citizens of New Zealand

To get an ETIAS visa waiver for New Zealand citizens, you must meet a few basic requirements. These include having the following items to complete the application:

• Valid New Zealand passport
• Credit or debit card to cover the small processing fee

The New Zealand passport must be valid for at least 3 months after you plan to arrive in the Schengen Area.

It must also have a biometric chip and be machine-readable. This is because the ETIAS for New Zealanders is electronically linked to the passport registered in the application. It will be read when the passport is scanned at border control.

For this reason, you must travel to Europe with the same passport you registered in the ETIAS application.

Do New Zealanders Need a Visa for the Schengen Area?

Citizens of New Zealand can visit any country in the Schengen Area visa-free. From 2025, they will need to register online with ETIAS before traveling to take advantage of this visa exemption.

The ETIAS visa waiver service for New Zealanders is much quicker and easier than applying for a visa . Registration can be done online from the comfort of your home, rather than going all the way to the embassy of the country you plan to visit to deal with paperwork in person.

It takes a matter of minutes to complete the ETIAS form and the application is processed within a few business days — much faster than a visa.

The ETIAS for citizens of New Zealand allows visa-free travel for up to 90 days within any 180-day period for the following purposes:

To move to European countries or to engage in other activities like work or studies, you will need to apply for the relevant visa.

Traveling from New Zealand to Europe

If you’re traveling to the Schengen Area from New Zealand on holiday or for business, you’ll need an ETIAS visa waiver from 2025 .

ETIAS will allow you to visit popular destinations such as France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Switzerland .

France is the world’s most visited country , boasting historic monuments, world-class cuisine, Mediterranean beaches, and Alpine ski resorts. In Paris alone, tourists from New Zealand can visit a long list of iconic landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Sacré-Cœur, and the Palace of Versailles, among others.

Spain is also a very popular destination for New Zealanders. Its many amazing beaches both on the Mediterranean and the Atlantic are perfect for those who want a holiday in the sun. The country is also home to over 45 UNESCO World Heritage Sites .

Italy is another country that has the attractive combination of good weather, rich history, beautiful scenery, and delicious food . Visitors from New Zealand may want to visit the Colosseum in Rome, pose next to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, or enjoy authentic pizza in Naples.

Germany is a large and diverse country that attracts many tourists each year. New Zealanders can visit its impressive castles and cathedrals , or come to enjoy authentic German beer at the world’s largest beer festival, Oktoberfest.

New Zealand Tourism in Europe

European countries make up some of the most popular tourist destinations for New Zealanders . The Schengen member states in particular attract thousands of visitors each year.

The figures for the number of visitors from New Zealand to Schengen countries in recent years are as follows:

Non-resident arrivals to Schengen Countries from New Zealand

Latest ETIAS News

The new visa waiver program for Europe’s Schengen Area will be arriving later than expected. The latest announcement from the European Union (EU) has stated that the ETIAS system will now be launched in 2025 instead of 2024. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) has been in the works for several years. It

The European Commission has revealed its plan to digitalize the Schengen visa. This will replace the mostly paper-based application system to obtain a visa for EU and Schengen countries currently in place. This means the Schengen visa will soon be available through a simplified online application process, similar to the European Travel Information and Authorization

Disclaimer Handyvisas.com is not owned by, or affiliated with any government agency. We are a private, online agency that provides assistance in submitting applications for tourist visits to different countries around the world. Applications can also be made directly through government websites.

Schengen Visas

Planning a trip around europe .

There are 26 countries in Europe where you may need to apply for a Schengen Visa before leaving home. The countries in the Schengen Visa region are:

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

New Zealand passports do not require a Schengen Visa if visiting the Schengen region for less than 90 days. Any other passport holders should check if a visa is required using our free online visa check app .

The original plan behind the Schengen region was to have a common set of visa rules and make travel easier. However, like many good ideas the devil is always in the detail. Every Schengen Visa application requires a biometric appointment (your photo and fingerprints stored in powerful government computers). You may have to go to Wellington or Australia for biometrics. Just working out where and when to go is complicated. You can’t avoid it, but we can make it easy for you.

The Schengen Visa usually allows a maximum stay of 90 days and then you need to leave the region for 180 days before applying to go back.

Don’t risk the trip of a lifetime worrying about complex visa rules. Talk to the visa experts at Global Visas today.

Call the team on 09 358 0018

Or send us a message below. It costs nothing to speak to us

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Immigration New Zealand (external link)  (INZ) is the government agency responsible for establishing New Zealand immigration policies.

New travel rules for New Zealand

The New Zealand Government has introduced a new travel requirement for some visitors (including visa waiver countries such as Italy, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece and San Marino) and transit passengers.

It’s called the NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) and travellers need to request theirs via the official mobile app or website. Approval can take up to 72 hours, so get yours before you go.

The NZeTA is required for travel from 1 October 2019.

Visit Immigration.govt.nz/nzeta  (external link) to find out if you need one. More information about the NZeTA can also be found here.

Applying for a visa

You'll need need a visa for NZ if you wish to:

• visit as a tourist (external link)
• work temporarily (external link)
• have a working holiday (external link)
• reside permanently (external link)
• study (external link)

The Immigration New Zealand website provides comprehensive information in English about visa requirements when coming to New Zealand including information on:

• Forms and guides (external link)
• Fees (external link)
• Doctors for immigration medicals (external link)
• Where to lodge your application (external link)

A reminder to all New Zealanders travelling to Europe’s Schengen area that visa-free access for New Zealand passport holders intending to stay for more than 3 months in the Schengen area can be complicated.

How to apply

Visa applications should be made using Immigration New Zealand’s online application service or sent physically to the New Zealand Visa Application Centre (external link) in London (external link).

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ETIAS: New Zealanders to require Europe 'visa', from 2021

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ETIAS: What is it and why do we need one now? Photo / Getty Image

New Zealanders heading to the EU will soon need to add an "Etias" authorisation to their list of holiday essentials.

From 2021, New Zealander is one of sixty countries whose citizens will be required to apply in advance for an Etias authorisation.

Previously countries like New Zealand and the United States enjoyed an automatic 90 day entry visa to countries in the EU. However, in under two years' time the Etias will be required.

The programme - which stands for 'European travel Information and Authorization System' - has already caused huge amounts of confusion for the countries to which it applies.

This uncertainty was only doubled when EU president Jeanne Claude Juncker announced the programme as emphatically "not a visa."

The system which was first outlined in the 2016 Bratislava Roadmap (something that also sounds like it would be useful on a trip to Europe) is used for processing the details of nationalities who would normally be granted 90-day entry visas.

It is described as "an automated IT system" created to identify any risks associated with an otherwise visa-exempt visitor, and is expected to cost around € 7 per applicant, or $12.

To the eyes of the average traveller: it seems increasingly like this European 'not a visa' e-document – which must be paid and applied for in advance, and is required for entry to the EU – will be a visa in every aspect but name alone.

The confusion surrounding the Etias is understandable.

It is most similar to the 'Esta' visa waver programme for visiting the United States.

The document will allow visitors to apply for 90 days stay for leisure and will last three years, so no need to reapply on every entry.

Kiwis will be able to apply online for the document, a process that is expected to take no longer than 10 minutes. The processing fee is used in part to offset the background checks for potential visitors – working with databases from SIS, Interpol and Europol.

So far, so virtually painless.

Unless of course there is a special grounds on background for refusing the digital application.

The European commission explains that if there is "a hit from the automated application processing, the application will undergo manual processing by staff of the ETIAS."

This manual assessment is to be conducted by the European Coast or Border Guard, and could prolong the response time by 96 hours without any certainty of approval.

Ultimately the commission says it will be up to air carriers or coach companies to check their passengers have the document before allowing passengers to board.

And then you're free to gaily traipse though the cobbled streets of Europe?

Well. . . not quite. It is only required for the Schengen area - essentially mainland Europe.

There are some notable exceptions for the programme including the UK and Ireland - whose sea borders saw them opt out of the agreement - and Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus.

You will not need a authorisation to enter Britain, not matter what stage of Brexit has been reached by 2021.

But the Etias will be similar in principal and cost to applying for the American visa-waiver programme, which is both a good and a bad thing.

As we covered for NZ Herald Travel readers last year many Kiwis were being duped into paying private companies up to 10 times more for US Esta clearance.

While the official process of applying for the document is not yet published, the amount of unofficial private websites offering assistance to EU Etias applicants has already mushroomed.

Moving the process online may speed it up, but not make it any clearer.

EU Parliament on the ETIAS programme

ETIAS authorisation: What Kiwis need to know

1. What is new requirement?

It is an authorization called an ETIAS, which stands for the European Travel Information and Authorization System. (Both the system and the authorisation seem to be called ETIAS.)

2. Who needs to get it?

Initially, citizens of 60 countries, including New Zealand.

3. When does this go into effect?

This new system is expected to be implemented in 2021.

4. What will it cost me to get an ETIAS?

This has not been decided yet. The ETIAS information site says suggestions range between 7 and 60 euros. The money will go to the EU budget.

5. What does ETIAS authorize me to do?

It authorises you to enter and to travel in the EU Schengen Area for up to 90 days.

6. What is the Schengen Area?

It is a group of 26 European countries that banded together to form one entity for the purposes of passport and border control. Citizens of a Schengen zone country can visit the other countries passport- and visa-free.

7. Is the Schengen area the same as the European Union?

Not exactly. It includes EU member countries Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and as well as nonmembers countries Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, plus the microstates of Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City.

8. Which EU countries are not in the Schengen Agreement?

The United Kingdom and Ireland, which have chosen not to be part of the agreement, and Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus, which are expected to eventually join.

9. Why is it called the Schengen Agreement?

The treaty that created the zone was signed on a ship on the Moselle River in Luxembourg, near a small town called Schengen. Agreements between nations are often named for where they were crafted: Kyoto Protocol, Oslo Accord, Geneva Conventions, Treaty of Versailles, Treaty of Paris . . .

10. How long will my ETIAS be valid?

Three years. You can visit Europe for up to 90 days at a time, but cannot be there for more than 90 days in each 180-day period.

11. How do I get an ETIAS authorization?

You apply online. . . eventually.

12. What do I need to have to apply?

You need a valid passport that will not expire within three months of your travel to the EU (if you are staying 90 days, it should be valid for six months). You will also need a credit or debit card and email address.

13. What information will I have to provide?

Basic information, including your name, age, gender, nationality, date and place of birth, passport information, address and contact information and first Schengen country you plan to visit. You will also have to answer background and security questions.

14. How long will it take to get this authorisation?

It will take about 10 minutes to fill out the online form and pay. Your application will then be cross-checked against European border security and criminal databases. If there are no problems with your application, you should receive authorization by email within minutes.

15. What if there is a problem?

You will get an email within 96 hours stating the reasons for refusal and providing instructions for appealing. An appeal should be decided within four weeks.

16. What will I get to prove I have ETIAS authorization?

According to a European Commission spokesman, you will not receive anything physical because "the ETIAS is an authorization issued in an IT system."

17. Who will check that I have this authorization?

Your ETIAS status will be checked electronically before you board an airline and at borders. The spokesman said the airline check will usually "be carried out at the check-in time. Air carriers will automatically send a query to ETIAS and will receive, in a matter of seconds, a reply whether the person has or not a valid travel authorization."

18. And where?

At Schengen area border crossing points, your ETIAS status will be checked by the European Entry/Exit System (EES), an IT system that is in development. "The EES will replace the manual stamping of passports at entries and exits to and from the Schengen area," the spokesman said. (This will be a disappointment for travelers who take pride in possessing a well-stamped passport.)

19. What about my kids?

Everyone visiting the EU will need ETIAS authorization.

20. But they do not have an email address or debit card.

Guardians of children under age 18 can fill out the forms for them. There is no fee for children under 18 or people older than 70.

21. How, exactly, does this differ from a visa?

A visa is required to remain in a Schengen zone country for more than 90 days. A visa requires much more information than ETIAS, such as including photos, a copy of your itinerary and proof you can financially support yourself. Visas for the purpose of employment or studying require even more information.

22. How will Brexit affect this?

From an New Zealand standpoint, not at all. Whether it stays in the EU or not, the United Kingdom is not part of ETIAS, so you will not need an ETIAS to visit there. From a British standpoint, it appears U.K. residents will have to obtain an ETIAS to visit countries in the Schengen Zone.

23. Why do countries do this?

Mostly for security. It allows countries to prescreen people long-distance, rather than in a passport control line. It also should help cut down on illegal migration.

26. But do I have to enter through the country I said I planned to visit first? What if I change my plans?

The question regarding the first country an applicant plans to visit, "relates to the intention of travel and stay and is not an obligation for the traveller to travel and enter through that specified Member State, as indeed travel plans may have changed or not having been made in advance of applying for ETIAS," the spokesman said

Additional research and reporting by Elizabeth Chang of the Washington Post

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ETIAS for New Zealanders

Europe's travel authorisation for citizens of new zealand.

This website does not belong to, nor is it affiliated with, the EU. The official website of the European Union is europa.eu.

New Zealand passport holders can travel to the Schengen Area without a European visa for up to 90 days.

Citizens of New Zealand can visit all Schengen member states with their valid passport, provided they meet the requirements for visa-free entry. This is because New Zealand is part of the EU's visa-exemption programme .

From 2025, New Zealand nationals will be able to apply for ETIAS to go to Europe visa-free. ETIAS , the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, is a new visa waiver for Europe. It will become an entry requirement.

ETIAS is being introduced to improve Schengen border security . It will make European destinations even safer for travellers from New Zealand and across the world.

ETIAS Required

Etias permits new zealanders to travel to all schengen member states from 2025:.

• Czech Republic
• Netherlands
• EU Schengen
• Non-EU Schengen States

Non-Schengen EU States

Non-eu member states:.

• Liechtenstein
• Switzerland

Micro-States de facto part of Schengen Area:

• Vatican City

Europe Entry Requirements for New Zealand citizens

Citizens of New Zealand do not need a visa to travel to the Schengen Area for up to 90 days. This will not change with the introduction of ETIAS. ETIAS is not a European visa, it is a visa waiver, or electronic travel authorisation , for visa-exempt visitors.

From 2025, New Zealand passport holders will need to register with ETIAS to travel to countries in the Schengen zone. The ETIAS authorisation will be electronically linked to the traveller's passport and verified at the external Schengen border.

Citizens of New Zealand will maintain their visa-free privileges but will be legally required to obtain travel authorisation from 2025.

Requirements to apply for Europe's travel authorisation from New Zealand

The ETIAS visa waiver for New Zealanders will be available through an easy-to-use online application system. The requirements for an ETIAS visa-waiver application are simple and straightforward:

• A New Zealand passport that is machine-readable and valid for at least 3 months after the intended date of departure from the European ETIAS countries
• A debit or credit card to pay the ETIAS fee
• A current email address, needed to receive the approved ETIAS visa waiver

These are the basic ETIAS requirements for New Zealand citizens who wish to visit any of the Schengen Member States. The Schengen Area is comprised of European countries that agreed to form one entity for the purposes of integrating passport and border control.

Where in Europe can New Zealand citizens visit with ETIAS?

The Schengen zone includes EU member countries , Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

It also includes 4 countries that are not EU members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, plus the microstates of Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City.

ETIAS will also be required to visit Bulgaria, Cyrpus and Romania which are EU countries in the process of joining the Schengen Area.

The new ETIAS electronic travel authorisation will allow New Zealanders to travel to all of the countries mentioned above , as well as the freedom to travel between them.

New Zealand passport holders are advised to take into account that the United Kingdom and Ireland are not part of the Schengen Area. ETIAS will not be valid to travel to the UK or Ireland and New Zealand citizens need to check the specific entry requirements.

ETIAS for New Zealand Citizens Application

The ETIAS visa waiver will be a legal requirement for New Zealanders entering the Schengen zone, as of 2025 . The visa waiver can be obtained online by accessing the ETIAS application form using an individual’s smartphone, tablet or desktop computer and completing the easy-to-follow online process.

New Zealanders applying for an ETIAS will need to provide some basic personal information such as the following:

• Date and place of birth
• Street address
• Contact phone number
• Accurate passport details such as country of issuance, issuance date, expiration date and passport number

Citizens of NZ completing the online ETIAS application will also be asked to disclose some of the following details:

• Criminal records
• Employment history
• Ties with human trafficking
• Prior travel to conflict areas or history of deportation from any EU Member States
• Past European travel information

The application process for ETIAS is simple and straightforward and the form should take NZ citizens no more than 10 minutes to complete. Processing is also fast, New Zealand citizens will need to apply just a few days before their trip to Europe.

Applicants are advised to carefully review all the information prior to submitting their European visa waiver application in order to make sure that there are no typing errors or inconsistencies in their data. This is to ensure that their ETIAS request can be processed smoothly since any mistakes may delay the process.

The last step of the ETIAS travel authorisation application process is payment , which is made using a credit or debit card.

ETIAS security checks for New Zealand nationals

Once the application is submitted, it will be cross-checked against European border security and criminal databases .

The information submitted within the ETIAS application system allows European immigration authorities to pre-screen all citizens intending to visit the Schengen zone. ETIAS checks are carried out to identify any potential threats and improve security for the safety of residents and visitors alike.

All of the data provided on the Europe visa waiver application is checked against multiple security databases managed by the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, otherwise known as eu-LISA .

Some of the security databases used for screening include:

• VIS , a database that compiles visa information
• SIS , a shared European database used to identify individuals that are suspected to have a criminal background, as well as missing people, and stolen assets
• EURODAC , a database that compiles fingerprint info

All of the security measures and processes that comprise ETIAS are being put in place with the objective of identifying citizens that enter the Schengen Area illegally or commit identity theft and other types of fraud.

If an NZ citizen’s application raises any red flags during its automated screening against security databases, the individual’s form will have to undergo manual processing by staff of the ETIAS.

In the event that manual assessment by the European Coast or Border Guard is required for an ETIAS application , this will result in longer processing and delivery time.

An ETIAS visa waiver for NZ passport holders is likely to be denied if the citizen has been involved in serious criminal activity.

New Zealand’s bilateral agreements with European countries

The New Zealand government has successfully negotiated individual visa waiver arrangements , known as bilateral agreements, with several countries in Europe. This means that citizens of New Zealand can visit these countries for more than the 90-day visa-free permission already in place.

All types of passports meeting the validity requirements and issued by New Zealand can be used to visit the below nations as an extended stay:

• Belgium (2 months)
• Denmark (3 months)
• Germany (3 months)
• Italy (3 months)
• Luxembourg (90 days)
• Netherlands (90 days)
• Iceland (3 months)
• Liechtenstein (90 days)
• Norway (90 days)
• Switzerland (90 days)

New Zealanders holding an ordinary passport can enter the following countries for the stated additional period:

• Greece 90 days
• Spain (90 days)
• France (90 days)
• Austria (3 months)
• Portugal (90 days)
• Finland (90 days)
• Sweden (3 months)

It is also possible for New Zealand visitors in possession of a diplomatic, service, or official passport to enter Austria for up to 3 months beyond the 90-day visa-free period allowed in the UE.

A bilateral agreement is a deal signed with an individual government. This means that under one agreement, New Zealanders can only travel visa-free to the country the agreement applies to and must remain there for the total length of application of this reciprocal arrangement.

Those interested in visiting more than one Schengen Member State visa-free within one trip should apply for an ETIAS visa waiver for Europe.

Note : Bilateral agreements between NZ and EU Member States might vary depending on new legislation set in place.

Travelling from New Zealand to Europe with ETIAS

Once the travel authorisation has been approved, the ETIAS will be sent to the applicant by email . No physical documents will be sent to applicants, since their passport will be digitally associated and reflect their status as ETIAS holders to immigration officials.

The ETIAS visa waiver for New Zealanders is valid for a total of 3 years from the date of approval and allows unlimited entries into the Schengen zone. The EU visa waiver is electronically linked to a citizen’s passport, specifically to the passport that was used in the application process.

This means that travellers with dual citizenships must make sure to travel on the same passport number the user typed in when completing the ETIAS online application form.

Similarly, ETIAS cannot be transferred to a different passport . Therefore, if a traveller’s passport expires before the ETIAS 3-year validity period is finalised, the electronic travel authorisation shall be rendered null on the passport’s expiration date.

Since ETIAS will be obligatory for New Zealanders , citizens will have to apply for a new ETIAS if their visa waiver, or their passport expires.

ETIAS for New Zealanders - FAQ

Do new zealand citizens need a visa for europe.

No citizens of New Zealand do not need a visa to travel to the Schengen Area short-term. Nationals of New Zealand are allowed visa-free entry for up to 90 days.

When ETIAS is fully operational NZ passport holders will still be able to go to the EU without a visa , however, they will have to register online for ETIAS prior to their travels.

How long can a New Zealander stay in Europe?

NZ passport holders are granted a 90-day stay within a 180 days into the Schengen Area without a visa. For these purposes, the 180-day period begins on the first day that a traveller enters a member country.

The 90 days are counted by adding the total number of days a visitor spends within the Schengen Area starting from the first day they entered. This includes an unlimited number of entries into and exits from member nations.

Can I work in Europe with a New Zealand passport?

Yes , New Zealanders can work in Europe . They must apply for a national visa for the Schengen country they wish to work in.

Can New Zealand citizens study in Europe with an ETIAS visa waiver?

New Zealanders traveling to the Schengen Area with an ETIAS can study for up to 90 days with the visa waiver. They may also take part in events such as a congress or brief workshop.

NZ passport holders who wish to study for an Undergraduate degree or Master’s degree programme in any Schengen area member country are required to hold an appropriate study visa or residence visa, depending on which country they wish to study in.

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Can New Zealanders Stay In The Schengen Area For More Than 90 Days?

published by Bren

Last updated: May 17, 2020

This article is a part of my travel tips series for New Zealand travellers. If you’re not from NZ, this post won’t apply to you. You can see the rest of the Kiwi traveller guides by clicking  here .

If you’ve travelled to Europe, you will be familiar with the 90/180 days Schengen visa rule. Citizens of Annex 2 countries , of which New Zealand is one, can enter and stay in the Schengen Area for 90 days within a 180 day period without a visa. Your 180 day count begins from the first day you enter a Schengen Area country, and you can leave and enter as many times as you wish, as long as your total days in the region do not exceed 90 for that 180 day period. Pretty simple. Currently, the Schengen Area includes the following 26 countries:

• Czech Republic

Netherlands

Switzerland.

• Liechtenstein

There are no border controls between these countries, and you can move freely between them without a passport.

New Zealand’s bilateral agreements

Important: The information below is exclusively for New Zealand passport holders, who have slightly different Schengen rules to other countries. If you are not a New Zealand passport holder, this post will not apply to you.  You can read about the standard Schengen rules here.

For New Zealanders the rules are a bit different. Before the Schengen agreement was inked, New Zealand had signed bilateral visa waivers with many European Schengen countries (as far back as the 1950’s). The visa waivers mean that the 90/180 day rule applies to each country individually, rather than the Schengen Area as a whole. This means you can stay in Spain for 90 days, then France for 90 days, then Germany for 90 days and so on.

(Trust me, this is a big deal. Some backpackers are willing to give a left nut and a pinky for a second 90 days).

The countries with this bilateral visa waiver agreement are as follows:

• The Netherlands

The New Zealand government confirms the European Commission still honours these visa waivers and that they override the Schengen agreement.

You can read more here and here . Both sources are official government websites.

Update April 2018: It seems that the validity of these waivers is becoming more uncertain. When I wrote this article in 2016, the websites I linked above described the waivers in great detail. Now they just make a brief mention of them. As of right now this is what it says: 

“New Zealand has bilateral visa waiver agreements with many of the individual countries in the Schengen area. Some of these visa waiver agreements allow New Zealanders to spend a limited time in the relevant country, without reference to time spent in other Schengen area countries. Entry, and the length of stay under these visa waiver agreements, is subject to the decision of the local immigration authorities.” 

This does not mean the waivers have been revoked. They are still in place. It just means the NZ government is encouraging you to confirm the waivers with the relevant European embassies instead, which makes sense. Continue reading below on how to do that.

But does it work?

All our government websites caution that immigration officers may be unaware of these agreements. The advice was to contact the relevant embassies and get confirmation that the agreements are still recognised in the countries you plan to visit.

Since I wasn’t quite sure where my Eurotrip would end up, and also for the sake of this blog post, and also because I have no life, I just contacted all of them.

Using the embassy listings provided on Go Abroad, I sent an email to all of them. Here’s what I said:

My name is Brendan Lee, I’m a New Zealander travelling in Europe at the moment. I got your details from the Embassy listing on Goabroad.com.

I’ve been told we have a bilateral agreement with [country], that allows me to spend 3 months in [country] visa-free, regardless of any time spent in other Schengen countries. I was advised to email you to confirm whether this bilateral agreement is still valid?

From Safe Travel:

“However, New Zealand has bilateral visa waiver agreements with many of the individual countries in the Schengen area [country included]. These visa waiver agreements allow New Zealanders to spend up to three months in the relevant country, without reference to time spent in other Schengen area countries.  The European Commission has confirmed that these agreements continue to be valid.  These agreements thus effectively override the Schengen area restriction (which would otherwise be imposed on New Zealand passport holders) of no more than 3 months out of a 6-month period in the Schengen area as a whole.”

https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/travel-tips-travel-europe

Thank you so much!!

Here’s what they said:

The short answer

YES means they still honour the waivers. NO means they don’t. A question mark means I couldn’t find embassy details, or they didn’t reply after several tries.

The long answer

Here’s the exact email each embassy sent me.

“The bilateral agreement between Austria and New Zealand is currently still in force. It allows you to stay in Austria for an additional 90 days, if you can prove that you have left the Schengen Area after the first 90 days, and have not had any stopovers in other Schengen countries during the second 90 days. Further please note that it is not a guarantee that the bilateral agreement will be honored by all other Schengen Member States and that you might still be fined for overstay when you leave the Schengen Area.

Therefore, you are well advised to have proof of your stay (Hotel receipts, tickets etc) in each state of the Schengen area readily available.” For more information you may also want to visit the following websites: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/visa-policy/schengen_visa/index_en.htm

-Austrian Consulate

“Referring to your email below I can inform you that a New Zealand passport holder does not need a visa for a stay of up to 90 days in any 180 days period in the Schengen area.

In addition the Embassy can inform you that, according to the SPF Foreign Affairs of Belgium, the actual bilateral agreement formally confirmed through an exchange of Notes on 1 November 1951 between the two countries, entitles New Zealand citizens to stay for two more months without a visa in Belgium after 90 days spent in any other Schengen country. When entering Belgium you will need to be able to prove you have not stayed in the Schengen area for more than 90 days. At the end of the 2 month period you will need to leave from Belgium and cannot visit another Schengen country.”

-Belgian Embassy

“Dear Brendan,

Yes, this is correct and still valid. For more information, please see link below:

https://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/coming_to_dk/visa/Visa_free_travel.htm

-Danish Consulate General

“Good Afternoon,

Yes the bilateral agreement between France and New Zealand is still in place.

For more information : https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-and-regions/europe/france/new-zealand-embassy/living-in-france/travel-within-france-and-europe/ “

-French Embassy

“Yes, you can stay in Finland for 3 months [regardless of time spent in other Schengen countries].”

-Finnish Consulate

New Zealand citizens can travel visa-free to Germany for visits of up to 90 days per half-year. Times spent in other Schengen member states do not count towards these 90 days. However, as there are no I internal border controls, it is up to you to prove to immigration on departure that you have not spent more than 90 days in any one country.”

-German Embassy

“Hi Brendan,

Yes I can confirm this is correct. NZ has an old bi-lateral agreement with Iceland and a few other European countries, that the Schengen Area agreement does NOT override. This was an unintended oversight when the Schengen agreement was signed but it stands.

So you can on a NZ passport spend up to 3 months in Iceland regardless of your other European travel.

In the unlikely event you will have any issues about this in Iceland, you can contact the Icelandic Foreign Affairs as they know all about this and you could also show this email as a proof.

Have a good trip to Iceland.”

-Icelandic Consulate

While Italy originally told me the waivers are no longer valid, a reader has since emailed me an updated reply that says the waivers are still in fact recognised:

“We confirm that the bilateral agreement between NZ and Italy is in place. This means that you are allowed to a 90 day tourist stay in Italy even if you have already spent 90 days in another country in the Schengen Area.”

-Italian Consulate

This is also confirmed on the website of the Italian embassy :

The exchange of Notes signed on 25 January 1961 between Italy and New Zealand, entitles New Zealand citizens to stay in Italy without a visa for 90 more days  irrespectively from other periods spent in other Schengen Countries .

“Once the 90 days for the Netherlands have been used up you cannot return for 180 days.

If you wish to stay longer pleased contact the IND (www.ind.nl) from within the Netherlands to request an extended tourist/visitors visa.

In principle, New Zealanders benefit from the short-stay visa waiver, as long as they (a) do not intend to work; (b) hold a passport valid for at least 3 months after date of return; and (c) have a return ticket. Border officials in EU countries may ask for other supporting documents such as an invitation letter, proof of lodging, return or round-trip ticket. For the precise requirements contact the local consular services of the EU country in question.

Therefore, New Zealand passport holders can freely travel in this period to countries in the Schengen Area: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Spain and Sweden.

On top of the overall Schengen visa waiver, New Zealand concluded bilateral visa waiver agreements with many of the individual countries in the Schengen area before the Schengen Agreement came into force. The countries with which New Zealand has bilateral visa waiver agreements are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Persons of New Zealand nationality are, according to the Bilateral Visa Waiver Agreement, entitled to stay in the Netherlands for 90 days and consecutively go to one of the other countries (length of stay depending on the agreement of New Zealand with that country!). Or the other way around, first visit one of those countries and then the Netherlands afterwards.

As stated before there is no border control between these countries, but there will be when you leave the Schengen area. You might be questioned about the length of your stay if it is more than 90 days. You are strongly advised to gather evidence (e.g. airline tickets, hotel bills, receipts, etc.) that show the duration of your stay in each different Schengen/EU country. That way you have the best option to prove that your stay in the entire Schengen area was legal.”

-Dutch Embassy

“Dear Brendan

New Zealand citizens travelling on New Zealand passports are exempt from the visa requirement for entering Norway. They can stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days during a period of 180 days. Their stay can be for 90 consecutive days, or divided into several stays. The six-month period starts on the day of first entry into the Schengen area. A new six-month period starts immediately after the expiry of the previous one, thereby allowing another stay in the Schengen area of up to 90 days. However, although a stay will stretch from one six-month period to the next, they may never stay inside the Schengen area for more than 90 days each time. It is their own responsibility to make sure that they are not in breach of this requirement.

Further information regarding visa waiver countries as well as other visa matters can be found at the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration’s website: http://www.udi.no/Norwegian-Directorate-of-Immigration/Central-topics/Visa/ .

For stays longer than 90 days, a residence permit is required. There is no way to extend the 90 days visa free period. Please note that overstaying the 90 days visa free period may lead to expulsion and a future entry ban to the Schengen area.

However, please be advised that there is currently a separate bilateral agreement between Norway and New Zealand allowing stays for up to 90 days visa free in Norway in addition to any days spent in a non-Nordic Schengen country. As a consequence, New Zealand citizens will not be refused entry to Norway due to time spent in e.g. Spain. Whether or not non-Nordic Schengen countries will disregard time spent in the Nordic countries before entering the non-Nordic country must be confirmed with the appropriate immigration authorities.

For more information regarding the bilateral agreement between Norway and New Zealand, please contact the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.”

-Norwegian Consulate General

“Visa matters are handled by our Consulate General in Sydney. The Consul General has advised that, contrary to the information contained in some official websites, the Portuguese authorities are of the opinion that the Schengen Agreement superseded the earlier bi-lateral agreements.

Tourists are permitted to stay in Portugal, without a visa, for a period not exceeding 90 days, in the aggregate for all Schengen countries. If you require further information, please contact the Consulate General in Sydney.”

-Portugese Consulate

“Yes, as a NZ citizen you may stay in Spain without visa for up to 3 months regardless of the time you have spent in any other Schengen area countries.”

-Spanish Embassy

“To my knowledge and as far as I am aware – nothing has changed concerning the bilateral agreement.”

-Swedish Consulate General

Thank you very much for your enquiry.

Please find required information on our website:

https://www.eda.admin.ch/content/dam/countries/countries-content/new-zealand/en/Visa%20waiver%20for%20New%20Zealanders%20for%20long-term%20stays%20in%20Switzerland.pdf

New Zealand citizens do NOT require a visa to visit Switzerland for a period of up to 90 days within a 180-days period. New Zealand citizens benefit from this short-stay visa waiver, as long as they:

(a) do not intend to work;

(b) hold a passport valid for at least 3 months after date of departure;

(c) have a return ticket.

Border officials in EU countries may ask for other supporting documents such as for example an invitation letter, proof of lodging, return or round-trip ticket.

Moreover a bilateral visa waiver agreement signed between Switzerland and New Zealand allows holders of New Zealand passports to stay in Switzerland up to 90 days irrespectively from other periods spent in other Schengen countries. In this case, New Zealand nationals are advised to carry evidence of the period spent in Switzerland (e.g. passport stamps, accommodation receipts, ATM slips).”

-Swiss Embassy

What about the other Schengen countries?

Remember we do not have bilateral agreements with every Schengen country. That means the 90/180 day rule for the Schengen region as a whole still applies to the following countries:

And also Portugal, and possibly Luxembourg and Greece as we discussed above.

Therefore, my advice for anyone visiting Europe would be to visit the above countries first , use up your 90 days, and then continue your travels into the countries with the New Zealand visa waivers. Again it is up to you to prove you have complied with all the visa restrictions, so keep your bus and train tickets and accommodation receipts. You won’t have passport stamps as there are no border controls within the Eurozone.

It is also worth noting that Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City are countries in Europe that are not a part of the Schengen zone and therefore will have their own visa/immigration rules. You can check those here.

This means you can go to one of these non-Schengen countries for 90 days, reset your 180-day counter, and then re-enter the Schengen zone for a new 180 day clock. This is the “90 days in/90 days out” planning strategy that many long-term travellers use to stay in Europe for extended periods. Of course you only need to do this if you want to visit the Schengen countries that don’t have a bilateral visa waiver with us.

Did it work for me?

Here’s how it all went down:

When it came time to leave Europe, the first task was choosing a country to leave from. I’d been in the Schengen Area for 184 days.

I’d been told Spain and France simply do not care if you have overstayed, probably because their workday is only 20 minutes long so they don’t have time to bother with silly travellers like us. We’re all too broke to pay the stupid fine anyway.

That wasn’t good for me because, as you know, I like to live dangerously. Like, right on the edge. I don’t even watch the safety video or turn off my phone during take off. So I made it a point to leave from the strictest country. I wanted to make sure I got checked, questioned, and see for myself whether our “special rules” checked out. For the sake of a blog post I was willing to miss my flight and risk that nasty overstayer stamp that would banish me from Europe for life. Life! (Actually I think it’s two years but whatever).

So who is the strictest? Word on the street is: Germany and Switzerland. They apparently check everyone, every time . No surprises there.

So I arrange to fly out from Zurich airport. Ideally the customs officer would know the deal and just stamp me through. But I had all the papers from all the websites printed out, ready to bust out on the table like Ally McBeal if things got crazy.

Finally I get to customs. Moment of truth. I take a look at the lineup. There is an art to this, you know. It goes like this:

Young, fun looking guys don’t give a toss when it comes to this stuff. Usually if you overstay 3 or 4 days somewhere they just stamp you through because they only care about going home to play Xbox later. And they hate paperwork. So if I’ve overstayed somewhere, I always try to choose a counter with a young smiley dude in his twenties. Young women are the next easiest. Try and look for the happy ones, hopefully they’re crazy in love with some hunk and not even thinking straight and won’t want to be mean in case it messes with their happiness. However, there’s a flipside. If you choose one that’s moody you’re gonna get it in the ass. There’s a 300% chance she’s gonna bust your balls mega hard and go high and mighty on you. So make sure she looks cheery. Next is the older guys. These guys are hit and miss. Sometimes they’re like your cool uncle and might just smirk at your cheeky overstay and give you a wink before stamping you through. Other times you might get that old school guy that just has to do everything by the book and will ping you. And then older ladies are usually the toughest. If you overstayed and you choose the counter with the older lady, she’s gonna bust you. But usually she’s going to be really nice about it, like a loving grandmother disciplining a toddler. Unless of course someone pissed her off that morning. Then you’re in for a long afternoon.

So I check out the lineup, and remember, I’m trying to get pinged here. But there’s no grumpy looking girls. No meticulous looking grandmothers either. So I go for the grumpiest looking old guy.

I rock up and he hasn’t even looked at my passport for two seconds before he asks, “And how long have you been in Europe, sir?”

Switzerland lives up to the rep. It’s on.

“About six months,” I tell him.

I pull my shoulders back and smile. In these situations you gotta have confident body language and stuff, you know.

“Mmm about six months,” he nods, flicking through my passport.

“Says you came in on June 6, through…Algeciras?”

“Oh yeah I entered in May but I went to Morocco for a couple of weeks and then I came back.”

He nods again slowly, flicks through a couple more pages, and then starts talking to the young mid-twenties guy in the booth next to him. He’s waving my passport at him, and he’s talking Swiss German so I don’t understand anything, but I hear him say New Zealand a couple of times, tapping the front of my passport. He’s talking like a Dad so I figure he’s explaining the intricacies of the special visa rules we have. Of course this young guy looks like he couldn’t give two shits about it.

Then he inks his stamp, still blabbing away, stamps my passport and says, “Have a safe flight!”

Didn’t even take two minutes. I get a little rush of satisfaction. I’m through!

Planning to stay in the Schengen Area for over 90 days?

So it worked out for me, let’s make sure it works out for you too. In the space of six months, I’ve noticed information change on various of the websites above multiple times. As of writing (November 2016) the information in this post is current, but if you’re planning to (legally) overstay your 90 days, I would do exactly as I did: Email the embassies of the countries you want to visit, print them, have them ready at customs, and maybe the printouts of the policies on their immigration websites too. As you saw in my little story some customs officers know their shit, but I’m sure many others don’t. If in some strange scenario the embassy has okayed you and customs won’t accept it, at least you can show you did everything you could to comply and you may just get a warning instead of a ban and a hefty fine. This is annoying since New Zealanders should be able to enjoy this arrangement without all the hassle, but this is what our government recommends.

Also note, the countries you visit isn’t actually too important. It’s the country you leave from that matters. You move freely without border checks in the Schengen Area, so it’s only when you fly out of the area that you’re going to be checked. If you’re really anxious about it, try and leave from a country that has expressly stated on their immigration website that the waiver is valid (Switzerland, Denmark, France).

Hope this helps, have a safe trip and enjoy Europe!

Update April 2018:

As you can see from the comments this post has become quite popular and is now #1 on Google for this topic. While this is great, it might also mean that all the embassies now have hundreds of Kiwis emailing them each day asking to confirm waivers. As you can imagine this is eventually going to piss off the staff and that could even result in some waivers being pulled altogether.

Let’s work together and try and make this more efficient. Here is my suggestion:

I am suggesting you only email for waiver confirmations from the country you actually intend to leave from.  That is where you will be checked and questioned, so you really only need confirmation from that particular authority. I also encourage you to please come back here and share any confirmations you get from embassies and your experiences with the waivers at customs. Teamwork makes dreamwork. Thanks!

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Hi Bren, Thanks for sharing this fabulous blog post; the information you have uncovered for us Kiwis is so helpful. WorldWideAdventurers are most grateful to you, as our world travels take us that way in 2018.

You’re welcome!

Hi Bren, thanks for clarifying the Schengen agreement for NZers. It has been a ‘murky’ area for me… but great to see the options put so clearly. Awesome post.

Hi Bren, there’s a ton of detailed info here and I appreciate all the time and research that went into collating it. I’m dusting off my wings again for a new adventure in April and this post is so helpful.

Hey Bren, great information and very useful, cheers!

Just to add a little bit, I contacted Hungary as it was mentioned on this website by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Affairs here: https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-and-regions/europe/france/new-zealand-embassy/living-in-france/travel-within-france-and-europe/

and they came back and said we can also stay the separate 90 days there too, with the condition of leaving the Schengen zone as mentioned on that page. Here’s the full reply for anyone who’s interested:

“Referring to your e-mail we confirm that due to the bilateral agreement between New Zealand and Hungary, a New Zealand citizen can spend up to 90 days out of a 180 day period, even if he/she has already spent up to 90 days in any other Shengen countries. Please note that in this case you must leave the Schengen Zone from Hungary, and it is prohibited to go to other Schengen countries during the stay in Hungary.”

I also got a negative reply from the Consulate General of Austria in New Zealand, so it’s clear a few people who should know their stuff don’t: “The information is incorrect and you may not spend another 90 days in Austria. A NZ citizen may spend 90 days in the Euro zone – that’s it! ”

His information with regard to the Schengen zone is definitely wrong, though I’m still waiting on separate personal confirmation about Austria itself from this source https://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/

Cheers and all the best, Sam

Hey Sam thanks for sharing that. The Austria reply is an odd one, they gave me oddish rules as well, so a third email might get a different reply again. I’d say it would be safer to leave the zone from neighbouring Switzerland as I did.

Hey Bren, thanks for posting this very helpful reference.

I have also been emailing the Austrians. I think the Austrian consulate in NZ does not know what he is talking about, although this does highlight the difficulties we can face trying to use these Bilateral Visa Waivers!

I emailed the Austrian Embassy in Canberra, wanting to know whether we had to leave Austria prior to re-entry to be eligible for a visa waiver. It turns out it may not be necessary, this was their response:

“what is meant by exiting the Schengen area prior to entering Austria under the bilateral agreement is that you “leave” the Schengen area before your entry to Austria. Your Schengen stay ends and you enter Austria under the bilateral agreement, so the stays are clearly separated. For example if you are in Italy before travelling to Austria, your Schengen stay ends once you have left Italy. Then you enter Austria – under the bilateral agreement. There is no need to travel to a non-Schengen country like the UK to then fly into Austria.

There is usually no border control on the internal borders between other Schengen countries and Austria, therefore it is hard to prove when you have left the Schengen Area and entered Austria. If required by the authorities you will have to provide proof when and where you entered Austria.

As mentioned in the below email, please note that some other Schengen countries do not honour bilateral agreements between other Schengen countries and third countries, therefore another entry to a Schengen country (even for flight transit) might be considered an overstay.

Best regards,

Consular Office Austrian Embassy Canberra 12 Talbot Street, Forrest A.C.T. 2603, Australia (Post: P.O. Box 3375, Manuka A.C.T. 2603, Australia) Office: +61-2-6295-1533 | Fax: +61-2-6239-6751 http://www.austria.org.au | [email protected] “

So glad I found this, my first 90 days is nearly up and planning my next move. This is perfect cause I have been struggling to get some responses.

Nice. Have fun!

Hey since the wording on the safe travel site has changed to – ” New Zealand has bilateral visa waiver agreements with many of the individual countries in the Schengen area. Some of these visa waiver agreements allow New Zealanders to spend a limited time in the relevant country, without reference to time spent in other Schengen area countries. Entry, and the length of stay under these visa waiver agreements, is subject to the decision of the local immigration authorities. ” would you still recommend quoting that to the embassies in email or does that give room for them to say no easily?

Good question. I’m not really sure. You could quote that and then say that a friend (i.e. me) already confirmed it but you are just double checking to be safe. But either way I think you should still get confirmation.

Hi Bren:) Thank you for all this information it’s been very useful!

I’m going to be in Europe for 4 months in total and flying into and out for Germany. My dates stack up so I’m not overstaying according to the bilateral agreements but I’m concerned about entering Germany as my return flight is more than 3 months past my entry date – as long as I have my letter from the German embassy and hostel bookings proving where I will be do you think there would be any issues upon entry?

I think with a NZ passport you’ll be okay, each time I’ve entered Europe it’s been through Spain or France and they just stamp and don’t even look twice. In Germany you might need to explain yourself a little (but probably not) however I’d be very surprised if you weren’t allowed in.

Cheers! That makes me feel a lot more relaxed 🙂

I’ve flown into Paris and they didn’t even bother to stamp my passport. The English officials weren’t too sure what to do with me when I tried to board the Eurostar to the UK, and the same when arriving in Zurich by plane, but on the whole they just shook their heads “at the lazy French immigration” and let me through.

Yes I hear stories like that a lot – mostly about France and Spain. Great countries those 😀

Hey fellow kiwi, I’m planning my own 6 month jaunt at the moment and I was wondering if you could help? When entering a Schengen country that doesn’t honour the bilateral agreement, for example Italy, do they count the time spent in other Schengen countries that do honour the bilateral agreement as part of the overall time? Not sure if that makes sense, it’s just technically I enter the Schengen zone on 30th April in Germany but I wouldn’t be getting to Italy until late August. Even though most of the time spent during those 4 months is either in countries we have a bilateral agreement with or non Schengen countries. Any ideas?

Yes it will matter. If they don’t recognise the agreements they consider all Schengen time as to whether you’re an overstayer. I suggest going to all the “non-friendly” countries first, or at least making sure your final flight out of the Schengen zone is from a friendly country. i.e. don’t leave from Italy, leave from Switzerland or Germany or France.

beem advised not to by german consulate.Better to do non bilateral countries in east then finish up in france ,germany etc.Chances are immigration in these no bilaterals wont know. I kept all my shopping receipts ,they have time and place if they feel botherd to check. Ended up just showing formal letter from German embacy.No issues.

Hi Bren, We are about to depart for a 6 month trip and I have written to the Embassy of Spain and the Embassy of France to ask if the bilateral agreement will still be valid. I have replies from both embassies. A very short response from the Embassy of Spain “Yes, Spain honours the agreement”. The Embassy of France wrote a longer reply ” Bonjour, I confirm that the Bilateral Waiver agreement between France and New Zealand is still valid today. This agreement allows New-Zealand passport holders to stay visa free in France for 90 days each 6 months period even if they stayed previously in another Schengen state. To be able to prove when you leave France that you didn’t overstay, I strongly advise you to keep all your travel tickets and hotel invoices from the Schengen entry date (stamp from the immigration officer in your passport). http://www.ambafrance-nz.org/IMG/pdf/Border_controls_in_Europe.pdf?3252/e2e160de39bfa53f1c366ecf6da45e02752c731c However, if you want to enter France while you have already spent 90 days or more in the Schengen area, it will be at the end and as any traveller, the immigration officer who will accept or refuse entry subject to his investigations. I have printed these emails to carry with us and based on these responses we will enter the Schengen zone in France and depart the Schengen Zone from Spain. Thanks Bren for gathering all of this information to assist fellow kiwi travellers. Much appreciated!

You’re welcome! Have a mean as trip 😉

Hello Bren! This is amazing! You have really spent the time collecting the information and putting this together.

I have one question as I seem to get different responses. I attend to work in the UK and I have applied for a 2 year working visa. However I will be travelling the Schengen countries for the first 3-4 months before collecting my visa in the UK. Therefore I do not have a return ticket. Do I need a return ticket to be able to entry the Schengen countries?

Thank you for your time!

Top effort Bren. We are planning two years of sailing in the Med and the Schengen rule was looking like a nightmare with trying to calculate wintering over options. Well it is still a nightmare…UNLESS YOU’RE A KIWI!!! I need to repost your info to the main yachting forums as they do not currently cover the issue as it applies to us! Thanks

Hey Tony, of course you’re welcome to share this wherever. Your trip sounds awesome, have fun!

Hi Bren, great site – thanks for helping me navigate such a complex area. Your advice please – our family (me, wife and 17yo son) arrive in to France on 5th April and depart from Germany 25th July – 112 days in total, but all good as all the countries we are visiting have bilateral agreements with New Zealand EXCEPT for Hungary which we need to be in from 21-23 July (day 108 to day 110) – my son is competing in a sporting event, so dates can not be moved. We then fly home from Germany on the 25th July. My wife and I are driving in and out of Hungary, and my son is flying in from the Netherlands and we are meeting him there. Will getting in and out of Hungary (by road or air) be an issue given we have been in the Schengen region over 90 days at that stage? I’m not worried about overstaying, as departing from Germany will be fine (NZ has a bilateral agreement with them), but I don’t want my son to have visa issues at the airport when we are not with him. Your thoughts. Thanks

Hey Richard, I would be very surprised if he has any trouble at all, considering he is not entering nor leaving Schengen via Hungary. Your problem is most likely to come from Germany, as they are real sticklers for this kind of stuff and will definitely be checking your dates. Most likely they will see you are from New Zealand, go in the back and check it out and make a phone call, and then wave you through. Although I would still email the embassy and get a confirmation email just in case. Also, Hungary does have a bilateral agreement but it’s kind of funny – you can enter Hungary after 90 days is up but then you must leave the Schengen area from Hungary i.e. it’s supposed to be your last stop. So it’s unlikely you will have any trouble entering Hungary, but you could possibly have trouble exiting (although unlikely). Obviously I have no idea what will actually happen on the day, but that would be my opinion on it! Safest way is to get written confirmations via email, as I did.

Thanks Bren, awesome info. Our challenge is we are 6 months in France Spain Portugal Spain in that order. By the time we arrive in Portugal we will have been in schengen countries for more than 90 days. We also haven’t booked a ticket out of Spain. I can’t help feeling it will all work out on the day.

I would guess you’re going to be fine. Spain is pretty relaxed about it. Plus if you do your math you might not even be breaking any rules.

Hi Bren thanks for the info. My wife and I are on a trip with no real return plans. How does entering Europe without return airfares work. Will we encounter any problem do you think?

I’ve done it through both Turkey and Spain and didn’t have a problem. Can’t speak for every country though. If you’ve got cash in the bank and a NZ passport it shouldn’t be a problem.

Hi Bren, I am a NZ passport holder. If I spend more than 90 days in the Schengen under the visa waver agreement, can I then enter a EU country such as Romania or Slovenia without being accused of overstaying. That is: are the Schengen and the EU considered separate entities as far as the 90/ 180 rule is concerned or do I have to leave directly to a non EU country? Does anyone know the answer to this? Cheers, Peter

Schengen and EU overlap but there are countries that fall into only one. As long as you are outside the Schengen zone you won’t be considered overstaying – you will get a separate tourist visa for the non Schengen countries.

News about Austria and the bilateral agreement! Thank you Bren for all your information about Schengen zones, your blog is a great help. I asked the Austrian consulate in Auckland whether the bilateral agreement with NZ is still in place, this was her reply (27 April 2017): Dear Peter. The bilateral agreement between Austria and New Zealand is curently still in force. Further please note that it is not a guarantee that the bilateral agreement will be honored by all other Schengen Member States and that you might still be fined for overstay when you leave the Schengen Area. Therefore, you are well advised to have proof of your stay (Hotel receipts, tickets etc) in each state of the Schengen area readily available. For more information you may also want to visit the following websites: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/visa-policy/schengen_visa/index_en.htm https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/travel-tips-travel-europe Mit freundlichen Gruessen – With best regards, Ingrid Goeschl Oesterreichisches Konsulat Auckland Austrian Consulate Auckland T: +64 9 476 0994 M: +64 21 858 818 E: [email protected]

Hi Bren, I see someone has asked about travelling to a Schengen country that doesn’t honour the bilateral agreement, and whether they count the time spent in other Schengen countries that do honour the bilateral agreement. Just wondering if this would be the same for someone on a Working Holiday Visa? E.g. if I was on a Working Holiday Visa in The Netherlands, and then went to Italy, would they recognise the Working Holiday Visa if I had been in The Netherlands for, say, 6 months or more as the visa is a 1 year visa? Or does it not matter if I don’t leave frmo Italy and am jsut travelling there but staying in the Schengen region? Your advice on this and would be so helpful.

Hey Jake, my guess is that if you’re on the Working Holiday visa you’re no longer a tourist and so these rules don’t apply to you. I.e. if you had a 2 year visa you can just roam freely through the EU for those 2 years – a lot of bloggers get the artist visa in Germany to travel the EU for longer. Best to check with the country issuing your visa though.

I’m having trouble getting the website to work that gives me the contact details for the embassies. I’m trying to get the Norwegian, Spainsh & French. I’m not sure if this is just me being technologically challenged.. If you could give me a list by any chance that would be awesome. Thanks so much for all your help in providing this article.

Hi Aja, they should all be listed here: https://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-in/new-zealand

Site is working for me!

Thanks a lot for this info, Bren. In addition, it seems Finland doesn’t charge NZ citizens for Residence Permit applications: http://www.migri.fi/our_services/processing_fees Good news assuming near 700 NZD fee for a such application!

That’s awesome. We’re super privileged in this area it seems.

and it seems same applies for Iceland. Here is INZ operation manual mentioning bilateral fee waivers with New Zealand. It’s for foreign citizens applying for visas to NZ, but if those agreements are bilateral, then can be interpreted as something what applies for NZers applying for visas/permits to those countries.

Aaand it seems I forgot the link: https://onlineservices.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/40263.htm

Is it possible to spend the first 90 days in Spain and Sweden and apply for Finnish working holiday visa from Finnish embassy in Stockholm?

I’d suggest emailing the Finnish embassy.

Reuben, apparently you can apply only from outside of Finland: http://www.migri.fi/working_in_finland/working_holiday/submitting_the_application

When you say you can move freely within the Schengen zone without border checks, does that include when you fly??

Hello! Thanks for all this so great. If you were to overstay in Germany by accident, and then travel to Denmark via road. Could you fly to Croatia from Denmark and not have to worry about the German overstay since you are now in a new country that respects the visa waiver?

Most likely yes, unless you got a customs officer on a really bad day and he decided to ask you every single detail about your trip. Even then I don’t know if they would have any jurisdiction to do anything since your overstay was not in Denmark.

Thanks for a really useful post we are travelling in Europe at the moment and it has been super helpful. I contacted the Greek Embassy a coouple of days ago and althought its somewhat complicated they also honour the bi lateral agreement though somewhat complicated. Here is the response I got: There is, indeed, a bilateral visa waiver agreement between New Zealand and Greece.

However, be aware that the Border Guards upon entering the Schengen Area will stamp your passport and upon exit you may be challenged by local police or other authorities if they deem you as an overstayer and it is possible that you might be accused of being one when you leave the Schengen Area, unless you prove otherwise. For your information see the Schengen Borders Code (articles 10-11) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32006R0562&from=EN . if you desire to make use of the provisions of the bilateral agreement please mention that to the Border Guards (your passport will not be stamped upon entering Greece since you will be in an intra-Schengen flight but you will be checked when entering the Schengen Area later. So you should specifically ask the Border Guards upon entering Greece that you would like to make use of the provisions of the Bilateral Agreement between Greece and New Zealand and you shouldn’t enter Greece and then travel to another Schengen Member State during the same period since it will be really complicated to start /stop /restart the Schengen Calculation of the Days for short stay visits.

“Exceptionally, at the request of a third-country national, insertion of an entry or exit stamp may be dispensed with if insertion might cause serious difficulties for that person. In that case, entry or exit shall be recorded on a separate sheet indicating the name and passport number. That sheet shall be given to the third-country national”. Since it is upon the Border Guards to implement these rules and it is upon their own discretion to decide if you are an overstayer or not. (Article 7 of the Border Guards Code* Border checks on persons 1. Cross-border movement at external borders shall be subject to checks by border guards. )

In few words once entering the Schengen Area you are under the jurisdiction of Border Guards and if you want to stay in Greece for three months (making use of the provisions of the bilateral agreement) after you have stayed for 90 or less days in another Schengen Member State you must ask the Greek Border Guards upon entering Greece (because otherwise your passport will not be stamped since you are entering Greece from another Member State (no internal controls)) and then you will be considered an overstayer upon exiting and a fine will be imposed on you by them. At any rate please inform the Border Guards regarding your intentions and be aware that you cannot make use of both Agreements (Schengen & Bilateral) at the same time in Greece. If you want to enter the Schengen Area from Greece and then continue to other Schengen Member States similar issues are risen with the stamping of your NZ passport and proving to all Border Guards which Agreement you are making use of.

Hey Sam, thanks a lot for sharing that. It does sound complicated. If you experience any trouble please come back here and let us know! 🙂

I have just heard back from the Greek embassy with the same reply. Are they simply saying that yes new zealanders can go there for 3 months but try to have proof our entry and leaving dates and yes we can go to a schengen bilateral country afterwards…or am I missing something here??? Bren are you having any luck adjusting your website settings so we can see comments on a phone screen…your blog fits perfectly it’s just the comments don’t.

Just wondering what Greek Embassy you emailed for get a response. We are planning on visiting Greece and hopefully using the bilaterial waiver agreement but would feel more secure if we had an official email stating it exists.

Many thanks, Jarrod

I got that email and also couldn’t decipher it, but I managed to get some clarification.

My email: Just to clarify my understanding:

1. If I plan to enter Greece through a Schengen member state and leave it more than 90 days after I first entered the Schengen area I should clarify this with the border guards UPON ENTRY, and will then be able to stay in Greece for 90 days irrespective of time spent in other Schengen states and leave without issue. 2. If I plan to enter Greece from a non-Schengen state then I will be able to stay in Greece for 90 days irrespective of time spent in the Schengen area in the preceding 90 days. 3. If I stay in Greece until more than 90 days have elapsed since my entry to the Schengen area, and less than 90 days have elapsed since last exiting the Schengen Area, I should not that I will not be able to re-enter a Schengen member state under the Schengen area 90/180 day visa.

I hope that makes sense.. Is it all correct?

The reply: Hi Sean

Yes, that is also my understanding, if in doubt about anything please do check with the Border Guards at all times.

Safe Travels.

George Neonakis Honorary Consul Hon. Consulate of Greece Wellington

Interesting point to note – I was waived through easy as on arrival in Greece, but the Turkish airline staff in Istanbul (flew with Pegasus) wouldn’t let me on the plane until the Greek authorities had confirmed the existence of the waiver – even with those emails! It was a nervy 15 minutes or so.

I have flown into Greece after spending more than 90 days in other Schengen countries with no problem. Have also flown out of Greece to non-Schengen after more than 90 days in Schengen. The Greek Border guards don’t give a sh*t. They often don’t even bother stamping the correct date in your passport.

Hey Bren, Thanks for a great post! I’ve been in the Schengen countries for 83 days now and have 7 days remaining on the initial 90/180 day visa free travel for Kiwis. Thing is, I’m heading up to Hamburg soon and then planning to stay another week or 2 in Denmark before flying out of Copenhagen to the UK. This would mean that I’d be overstaying by a week or 2 on top of my 90day visa. However, according to your post and the Bilateral agreements that I’ve also found online, seems that it won’t be a problem as I can stay another 90 days in Denmark (and other Nordic countries). My questions is this: I’m going up to Copenhagen via bus or train from Hamburg. Do you know how they would validate my date of entry into Denmark? What do I need to do to tell the Immigration officer when I fly out of Copenhagen to ensure I don’t have any issues when departing the Schengen regions… Thoughts please 🙂

There is no border check – if you’re going by bus the driver will just drive straight through and if you’re on the train it’s the same. The best way to validate it is to keep a copy of your bus/train ticket. They shouldn’t be so strict about it, as long you make an effort to keep some kind of record.

We are in Europe now, travelling on the Visa Waiver Agreements. We thought all was legit until we went over the border between Hungary & Croatia.

I notice that you didn’t have Hungary in your list, but they do have an Agreements, with slightly different rules to the rest. You have to leave the Schengen Area after your time in Hungary.

I contact all relevant embassies before leaving NZ as you did, including Hungary and received written confirmation the Agreements still exist (except Italy and Portugal as you found).

On crossing the border with all documents in hand, the Hungarian officials knew nothing of the Agreements and were not interested in my documents or written confirmations.

€100 fine for my wife and I.

Feel pretty pissed now, trying to contact the embassies again to arrange a refund.

If anyone is trying to attempt this, I’d suggest not leaving Schengen Area from Hungary.

That’s crazy, the fine for overstaying is much more than that and includes a ban on future entry. So it’s possible these guys were just hustling you for some change, especially because it’s a land border and those are often less policed. Airports are much safer and always will have officials around you can escalate to. Hopefully you got a receipt and the names of the officials? Otherwise it might be hard to prove anything.

Thanks for your reply. We paid our fine with MasterCard, so it’s unlikely the border officials pocketed anything themselves. I think they were just uninformed.

Yes, we kept the receipt (signed by us and them) and have forwarded this on to the Hungarian Embassy in Wellington. The Embassy have written back apologising for the border officials ignorance. They said the money may be hard to get back, but I’ve followed up again with pictures of the receipts so hopefully they’ll get to work.

I’ll let you know how we go?

Yes do come back and update us! I’m sure it will be helpful. I guess you can be lucky it was only 100. Some people have been charged in the thousands.

This has to be the best, clearest website dealing with this issue. Thank you. Thought I’d let you know what has just happened to us. My wife and I are both New Zealanders but I also have a British passport. 4 years ago we were fortunate enough to buy a house in France where we spend 6 months living…yeah nice, I can feel the reader resentment from here. Back then we contacted the French Embassy in Wellington re my wife living in France beyond the 3 month period. Their reply was because she was married to a British citizen she was allowed to stay longer on the basis of being married to an EU citizen. No problems until this year we discovered the rules have CHANGED!!!! On flying into England from France we were told by the ‘Ihatetheallblacksandwishallnewzealandersweredeported’ immigration guy at Stanstead airport that my wife has overstayed in France and wouldn’t be allowed back in. We explained the ‘spouse rule’ only to be smugly informed that its all changed and she will need to go back to NZ to get a ‘Free’ visa added to her passport! This revelation was confirmed by the ‘new team’ at the French embassy and suffice to say my wife has had to fly all the way back to Wellington to get that visa. The process takes roughly 3 weeks to get an interview to go through the relevant paperwork and then 4 weeks to process!!!! Moral of this story is always check with the relevant embassy in your home country at least 2 months before you leave what the latest rules are. In this changing, regulatory world it’s better to safe than sorry.

Hi Rick, can I contact you about this? I’m going through it at the moment!

Hi Bren, A lot of great info here. I am currently in Austria and looking at options to stay longer. At the moment I plan on staying until my 90 days are up (with the 90 day visa free option we have). My plan is to try and get a (study) residence visa for Austria but this will likely take quite awhile, so it looks like I will have to leave Austria while that is being processed. Do you know if I can possibly leave Austria for a short time and then come in again with the bilateral agreement? Thanks Adam

Hey Adam, I think you’ll need to leave for at least 90 days. The waivers allow you 90/180 days if you’ve used up your Schengen allotment, but either way you can’t spend over 90 days in one country without leaving. You could check with the embassy though.

Thanks again Bren, So my current plan is to leave Austria at the end of next month. Fly to the UK for several weeks and then go to Germany for 3 months. After this I intend to return to Austria. It will have been more than 90 days since I was in Austria so this should be fine as we have a bilateral agreement with Austria. Thoughts? Adam P.S Can I donate you a beer somehow?

Hey Adam, if you read the email from the Austrian embassy, it requires you to leave the Schengen area after 90 days in Austria – they interpret the waiver slightly differently. So going to Germany technically won’t work. You’ll need to go to a non-Schengen country – Bulgaria, Romania for example. Since it’s winter up there, maybe try Southeast Asia for 3 months 😉 Normally you could just risk the overstay, but because you’re after a visa I would try and stay legit. P.S. I have a donate page here, thanks!: http://www.brenontheroad.com/donate

Cheers Bren, about to give this a shot tomorrow, leaving via Zurich. If only I’d known this last year… left on day 90, could have spent another few months in Gran Canaria!

I emailed the Spanish embassy (as there is that link you provided for the Swiss situation and have been in the Canaries most of the time) and got this slightly longer reply:

As a NZ citizen you may stay in Spain without visa for up to 3 months regardless of the time you have spent in any other Schengen area countries.

You can even stay more than three months in any 6-month period, provided the continuous period is no longer than three months.

Lastly, if you do this, and although it may be a difficult thing to do with no border controls, be sure to get your passport stamped on the way out and also upon coming back, so the periods may be properly computed.

Oh wow, that’s pretty cool. Spain rules! 🙂

Hi Bren, thanks so much for this information ???? My question is this … So if I spend 90 days in Switzerland then fly out from Zurich and into Germany for the next 90 days, does that mean that the 180 day period for Switzerland is over and I can now re-enter Switzerland for a further 90 days …. if this is so then travel in Europe could go on for a long time … Look forward to your comments ????

Technically yes this is how it should work, although it could be an ordeal explaining that to a customs officer. Technically you can stay indefinitely, if you keep switching countries every 90 days.

Thanks very much Bren ????

Looks like I might have to move to Germany (close to the Austrian border) to be able to do what I want. Damn Austria having slightly different rules. Not easy, when my gf is from Vienna and has another year of studies.

Ok. Update. Made it through Swiss customs but it was not fun. Taken to the control room. Made to show all evidence of travel them left waiting for ages. But am through!! Five months!

Damn. I left through Zurich and it was completely painless. Customs guy stamped me through in less than a minute. Just goes to show it really is luck of the draw. However at least they let you through! I’m not so concerned with them cross checking all my travel, as long as they know the laws!

I recently tested this in both Switzerland and France with no trouble.

My bus from Chamonix (France) to Geneva (Switzerland) got stopped by immigration and the Swiss officer spent a long time flicking through my passport but didn’t say anything even though I’d been in the Schengen Zone for four months already.

On leaving France on the Dieppe-Newhaven ferry they didn’t say anything about it after five months in the Schengen Zone.

Thanks for the very detailed post Bren! Really useful and I refer people to it when trying to explain the whole situation.

Good to know. The Swiss seem to be on top of their laws (which is no surprise). Seems to be a good bet leaving from there if you’re using the waivers.

Hi Bren, I’ve got a slightly different scenario. I’m a Kiwi with Australian dual nationality and, came to Europe on an Australian passport. (My original plan to stay 6 months was to do 3 in the schengen and 3 in the Balkans).

However, I then unfortunately only found out about the NZ waivers after coming to Europe on my Australian passport. I’ve since managed to acquire an NZ passport. My plan currently is to swap passports by flying into a non schengen country (in order to exit with the Aus passport and enter Europe on the NZ passport). However, I’m a little wary of how to best handle immigration officers from wherever I fly out of and, random border crossing checks, who may think I’m attempting to double dip the system- which isn’t at all my intention as I am a legitimate NZ passport holder and, thus applicable to the waivers. This is entirely legal however, I don’t think it look good. I would’ve originally come on an NZ passport had I known about the waivers and it’s just very unfortunate I hadn’t read your article prior to leaving.

What would be your opinion/advice on how to best handle this and, in particular handle border checks?

Assuming you exit on your Australian, then enter your first non-Schengen country on your New Zealand, I think it should be fine. It’s not illegal to travel with two passports. Even if they question you, just say you prefer to travel on your New Zealand, this wouldn’t be an offense they could fine you for. Besides the non-Schengen countries are highly unlikely to care.

Hi Bren! Thanks so much for your quick response. I ended up exiting the schengen on the AUS passport as I figured that if the first stamp in my NZ passport was a land crossing that might immediately raise questions I could avoid. I’m currently out of the schengen but am going to fly into Rome and change to my NZ passport there, where I’ll hopefully not have any trouble with a blank passport.

Nice bro, let us know if it all goes smooth!

Was totally successful!

I have been in the Schengen region for around 70 days and then will have spent just over 2 months outside the Schengen region. However, I will be in the Schengen region again for around 30 days before I fly out of Berlin, Germany. So I will have spent more than 90 days in the Schengen region, however with the bilateral visa waiver agreements I should be fine as I spent a few weeks in France and in Spain and other places. The thing is that I kept a receipt or something from almost every day in those countries except they are not always accommodation receipts, they are just random receipts from supermarkets and other things, although I still have my bus receipts I think. Do you think that would be enough evidence to show to the Germans at the airport in case there are any problems, along with the relevant embassy emails?

Thanks so much!

(I read some people in the above comments having problems in Switzerland and Hungary which is stressing me out a bit so am hoping it will be fine…)

Hey Jake, obviously nothing is for certain but I think you should be okay. Germany is strict as is Switzerland but that can work in your favour as they actually know the rules a lot of the time. As long as your dates check out, you shouldn’t have any (major) trouble.

Hi Bren, Thanks so much for your great post and taking the time to reply to us fellow kiwis, im sure youve saved alot of people headaches while travelling :).

I am currently in Slovenia, my first stop in europe was Germany then travelled to Spain and France (bilateral friendly) for around 2-3 weeks in total before heading to Italy and other non bilateral friendly countries. My current count is around 95 days for the entire Schengen Zone (including bilateral friendly countries i.e. Germany, Spain, France). I am wanting to fly to the UK within the next week which will bring my total up to circa 100 days in entire Schengen. As per Bilateral agreemnts i understand i can write off the time spent in Germany, Spain and France against my schengen total which would bring it to down to circa 80 days. Just looking for advice as to whether you think its fine to fly out of Slovenia, or would you advise to get the bus up to Germany or Austria and flying out of there. Havent read anyone flying out of Slovenia so not sure what their stance is on the bilateral waivers. Would prefer a direct flight from Slovenia but not if it comes with a fine :/.

thanks so much again for your post and reply.

You should definitely NOT fly out of Slovenia because you have already been in the region for +90 days, technically you shouldn’t be in Slovenia right now. Austria might be okay, but I think technically you’re still in breach there as well. Germany is your best bet (well probably Spain or France is your best bet really, but in practical terms I’d try Germany). In Germany they ‘might’ still ping you anyway because you’re not meant to be in Slovenia, but that’s none of their business really. It will only be a problem if you get a real asshole customs officer. I would definitely leave from Germany.

Hi Bren, Thanks alot for your advice! i will definately try Germany or maybe France (depending on connections). The way i understand it the time i spent at the start of my trip in Germany, Spain and France do not count towards my Schengen time. If my interpreation is correct i am under the 90 day threshold. I guess it depends on the customs official interpretation. I will let everyone know how i go. Thanks again!

They don’t count towards your Schengen time if you’re in waiver countries, but Slovenia doesn’t recognise the waivers. So as far as Slovenia is concerned you’ve been in Schengen +90 days and you’re an overstayer. If you try leave from a waiver country I’d guess you’d be okay, but keep your fingers crossed 😉

Hey Bren, some feedback for other travellers. I got the bus to Germany and got passport checked at the German border. Came back and handed my passport back didn’t appear to be any issues. Flying out of Munich had a young German officer, was a few questions but let through with limited hassle. Stayed a total of 150 days in europe, Thanks heaps for the advice and great post, has helped alot of us out.

Awesome news. Germany and Switzerland seem to be the countries most on top of the NZ waiver law. Nice to know it all worked out.

This is an extremely helpful article and helped me get my A into G by emailing embassies, so thank you.

I was just wondering if you have heard from anyone whether it was difficult leaving the schemes area from Luxemborg?

Many thanks, Hannah

None that I know of sorry! It’s not the most popular country to visit really 🙂

I hold an NZ passport. I arrived in Paris in May 2017, walked from France to Switzerland, Austria into Germany, without anybody asking me anything. After more than 4 months in the Schengen zone, I took a bus in September 2017 from Munchen to Zagreb and Belgrade (Serbia). They did not ask any questions at the border. Then I took a train to Sofie in Bulgaria. Absolutely no problem. I had all my embassy emails ready, but nobody asked for them. I would recommend travelling overland though, rather than an airplane.

Hah! I find land border officials are way more lax, especially because security is much less of an issue there. At airports everybody is on edge.

Love your posts…am travelling around Europe at the moment. Ibwould live to read all the feedback as they are extremely helpful but I can’t read the comments as they are not fitting on my phone screen…any help as to make it fit??? And no it won’t change if I use my fingers to slide it smaller!

That is strange…You might need to try using a computer. Or try a different browser…I’m really not sure sorry! What phone are you using?

I’m using a samsung j5. I also got my friend to try it on his and the comments didn’t fit on his either and he has a good phone. I tried another browser but still no luck. Would really love to read them all as they’re very relevant to me at the moment. Even writi g this comment it goes off the screen. Love the blog it’s so incredibly helpful.

Actually yes I just tested it and I see what you mean now. I will get it fixed – thanks for telling me!

Thanks Bren. .hopefully you can alter it to fit properly because it would be great to read all the comments clearly. Am waiting for replies now from different European consulates so will be able to share their replies if there are any changes.

Hi Bren! So I am in Europe and I have a flight booked from Warsaw to London in a few weeks. So in the 180 days leading up to the flight, I will have spent 82 days outside of the Schengen zone, and 98 days inside, however I spent 29 of those days inside in countries with bilateral visa waiver agreements. Do you think it will still be fine to fly out of Poland, as we don’t have a bilateral agreement with them? I have email evidence from the embassies for the relevant countries with bilateral agreements, so do you think that is enough in case I have any problems? I didn’t really think about it when I was booking the flight as when I flew out of and into Germany there were no problems.

You’re not actually supposed to be in Poland right now, because you’ve already exceeded your 90 days. So it could be a problem. Once you’ve exceeded 90 days you need to stay in waiver countries. As far as Poland is concerned you’re an overstayer. Your best bet is to catch a bus to Germany and fly from there.

Hi, I flew from Warsaw to London a week ago after being in the Schengen zone for nearly 6 months. They definitely picked up on this and initially weren’t that happy about it, but finally after a lot of explaining they were satisfied with the bilateral waiver agreements we have with Spain & Germany in my case, and I got through without the overstayer stamp.

I’d definitely confirm the agreement with the respective embassies and print out this correspondence to show them, this was key. Also give yourself plenty of time at the airport as it took me an hour to get through this gate.

You should be fine though.

Phew, they technically could have pinged you, as you’re not supposed to be in Poland after your 90 days as it’s not a waiver country. But since you were obviously well prepared I think they gave you the benefit of the doubt. The Polish customs officers are very unlikely to know anything about the waiver laws, so if you had all your correspondence I can imagine they’d just look at it and let you through. Nice work!

Wow, that is lucky then. Thanks for all the great info by the way mate. I don’t think I would have been so well prepared without it!

Been are you having any luck adjusting the settings on you website so the comments fit and show clearly? The blog fits perfectly it’s just the comments.

I have no idea how to do it, I have my developer working on it. Until then I’d suggest maybe trying to get access to a computer to view them…so sorry!!

Hi Bren.. I know I’m sounding like a broken record!!! Is your developer still working on your site?? Why is it so difficult to make comments fit. Showed your site to a couple of travellers from NZ I met but their phones were smaller than mine and they had worse trouble reading the comments. Such a great site and great advice and a shame to not be able to read everything.

Yes they are looking at it. It’s not something I can fix from the front-end otherwise I would have done it myself already. It’s something with the coding which I’m not well versed in. For now it needs to be viewed on a laptop, sorry!

Mia – finally managed to fix it. Hope it’s working now 😀

Has anyone recently written to the Czech Republic..just wondering if NZ has a bi lateral waiver with them. Thanks for any help.

Hi Mia, no we do not have a waiver with the Czech Republic and there are no comments about it yet. By the way all the information in the article is up-to-date, it says clearly there that Czech Republic isn’t included in the waiver countries. Is there something specific you’re looking for in the comments? Let me know.

Thanks for your replies. It was possible work in Prague so was work I g out times I could go there. I’m in North Cypress at the moment and have a opportunity in Greece. Their consulate letter sounds complicated and I got the same one back from them. So can you tell me if I arrived in Finland September 18th just over two months there then came to North Cyprus which is non schengen 6 weeks and then I go into Greece for around 9 weeks until March 18th…can I then go to Italy which doesn’t have a waiver with us but it will be the start of a fresh 6 months.And does Greece actually recognise our waiver. It sounds like they do but am I missing something in that complicated letter. Hope this letter is clear as I can’t see all that I’m typing due to the screen configuration on my phone. Thanks again for your help.

Thanks, Bren, for this information and all the comments. I plan later in 2018 to enter Italy and leave again from Italy after about two months, spend two weeks in the USA, then fly back this time to France and leave again from France after a further two months. Is this within the regulations as usually interpreted? Thanks. Justin

Yep! You “shouldn’t” have any problems. France recognises the waivers and they’re pretty lax anyway.

Thanks, Bren, and Happy New Year. Justin

Hi Bren.. fantastic, the site is working really well..yayyy!!!! My travels aren’t working out so well though. Decided at the last minute to go the UK as i got a great housesitting opportunity. When they asked at border control what I was doing I said I was Housesitting. I was locked up for 28 hours questioned etc and returned back to Cyprus as Housesitting is considered illegal work even though I wasn’t getting paid for it..wow that was a shock. I have no criminal record, don’t look menacing or dangerous and the 3 security guards who looked after me were totally shocked also….so much for the UK being a safe non schengen haven. I didn’t have a clear itinerary and they believed I was there for work. Can someone give me advice.. Want do we say when questioned if we have no definite plans, and we are just there to visit and don’t have close friends or family in a particular country. They said because I didn’t have family there I didn’t appear to have a valid reason for travel. I said i was having an adventure and always meet people along the way … what else do you say…look forward to some tips????…thanks in advance.

Housesitting can be a grey area, as getting stuff for free (accommodation/food) can be considered payment. If they question you, just say you are on a trip around the world and you are backpacking, you will be staying in hostels etc. Which is true for me anyway! This is also common enough nowadays and most people know somebody who has done an extended trip around the world. Also it helps to have the name of a hostel you are going to – even if you’re not booked in, you can just say you’re going to walk-in. That’s pretty normal too. I always suggest having a print-out of a bank statement or at least have a few credit cards on you – so you can show you have enough funds to survive without work.

It was definitely the house-sitting that got you “deported”. I’ve been through many customs checkpoints and said I’m travelling around the world with no plans, never been a problem, including in the UK.

Thanks Bren..will be much more prepared next time. The UK is obviously very strict.

Hi Bren, great site, appreciated that this has been put together. I have a question for you or anyone else on the thread that may have some insight. I’ve read a lot on here about which countries are best to fly out of once you’ve passed the 90 day mark in the Schegen region, and are then relying on the bilateral visa agreements and the grace of the immigration official you luck on to leave without issue, but I have seen little mentioned about which countries are best when flying back into the Schegen zone with more than 90 days under your belt already. I’m currently in Morocco, and need to fly back in the next couple days, I had already prior been in the Schengen zone for 100 days. Ideally I’d fly into Germany for my ends, but I’m wondering if Spain or France are better options given their general reputation for being relaxed and often not even checking your current count, where as Germany almost certainly would. This to me seems in someways trickier than leaving, as you can essentially be turned away and deported if things go south.

There is a complication to this as well. Leaving France a few days ago to come to Morocco I was actually questioned about my 100 days stay, I explained to them the bilateral agreements, and even had official documents from the French embassy confirming and detailing the agreements, but even after phone calls were made they came back to me saying I was subject to the same conventional 90 Schegen regulations as everyone else and that was the end of it. It was just bad luck I guess, I left from a small airport with only two very young immigration officials on the job. I was not fined, and they did not put an ugly deported stamp in my passport, but I have no idea if this was logged on any kind of a system. If so, even if flying into a bilateral agreement adhering country, I’m probably going to get grilled more than usual, and I’m now nervous my supporting documents, which are limited to flights between various bilateral agreement countries, could potentialy not be considered enough under the level of suspicion and interrogation a red cross next to my name on the system might bring.

Insight on this from anyone would be appreciated, Thanks!

In some ways flying into a country like Germany and Switzerland is beneficial, because they are such sticklers for rules and once they see that you’re within the rules with your waivers, they let you go without issue. Like I said I left from Switzerland and he recognised my passport and seemed to know the rules already, since I clearly said I entered in June, and it was November when I left. He waved me right through. Obviously it’s up to you, but I think Germany isn’t a bad bet (as long as you haven’t been there in the last 90 days).

Thanks for the quick response Bren. Yes I’m thinking Germany might be the way to go, we’ll see how this pans out. One thing though, you note its not a bad bet, “as long as you haven’t been there in the last 90 days”. Do you perhaps mean ‘for* the last 90 days’. I was in Berlin for 4 days about a month ago, but as far as I understand that means I’m still entitled 86 days of the full additional 90 days the bilateral agreement provides, or am I missing something here…. do these bilateral agreement 90 days need to be consecutive once I start using them?

Thanks for your time.

I can’t say for sure, but I think you’re allowed another 86. It’s 90 within any 180 day period.

A long over due update on this. Flew into Germany with the no issues or questioning whatsoever. They took the time to check the passport, but didn’t inquire further.

Excellent news. Germans are sticklers for rules so I’m not surprised. Thanks for reporting back!

We flew into Germany June 2nd and were told we couldn’t stay more than 90 days. As you can imagine I was concerned as I knew nothing about this. Have subsequently read everything on this site and will be keeping all docs and getting a reply to my email. We fly out mid November after touring Northern Europe and Scandinavia so will see what eventuates. We will be prepared and will let you know.

Great, enjoy your trip and please report back!

In an earlier post someone got a reply back from the Spanish Consulate saying that New Zealanders can actually stay longer then the 90 days if they leave and come back could be worth reading up further. They didn’t however say that in the letter I received from them a few weeks ago. But could be with checking if it helps you on your travels.. let us know if it does.

To clarify, most of my 90 days was spent in Greece

I’m surprised that France didn’t honour or recognise the bilateral waiver. I only have just heard back in the last few days from the French consulate saying that they recognise our New Zealand bilateral waiver and New Zealanders are welcome to visit and it will be honoured.

Bren when you say to them that you are travelling the world do you also have a ticket that takes you out of that particular country to another one and do you have a return back to New Zealand in the future to show them. Sounds like you have had amazing travels and for the most part of it hassle free.

Very rarely do I have a return ticket, usually if they ask I’ll tell them a vague plan – “I’m catching the train to Sweden in a couple of weeks” – something like that. As long as you don’t come off as super shady it seems to be satisfactory. Their job is to make sure nobody stays in the country and works illegally, if you can satisfy them that this is the case with you, you should be okay in most places.

You should be knighted for writing this article! Well researched and well written!

I agree 🙂 Thank you so much. It’s benefiting my family already as we have hopped about Europe. Very grateful.

HI Bren, excellent article/resource! My question is this: do you think it would be possible to just hop back and forth between Germany, Spain and France for a year – like stay in Germany for three months, then Spain for three months, then France for three months, then repeat, etc? You wouldn’t be leaving Schengen, but at least you would be out of each country after 90 days and you would be staying in countries that honor the bilateral agreements. Technically this seems to fall within the rules, does it not?

Yes technically the rules allow you to stay in Europe indefinitely, as long as you change country every 3 months. You may have a hard time explaining that to customs officials – I would triple check with the embassies just so you have it all in writing. But technically this is legal.

Thank you, Bren, for helping clarify a very confusing picture re the standard Schengen visa waiver vs bilateral agreement arrangements in the Schengen zone. We have been wintering over in Spain (lovely mild Tarifa) since late October 2017, having exited then re-entered Spain to start the 90-day clock again. Planning to fly to Greece in April and, like you, have not received an answer from the Greek Consulate confirming bilateral waiver arrangements. Oh well, if I understand correctly, flying from Spain into another Schengen country like Greece should not present any problems going in. However, when we cross the border from Greece into Albania, i.e. leaving the Schengen area, we are a tad anxious about Greek border checks, especially without prior written confirmation of the bilateral agreement from their consulate. Also worried that, although we’d wanted to travel through Austria and Slovenia, it sounds like we’ll have to bypass them both and maybe fly directly from Croatia to Germany missing out a large chunk of our plans. Such a shame: we so desperately wanted to see Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary etc. We’re also checking with Croatia consulate as I understand they are making moves to join the Schengen zone but hopefully, that will happen after we’ve been and gone. Presumably, Croatia does not have a bilateral agreement with NZ so Schengen zone 90/180 restrictions will apply once they join. Anyway, thanks again for your invaluable advice. Us Kiwis are lucky to have your expertise and experience and your great eye for detail! 🙂

Yes exiting from Greece might be problematic, but I really don’t know, I have never been. Whatever you choose, best of luck and do come back and report your experience if you can!

Hi Bren. As promised, I am providing an update for you and your readers regarding exiting the Schengen Zone from Greece after staying way longer than 90 days in Spain since October 2017 broken into 2 periods of less than 90 days. We were very worried about being accused of overstaying in Europe when we eventually exited the external border of the Schengen Zone which in our case was going to be Greece, We exited Greece and the Schengen Zone about a week ago after a stay there of 5 weeks and a stay in the Schengen Zone of 7 months total. Here’s our story! We had checked with the Greek Embassy in Wellington well before we flew from Spain to Greece on April 5th. They told us by email exactly what was in Sam’s comment here dated August 1, 2017: we received exactly that same advice!) that when we enter Greece, we need to get our entry to Greece registered at the border by having our passport stamped on entry. Further, they advised us that we needed to advise officials on arrival in Greece of our intention to enter Greece under the bilateral visa waiver agreement between NZ and Greece as opposed to the entering under the overall Schengen Agreement. Well, what a laugh. The flight from Spain (Barcelona) to Athens Airport is, of course, an internal Schengen Zone flight so there were no officials on the ground to discuss these issues with in the normal channels of entry via Athens Airport. I did manage to seek out an official in his reeking-of-cigarette-smoke office: he seemed more interested in applying aloe vera to his burn than in my plight! As to my request for a stamp in my NZ passport, he said he did not possess a stamp: they do not exist! Furthermore, he seemed blissfully unaware of complex Schengen Zone arrangements for New Zealanders. Faced with this indifference and the words “in good faith despite my efforts” repeating in my brain, and unable to tolerate the heavy stench of cigarette smoke any longer, we entered Greece without doing either of the 2 very things we were advised to do by the Greek Embassy. When D-day (Departure Day from Greece after 5 weeks there) arrived last week, we arrived extra early in case of hours of interrogation. We arrived armed with boarding passes, itineraries, evidence of stays and of all our travels ready to produce in evidence (your apt Ally McBeal analogy comes to mind, Bren! haha). I had many a sleepless night, visions of 1,000 Euro fines, bans from the Schengen Zone for years, missing our flight while being interrogated, etc, the moment of truth arrived. The Border Guard looked at our passports, and after a few seconds said “Enjoy your flight” and waved us through. Wow! What an anti-climax! It made a mockery of the policing of the external border of the Schengen zone and the enforcement of the Schengen rules! Not that I’m complaining: it worked to our advantage. Perhaps they enforce it erratically? I’d hate a fellow Kiwi NOT be prepared with evidence of travel movements and then get interrogated, fined, banned, etc. And so here we are relaxing in beautiful Dubrovnik, Croatia…2 very relieved Kiwis pondering what could have been and the state of confusion and uncertainty surrounding travelling on a NZ passport in Europe!

This is great news, so glad you got out okay. I think when it comes to Greece, they are probably the country that has been hit hardest with the influx of refugees and it has just overwhelmed their immigration personnel. I think the last thing they are worried about are a couple of friendly New Zealanders overstaying a Schengen visa, which is really inconsequential and probably happens all the time anyway. Of course, always best to be prepared as you were. Nice one.

The Greek consulate told me that NZ didn’t have a waiver with them.

Hi and well done on this resource. We’re planning to travel as follows and in this order… 39 days Greece 11 Italy 11 Denmark 23 France 27 Italy (again) 15 Switzerland (12 Uk) 10 Spain 35 France again then exiting This is 77 in Schengen with the rest under bilaterals I think! What’s your view?? Many thanks and very grateful

Just double check with the embassies and you “should” be okay if you leave from France.

Hi and thank YOU. Will now actually exit from Geneva Switzerland but from earlier insertions this should be as good as France.

Both Italy and Portugal embassies have said no as you already noted on this site. The crunch will come after a few days in Italy the second time when we go past 90 days in Schengen. At that stage would I maintain that of the period 40 of the days in Denmark and France were under bilaterals, having receipts etc to support it? Thank you again

Yep, I’d say your chances are good.

….should have added I’m travelling on a NZ Passport

……any clues??

Thanks Brendan For your huge articile Great work & most helpful . Cheers Sailorboy

Hi Bren. Great article – have enjoyed reading both the initial information and the comments. I have a query. We’re heading over to the UK shortly to purchase a motorhome which we’ll bring back to NZ. We plan to travel in the UK and EU for six months (May to November). Our plan is to head to Ireland, then take the Ferry from Ireland to France, and then travel down into Spain and Portugal as Autumn hits, returning through Spain and France to the UK where we will export the motorhome. My question is – are the three months (90 days) in both France and Spain, under the bi-lateral agreements, cumulative? For example, if we spent 20 days in France on our way travelling down to Spain, can we then spend, in theory, a further say 70 days in France on the way back – as long as we can prove that we stayed in France no longer than 90 days in total? Some of the comments/queries above refer to this but I couldn’t find a definitive answer on it. We also want to go to Portugal but from what you have said above, we’ll need to be careful that we enter and exit Portugal within the first 90 days. Thank you.

As far as I know it’s 90 days in a 180 day period. So what you’re describing should be okay. Best to double check with the embassy though!

Can you please confirm if you think my travels will be okay? I am arriving in London on 29th May and travelling as per below. London: 4 days Netherlands: 3 days Spain: 21 days Croatia: 13 days London: 1 day Contiki: 18 days-1 -2 days in each( London, Amsterdam , Berlin, Prague, Munich, Austrian Tyrol, Venice, Rome, Florence, Swiss Alps, Paris) Belgium: 5 Days Italy: 21 days Greece: 35 days Spain: 7 days (TBC) I am planning to leave back to NZ the last week of September or first week of October (around 4 months) Can you please advise if you will think it will be okay to fly out of Greece to NZ or Spain to NZ( Still trying to decide) or from Greece to London to NZ?

Hi Delphi everything I can tell you is already written in the article. I’d email the Greek and Spanish embassies and double check.

Last year we stayed for 7 months in the schengen zone entering at Nice airport and departing from Barcelona Airport. We had our embassy emails ready and a few receipts to show our movements but they were not needed. On exit the immigration officers in Spain checked the NZ passports for entry stamps to the schengen zone and my husband’s passport had been stamped entering but mine wasn’t. I explained that the French officials had only stamped one passport and they let us through, but they were not happy about the lack of stamp. This year we will be in the schengen zone again for 6 months using similar entry and exit strategies and we will be insisting on the stamp. I often read this thread to read about the schengen waiver experiences of other kiwi travelers. Please keep feeding back and thanks again to Bren for paving the way.

Legend. Thanks for the thourough write up. Is there a link to this short-stay visa waiver bilaterial agreement for kiwis online that we can read and download or print that you know of? There must be one somewhere? Thanks again chamo ????

Hi Bren, this post has been so helpful! Perhaps someone can help me be a bit more confident in my travel plans. I will be spending 88 days in the Schengen zone (38 of those are in France) and will leave to come back to NZ from France. My fear is that I am returning to France about a month later for 25 days. I know that time in France doesn’t add up to 90 days but I’m still nervous immigration might question me around this. I have emailed the consulate and they confirmed the bilateral agreement is in place but the decision is up to the immigration officer (that made me nervous) would you advise that I just have a lorn of documentation to prove where I have been and for how long? Any help is appreciated!

If you can show the emails from the embassy then the immigration officer should only be concerned about how much time you’ve spent in France and not anywhere else. If you have all those documents I think you should be fine.

Awesome article, Bren! Thanks.

I’m currently only a Resident of New Zealand, so I guess none of this apply to me at the moment? We’re planning to visit Greece soon – guess I’ll have to go the Schengen Route …for now. Fingers crossed these lovely agreements remain in force for many years to come!

Yup all that matters is your passport, residency is irrelevant.

P.S. I’m a resident at the moment, as in I have a Residence Visa. Once I’ve lived in NZ for long enough, I’ll be able to become a citizen. Just to clarify.

Hi Bren. Just wanted to say thank you so much for this – this is absolutely fantastic!

Thanks for your reply Bren. You’re amazing. I hope good things are coming your way from all the work you put into this!

Hi Bren, I am flying out of Hungary mid August and would have spent 100 days in the Schengen zone by this date. Originally I had a flight back to the UK but have now changed this to France, as then I’ll still be in the Schengen zone and won’t have to go through border control… Is that the case? Or will they still check my NZ passport at the airport if I’m flying within the Schengen zone?

Thought that it would be easier to leave Europe and back to the UK via a country that honours the bilateral agreement, which France does.

If my passport is going to be checked when flying out of Hungary, perhaps I would be best to train/bus to France instead?

I’ve never been to Hungary but it is very rare for them to do Schengen passport checks within the zone. You’d be extremely unlucky to get caught there.

Hi Bren, another query for you or anyone one else with insight. Convincing uninformed immigration officials aside on the bilateral visa agreements, what about airlines? Most airlines are fine, but Ryain air has a policy that requires an onward flight on or before the expiry of the Shengan 90 days, to allow you on board. I’ve been question before by them on this, but that time I was within the initial 90 days. I fly to Spain on the 90th day of my last stamp showing when I arrived, I wonder if they see this whether they will assume I need an onward flight that same day from Spain out of the Shengan zone… I imagine they are extremely clueless about the bilateral agreements, even more so than some immigration officials, and wont buy the explanation.

Interesting – haven’t thought about that one. I’ve never been asked for a onward flight ticket when entering Europe. Maybe someone else can speak on it.

Awesome post, I don’t think 90 days in Europe is enough for many travellers. I spent 20 months travelling around Europe, didn’t realise Portugal and Italy no longer honour it…Opps I exited twice, first time flew Portugal to the UK via Madrid stopover where they stamped me out….lol Final exit via Hungary/Croatia border on the Train September 2016, but emailed the consulate first to double check, two border officers, one wasn’t familiar with the rule the other was.

Hi Bren, Very interesting and informative website. I just wanted to ask whether there is any exception made for NZ passport holders cruising on a yacht, because it isn’t always practical to leave a country within 90 days due to seasonality of weather! We are currently in Turkey and have to leave here by mid June. We plan to sail to Rhodes (Greece) which is only 45 miles from where we are but then could only spend 90 days which would take us to autumn and the weather situation would be deteriorating. It is also not practical probably to sail west during the Med. summer because of the extreme likelihood of adverse and very strong Meltemi winds. We could leave the yacht in Rhodes and then go to another Shengen country where we could stay for 90 days, but as I understand it, we still could not return to Greece until the expiration of a total of 180 days. So, we’d have to spend another 90 days somewhere else. It’s not good to leave a yacht unused and unoccupied for 6 months but fortunately my partner has a U.K. passport so she could come back to Rhodes to check on the boat – however I couldn’t – again as I understand it. Can you please comment. Many thanks – much appreciated.

Because the law in Greece is not really clear for NZers, it would be best to go to a non Schengen country for 90 days and then you can return to Greece. Somewhere like Bulgaria, Romania, Poland etc. That’s a beautiful part of Europe in August, so it’s not all bad 🙂

Hi Ben Thanks for your reply. However, none of the countries you mention are easily accessible by yacht unless we voyage to the Black or Baltic Seas with all the attendant bureaucracy!! Both of them are a long way from Fethiye. We’ve decided to take out temporary residency in Turkey and stay here until March 2019 when we will sail – before the Meltemi starts again. Then we should make Sicily via Greece and Malta by September. We would then leave for the worst of the European winter for Medellin, Colombia where we have an apartment. The boat can stay in Sicily for a few more months and then we’d go to Tunisia to re-set the clock. Always assuming that we still own the boat which is on the market. Thanks again for your suggestion. Cheers, Jim Donald

Sounds like quite the adventure. Have fun!

You need to get stamped out of the EU on your passport if you are on a yacht. The local port authorities should be able to do this for you. You need to search out immigration at the port where you are leaving and write to them and ask. it also depends on the flag of the boat, however. And again, it doesn’t matter if you are on a nz passport as you don’t have the same time restrictions, so long as you can prove where you left from etc. The captain of the yacht should be able to help you with this, but if they can’t, then follow the advice I gave above. However, being so technical and correct has not helped me as I went to the UK after and they thought I was trying to beat the system. Depends on your immigration officer. But just be up front and write to the port immigration from whichever EU country you leave from. Good luck!

This is such a great post and has really come in handy with planning my trip. Do you happen to know how it works if your 180 days resets while you’re in the Schengen area? Eg I’ve been living in the UK and have taken a few trips to the Schengen area totalling 20 days over a few months. I’m planning on now taking an extended trip to Europe. When I head back, it’ll have been about a month shy of 180 days since I first entered the Schengen area. As I have 70 days of my 90 left, I’m fine for that month. Could I then stay another 90 days as my 180 days would have reset? I haven’t come across any info about this online so hoping you or another reader have!

Thanks Hannah

Hi Hannah, I’m not 100% sure if I understand you correctly, but my understanding of the rule is the 180 day period is rolling, so it’s 90 days out of the last 180 at any point in time. If that makes sense.

Bren your a legend. I am 2 and a bit months into 6 months traveling around Europe and have only just found out about this whole schengen thing! After of hours of reading and confusion, I have found your website and it all makes so much more sense. Still not sure what I will do but feel like I understand my situation much better now! Thank you!!!

Hey Bren Great post, you’ve probably had this asked before, but any help would be great.

I’m on a German Working Holiday Visa which ends next Wednesday, I’m trying to figure out if I have to leave Shengen or if I can travel to say Denmark and move to the 90 days of their bilateral agreement, or if I do in fact have to go somewhere like Bosnia, Croatia Or UK to reset my visa back to a tourist visa from the WHV? I can’t find this in writing anywhere

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks Hamish

Hey Hamish it totally depends on what your travel plans are.

Might be interested in a slightly related story – a near horror story- some of which I can hardly remember as I hadn’t slept in 40 hours. After staying in the EU for not even 3 months total, dealing with a lot of laxed immigration officers and getting all my T’s crossed and i’s dotted- I was in and out of the schegen zone and had a variety of stamps in my passport-I made the mistake of going to Heathrow airport. I ran into a young guy around 30ish who raked me over for 30 minutes, questioning every detail of my plans. I’ll admit because I didn’t have a return ticket (last minute change of plans to my travels), i became an instant target. But I had the funds, the rough plans, the contacts, straight answers to his questions. But he wasn’t okay with it. He also was not okay with my lifestyle in general- I work in two countries during the year completely legally, but he didn’t like it. He had the audacity to tell me when he wanted me out of the EU by (not entirely sure if he is entitled to that) BUT stamped my passport in the end to let me through. However, he left me with a marker of my arrival card number on my passport and told me I would be in trouble of the rest of my life basically. He still let me through, but also left me very wary of any future plans. Conclusion: avoid Uk at all costs during your EU tours

I’d follow that up with the relevant offices. I hope you got his name. Luckily in the UK things are more or less by the book so you should be able to resolve it since you did nothing illegal.

After seven months finally made it out of Europe safely via France (caught the bus from Paris to London)…had a really nice customs officer just asked where I’d been, stamped my passport and away I went ; ) leaving London today from Gatwick …Hoping I will come across a nice customs officer again.

Hi Brendan,

Love your article. If it’s of any use to you or your readers, I emailed the French and Spanish embassies last week to confirm that the bilateral agreements remain in force. They confirmed that they did.

Hi Bren this is fantastic work you’ve done, you’ve really helped a lot of people out here but I have a couple of scenarios I was hoping you might be able to help me with.

Scenario 1: Stay in Germany for 90 days, then go to France for 90 days. Would it then be possible to go straight back to Germany for another 90 days? Effectively meaning New Zealanders could change between just two countries indefinitely provided they spent exactly 90 days in each?

Scenario 2: What’s preventing me from entering into Spain and then making my way to Germany where I will stay for 6 months, and then I would leave the Schengen area from there. Obviously this isn’t technically allowed but if the officials at border control are not really asking questions when New Zealanders go to leave the Schengen area then how would they know I’ve actually been in Germany for 6 months?

I’m guessing the risk of this is that I get an official that does ask questions and if I can’t prove that I’ve been elsewhere then I could be in a bit of trouble. But then I also thought that I could take a short trip to Switzerland and return to Germany sometime within 90 days of me leaving the Schengen area and then I could show a receipt that showed that I entered Germany less than 90 days before leaving. This would at least make it look like I’ve been there for less than 90 days even though I had actually been there for much longer.

What do you think the chances of me getting asked questions are? And then if I did get asked questions do you think having a receipt/ticket similar to the above scenario would be enough to make it legitimately look like I’ve been in Germany for less than 90 days, thus the officials would let me leave without penalty?

Technically you are allowed to go between the two countries like you describe for 90 days each, and stay indefinitely. Although whether the customs officers will actually accept that is another story. I’d get a confirmation from both embassies. As for the Germany situation, they are pretty strict on rules so they might dig into you, but it totally depends on the customs officer you get. My suggestion in that situation would be to just leave Schengen from elsewhere instead of Germany. Maybe Switzerland.

Cool thanks mate. I also hear that the immigration officials in Spain are pretty relaxed about things so maybe catching a flight to Spain and then departing the Schengen area from there would be a good idea if I end up spending too long somewhere.

Great info. Thanks!

Hi Bren. I am a New Zealander with an nz passport. I arrived in the uk on 24th April and my return ticket is for an 8th October flight home. I have based myself with a sister living in the uk. I walked for 88 days in France 9th May until 30th June. And Spain 1st July to 6th August. I returned to the uk. I had 2 days left I thought and didn’t know exercise the bilateral agreement re France and Sprain. Flew to Switzerland on 2nd September and returned to the uk on the 8th September: they let me through each time. Now I need to go to Hungary on the 2nd or 3rd October and return to the uk on the 6th September. I am thinking that I should drop into Croatia for a night then Budapest. Croatia is EU but not yet Schengen. Do you think one stop in Croatia will zero my time for Schengen. Are you able to give your thoughts please.

If you left France on June 30 you’ve already done 90 days outside Schengen, so you can re-enter.

I have looked over my original message and I didn’t make it clear enough and gave you some poor maths. I apologise.

I walked 89 days in total: arrived the 8th May in France and left 6th August from Spain having walked across the border.

8th May to 30th June in France Cluny to the Pyrenees; that is 54 days in France. Then Camino Frances from across the Pyrenees to Finisterre in Spain; 1st July to 6th August; makes 35 in Spain. As i flew out of Spain I asked the border police to be sure to stamp my exit from the EU, which they did saying “I had 2 days left anyway”.

I flew to Switzerland on the 2nd September ignorantly thinking that I was visiting a non-Schengen country. The Swiss border police mumbled that I had been in Schengen for “quite a lot of time”, I said that I was leaving in 6 days, which I did on the 8th September; however as I left border police mentioned Schengen again; I didn’t really respond thinking that I had re-zeroed my Schengen allowance according to my belief that NZ had a bilateral agreement for Schengen and Switzerland was not Schengen. Then somebody gave me a link to your blog and the penny dropped. Swirzerland IS in Schengen and I had been lucky not to be questioned more going into and then leaving Switzerland.

Now I need to go to Budapest in Hungary from 2nd October until the 6th October for an informal business meeting. I could get the people I am meeting to send an email which I can take in hard copy. Also, as I wrote above, I could stop over in Croatia for a night before entering Hungary which is on the non-bilateral-agreement list on your blog, and have my passport stamped there entering and then exiting a non-schengen country i.e. leaving schengen.

I apologise for the over-describing above. I think I under-informed you earlier or I didn’t understand your response.

All the best

Hello Bren, thank you for the comments on this site, it is very helpful. I have a question, if I came to Greece for 7 days on the 27th December 2018 and then I went to France for seven days does that start my 180 days? I would then return to NZ after France and would like to fly back to Greece around the end of April for 90 days, is this possible? Thank you

Great information here and better than anything I have been able to find in months! We are starting a trip in November 2018 when we collect a campervan in the UK and intend spending approx 6 months driving through Europe so not sure on how we can authenticate the country arrival/departure dates apart from ATM/receipts. But thanks to all this info, I am now armed with some email responses from various embassies. Fingers crossed we travel smoothly. Thanks Bren and everyone else with their contributions

We are about to do the same trip.

Did you have any issues driving around Europe for more then 4 months.

We only want to do France, Spain, Italy, and maybe Germany and then go back to the UK via France.

So we would enter and exit via France.

Hi Bren If I entered Germany on 3 September what do I need to do to be able to stay another 3 months on a NZ passport ??Please help ! My partners family live in Frankfurt and we are planning to fly back end of Feb 19

You can only spend 90 days total in Germany during that time, so you need to leave Germany to somewhere nearby, France Spain or Switz for example, and spend some time there. Make sure you don’t exceed 90 days in Germany and you should be okay.

Hi Brendan, I just wanted to say a big Thank You for keeping this blog up to date, I have been keeping an eye on it every few months for any changes as my partner is a New Zealander. It has helped numerous Kiwis on their travelling adventures, and I’m sure that you didn’t expect to still be answering questions a few years later.. But here is an interesting situation.. I am British born and also have a NZ passport, having emigrated more than 30yrs ago. This combination has been invaluable for travelling and working in Europe, as I’m sure it has been to many. But as no one really knows what is going to happen with Brexit, and the changes to the borders, come March 2019 I may have to start travelling on my NZ passport in Europe.. How bizarre (messed up) is that.. My partner refuses to visit the UK these days having heard so many terrible tales of woe at the airports.. Only time will tell, I will keep you informed as to what happens..for us once lucky Pommy dual passport holders..

I’m actually in the UK right now. I did get questioned a lot at the airport but nothing ridiculous.

Hi thanks a lot, I was freaking I would have to leave as I plan on about 5 months all up but I’m now confident enough to hit the non-agreements in first 90 days then germnay, Swiss, Austria etc for next 60 and as long as I leave from one of them should be fine. I was planning on leaving from Austria. I tried to get the french embassy to confirm I could spend extra time in all the bilateral countries and then fly out no problem but they were not comfortable putting that in writing as they said they can’t speak for other countries, I had linked that 2011 french embassy document that clearly said its fine but they didn’t budge. I’m guessing it will be fine, unless Austria shouldn’t be my choice? Was keen to Christmas in Salzburg and then fly home though

Hopefully it should work out fine, best of luck!

We have had confirmation from a direct email to Danish Consulate General – Wellington that the bilateral visa is still valid. Next week we will depart from Copenhagen to London after 6 months in the Schengen Zone. I also see that the Italian Embassy in New Zealand has recently changed the information on it’s website to ” The exchange of Notes signed on 25 January 1961 between Italy and New Zealand, entitles New Zealand citizens to stay in Italy without a visa for 90 more days irrespectively from other periods spent in other Schengen Countries.” That is certainly clearer and more favourable than the information they provided in the past. Thanks again Bren for maintaining this information and thanks to fellow travellers for sharing their experiences.

Italian embassy must have got sick of all our emails!

My understanding of the Italian situation is that you can stay for 180 continuous days, provided that you leave the Schengen area for 90 days at the end of the 180 day period. The information on the Embassy website states that you 'can' exit Italy to spend time in other Schengen countries (up to 90 days) but this does not seem to be a requirement. https:undefinedundefinedambwellington.esteri.itundefinedambasciata_wellingtonundefinedresourceundefineddocundefined2019undefined05undefinedbilateral_agreement.pdf

'The Embassy of Italy in New Zealand wishes to advise that: New Zealand Passport holders are allowed to travel to Italy and to stay in Italy for up to 180 days without having to apply for a visa, as long as their passport is valid for at least 3 months after the final departure date and as long as they do not engage in any kind of employment in Italy. The 180 days visa-free period is made of the standard 90 visa-free days in the Schengen area and an additional 90 visa-free days in Italy granted by the Bilateral agreement signed on 25 January 1961. … During the 180 visa-free period, NZ passport holders can exit Italy and spend time in other EU Schengen countries for a maximum of 90 days in total.

Awesome site thanks for the info, I keep finding more and more of your articles that are so helpful. In regards to this one – I’m currently living visa free in Berlin.. I will need to leave in 33 days in order to be under the 90 day rule – however I plan on staying until Christmas, travelling out of Germany for New Years and then back home to NZ out of Berlin.

If I were to buy a train ticket or flight out of Germany to show I left (without actually leaving) would this be proof enough that I didn’t overstay? Or would you suggest I buy return tickets and get proof of accomodation too? Cheers!

I really can’t give an answer for that, I’m not sure what their process is. Use your best judgement!

Thanks for this post! I’ve just completed a successful trip of just over 90 days. I flew out of Frankfurt so emailed the German embassy in Wellington about the agreement. They just sent me a link to their website, which now seems to mention the agreement specifically: see https://wellington.diplo.de/nz-en/service/-/2123002 .

I just thought this might be handy for anyone who isn’t doing anything overly complicated, is flying out of Germany, and does not have an email from the Embassy on the validity of the agreement.

Thanks again!

Awesome thanks!!

Hi Bren, hoping you can help me I’m getting rather stressed at the thought of deportation.. I’m a kiwi overstaying in Germany – I plan on flying to France, could be 1 month over my visa then, and then another flight to Spain from Germany in order to get home from there. (The other option is flying home from France, would that be too risky?)

My main question is; Will I get any stamps for these flights to France and to Spain out of Germany? Im concerned these flights will be recorded.

All those countries are visa waiver countries. So it shouldn’t be a problem. What is concerning you, exactly?

Thanks for your reply. The concern is that I’ll be stopped with no evidence I left Germany within the 90 days. Given That Switzerland is a visa waiver country flying there would be fine too? Cheers

I left from Switzerland after more than 90 days and they didn’t ask for anything. My feeling is that Germany won’t give you any problems, but if you want to be doubly safe you might just want to fly home from a different country. Take a look through the comments here and see where people have left from successfully after citing the waivers.

Hi Bren Thanks for that great information. I travel on a NZ passport and also like to live dangerously and worked in Greece (albeit for an English Co.) for more than 180 days in 1995. I sailed on my own yacht in 2006, leaving it there for over a year at a cost (maybe a fine?) of 500E. I now spend 160 days a year in Greece – for the last 3 years – without any problem. However, I noticed on exit last year that 2 customs officers checked my passport and made a point of making the exit stamp right beside the entry stamp. I assumed they could not be bothered with the hassle of further interrogation, but it did give me a fright.

Hi Bren – cheers for the post. I am looking to stay in Switzerland for as long as possible and have enquired as to whether I can stay for 90 days. Leave and travel Europe for 90+ days making use of the visa agreement countries and then return to switzerland for another 90 days. I have so far been unable to get a straight answer from the Swiss Consulate and thought someone here may have had a similar experience.

Hi Bren, great information thank you. We are travelling to Europe for 8 months this year. We will have been in Europe for 5 months (in countries we have a waiver with) before we need to get to Croatia. My issue is driving through Slovenia to get to Croatia as we don’t have a waiver with them and will have been in the Schengen area for 5 months.. Can we drive through Slovenia without staying overnight anywhere. I am concerned about trying to get through the Slovenia/Croatia border on the way in and on the way out. Originally we were going to ferry out of Croatia to Italy but I am now unsure if Italy recognise the waiver (even though it says on the Italian Embassy website that they do) so not sure what to do. Also, if Croatia do join the Schengen area before we get there in September, we would again be in trouble as we wont have a waiver with them. Our trip in Croatia has already been booked. Hate the fact that this is so dependent on who you might get at the border. Thanks for your help.

Since the Slovenia/Croatia border is a Schengen entry/exit point, you MIGHT run into some trouble there. I’ve never been to either so I can’t say for sure. EU road borders are usually unmanned though in my experience. If it were me I would probably go from Croatia to Hungary and cross into Slovenia from there, since we have a semi-waiver with them. But try and ask around and see how strict the border you intend on crossing is. Most borders you just drive straight through.

Thanks Bren, getting out of Croatia is not such a problem as we will catch the ferry to Italy armed with the visa waiver information and keeping our fingers crossed. It is getting into Croatia that is causing me a headache but I think we will go into Italy first and catch the ferry across. That will test the waiver agreement with Italy. Just to let others know that getting into Croatia from Hungary is not part of the visa waiver – you have to enter and leave Hungary via a non schengen country. So we can’t enter Hungary from Austria. This is the reply I have had from the Hungary Embassy although when I read it, it doesnt seem like a waiver at all. “If you would like to enter Hungary legally on the basis of the bilateral visa waiver agreement, you can do that if you meet ALL the criteria below:

you have to leave the Schengen area before entering Hungary (That is: you have to enter Hungary from outside the Schengen area) you do not leave Hungary to other Schengen countries during your stay in Hungary when you leave Hungary, you must go into a non-Schengen country (That is: at the end of your stay you must not directly go to another Schengen member state FROM Hungary!)

Please be aware, that the Bilateral Visa Waiver Agreement in force between Hungary and New Zealand does not override the Schengen area restriction of no more than 3 months out of a 6 month period in the Schengen area as a whole. This is the reason why you are required to enter Hungary from a non-Schengen member state and depart into a non-Schengen member state if you want to use the opportunity provided in the NZ-HU Bilateral Visa Waiver Agreement.”

Maybe this info will be of use to others.

We crossed from Slovenia into Croatia 5 days ago. We had a stressful 40 minutes with a border guard and his boss (every car was having documents checked on departure) where they would not accept that bilateral visa waivers applied to NZers. They just kept repeating the 90/180 rule. In the end, they stamped us out of the Schengen Area without the 500 euro fine they mentioned or any other obvious penalty (in their eyes we’d overstayed by about 2 weeks). So maybe we were starting to convince them…

Carolyn, if you haven’t travelled already, I think your plan to enter and leave Croatia by ferry from Italy is a good one! We got through, but it felt like it could easily have gone differently. Good luck!

PS: Thanks Bren, you’re a legend.

Dear Bren. You are the best. You should be knighted in the New Years honours. I discovered this thread a month into our 6 month trip to Europe. I knew of the bilaterals and wrongly assumed that they applied everywhere. Thanks to reading your post we quickly diverted from our original plan of going thru Scandinavia then down thru the Baltic States to Germany then home. A quick hard right turn saw us travel up thru the Baltic’s to Helsinki arriving 90 days after landing in Germany. Then reversing our trip and travelling thru Finland, Sweden, Norway down to Denmark and thru to Germany. No problems anywhere. The Finnish Customs agents were delightful on our arrival back from St Petersburg. ‘One of the best passports in the world” the young one said. Left from Frankfurt 176 days after entering thru Germany and I wasn’t even asked for all the receipts I’d kept! As everyone has said to me “But who would know if you went the other way?” My answer is “I would”. Must be old school. Hence the recommendation for your knighthood!

Bren, your site is the MOST helpful one I have come across re visa waiver issues for Kiwi’s. You have cleared up so many questions I had after trawling through the better known sites. Now I know exactly how to make the most of my gap year! Thank you so much for your time and dedication, most impressive. Regards, Barbara

Hi Bren. Awesome post! I’m a kiwi in Europe. Entered oct 30th 2018, have made a few trips to non Schengen countries so my 90/180 days will be up 25 Feb. I have spent loads of time in Belgium , with shorter trips to Netherlands, and loads of day trips to Germany. I’m wanting to be in Belgium from mid March til end of March and was planning to head to UK after my 90 days is up. But after hearing about the agreement Ive realised an extra month in Belgium is doable. I’ve emailed the Belgium embassy in NZ. They have advised from there understanding it does not matter whether during your 90/180 days if you have spent time in Belgium you can still use the agreement and stay 90 more on top. I’m a bit worried that’s not the case. What’s your thoughts on that. Also if I stay longer than 90 days in Schengen when entering UK are officers there going to give me greif for what looks like I’m overstaying in Schengen? Thanks heaps.

UK isn’t part of Schengen so it’s unrelated to them. Customs officers shouldn’t be checking it. If they do, just explain. If the Belgian embassy says it’s fine it’s fine. Print the email for when you exit.

Thank u. Also in regards to bilateral with NZ and Belgium. They have told me yes it is ok to have spent time in Belgium during my original 90 days and to make sure I am in Belgium the day my 90 expire to then start my 60. I’m just confused because many posts state ” you may stay in such n such country 2/3 months after spending 90 days in “other” Schengen states. I’m guessing if they have said it’s ok then it’s ok.

Have you any feed back about bilateral working or not working? Many thanks

Really not sure. If the embassy has said it’s okay that’s the closest you’re going to get to a confirmation that it’s okay.

in addition to previous comment about Finland. Here are official letter in regards to NZ and Finland 1973 bilateral agreement which still in force. https://www.treaties.mfat.govt.nz/search/details/t/2773/c_1 (you can download PDF on the page) According to given info, that agreement refers to dealing with Finland as member of Nordic Passport Union. “(b) New Zealand citizens, holding valid New Zealand passports who wish to stay in Finland for more than thre~ months after their entry into one of the countries party to the Convention between Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway dated July 12, 1957, regarding the abolition of Passport Control at InterNordic Boundaries, from a country not party to the said Convention, shall apply for a residence pennit in Finland. (c) The time limit of three months referred to in the foregoing subparagraph wiII be calculated from the date of a person’s last entry from a non-Nordic country into anyone of the Nordic countries party to the” above-mentioned Convention, provided, however, that a visitor who, during the six months immediately preceding such ~~try, has been staying in anyone of the Nordic countries party to the said Convention will have such period of stay deduc.ted. from the said period of three months”

Great article. I am spending two weeks in Spain,then two weeks in France,then two weeks in Spain, then a few days in France, then about 50 days in Spain then two weeks in Norway and Denmark then back to Spain for a week. I am flying in and out of Barcelona on a Kiwi passport. All up about 120 days in Schengen, with just under 90 days in Spain. So does it matter that the 90 days in Spain is broken up into segments? As long as the total is under 90 days in the 180 day period right?

As far as I know, it should be fine.

Have you seen this article on the German Embassy for NZ Website based in Wellington?: https://wellington.diplo.de/nz-en/service/-/2123002

Quote from the article: “According to this bilateral agreement the duration of one stay in Germany must not exceed 90 days but the number of entries to Germany is not limited. In order to re-enter Germany for another 90 days, visitors have to depart Germany for any other non-Schengen country and can come back on the same day. Since visitors need to be able to document the period of time they have been spending in Germany, we recommend to enter and to depart via a German airport in order to obtain an official entry and departure stamp in their passport. However your total must not exceed one year.”

I seeked clarification with the German Embassy in NZ on this as I am currently in Germany on a 90 day tourist visa and would like to stay a further 90 days soon after in Germany. Their reply confirmed that at the end of my 90 days I could fly out of the Schengen area e.g to London and return a few days later quote “Yes, when you re-enter the 90-day-visa-free stay commences again.” This however does not align with the 90/180 day rule and I wondered your take on it. Have a look at the article if you want and let me know if you think it’s a safe bet.

If you got confirmation from the embassy, print it out and travel with it. It’s on the embassy website too, so it’s as close to a slam dunk as you’re going to get. I’d be very comfortable staying in Germany on these grounds.

Fantastic research and advice. My wife and I are in Sweden on sabbatical and got the same advice on the NZ-Nordic region pre-Schengen bilateral agreements. In case anyone else wants to do this in the Nordic countries here are the relevant regulations: Article 20 Under Article 20 (1), a foreign national of a State to which there are no visa requirements may move freely within the Schengen area for a maximum of three months for a period of six months from the first entry, provided that the alien complies with the entry conditions of Article 5. Article 20 (2) derogates from visa exemption agreements concluded by the Schengen States prior to the entry into force of the Convention on 1 September 1993. Nationals of countries having such visa-free arrangements with Schengen States are not subject to the restrictions resulting from Article 20. These, but without a visa requirement, may be held for three months in each of the Schengen countries concerned. Source: https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/proposition/schengensamarbetet_GL0342/html Relationship to Swedish rules. Current Swedish regulations mean that a foreigner who is visa-free may stay free in Sweden for three months irrespective of previous stay in another non-Nordic country. The provisions of the Nordic Passport Control Agreement, on the other hand, see the Nordic countries as a unit, and an earlier stay in another Nordic country must be deducted from the three-month period (Chapter 3, Section 2 of the Norwegian Act). The Schengen Convention system is similar to the Nordic one, since the three-month period is counted from entry into the Schengen area. So to make this work for us, on day 90 we are going to Scotland for families and friends visit and returning 7 days later to re-start our 90 days.

Many many thanks Bren for your dedicated work in bringing this to everyone to notice…

I’ve been traveling for many years around the world and Europe is always an unknown quantity when it comes to visas and rights of stay.

I can not understand why the New Zealand government doesn’t just post the actual treaties actual documents of what they have with the various different European countries to make it easier for everyone else to know the rules and regulations and use it as proof that we do have treaties and bilateral visa rights for New Zealand citizens when visiting European and other countries.

As New Zealand citizens have the right to know all this and also the government is getting paid to do this.

So it’s about time someone reached out to the government and told them to get their act together and post proper information and the treaties on the New Zealand government website for travelers.

As this would save a lot of nerves inconvenience and wrong information disseminated on different websites.

So if you have time anyone reading this why don’t we put something together and ask the New Zealand government to do this for their citizens? as they can afford to do and are getting paid to do it.

As many times I’ve called the NZ Consulate in England asking for different information, as that’s like swimming upstream… as they tell you to go to the relevant countries where you want to stay in, that’s just a joke… as this is just passing the buck… to another country…

New Zealand embassy if you’re reading this get your act together and make sure you publish all the bilateral visa rights with the treaties and relevant information of our rights around the World in a proper way so your people that you work for and represent can read it and understand in a proper way.

As why should we have to write to every foreign embassy and ask them what our rights are?

As the New Zealand government which is getting paid for this from our text dollars should be providing their citizens with all the right information making it available in the public domain on their website, so it’s no discussion when we get to borders or get asked questions that we can’t answer.

As we are living in the 21st Century now, and you have no excuse to keep this information confidential or private as it is our right to know and to see the actual treaties which we have in place publicly on your website easy to find an informative to read.

This is typical government’s not welling to supply the right info to the people that they are employed by, or take responsibility for what they getting paid to do.

This may sound a little bit out of frustration, and probably it is… because no one knows really what we are covered for and what we’re not in the way of different visas.

So wake up New Zealand embassies and start looking after your people in the right way and give them the right information publicly so it’s no doubt or questions around what New Zealand citizens rights are in each individual country regarding visa right or anything else that they need to know…

Once again Bren thank you so much for all the effort and info you have supplied to all the people and in the way you’re going about it, as it is great of you.

Truly appreciated and thank you so much…

All the relevant treaties are posted here: https://www.treaties.mfat.govt.nz/ So stop whining about the government. Just type in the relevant country name and it should come up in the search results.

I don’t really care to bash the New Zealand government, but I think Aron James’s general point it quite reasonable. Why not make these agreements known, transparent and easily accessible, instead of the current mystery surrounding them, and give solid documents so we can utilize them as they are intended to be. I say this from the experience of almost getting fined by a young French migration officer who simply didn’t know the law, and was understandably skeptical of the vague documents I could give him affirming it. You retort back quite rudely to Aron, which you justified with a link that ‘should’ provide access to all the agreements. Did you actually bother to test the link yourself? So far I’ve gone through the three countries I need it for, and nothing.

I clicked on that link and couldn’t figure out how to find the information either, but I did find this….

https://www.mfat.govt.nz/assets/NZ-Embassies/Geneva-Switzerland/Border-controls-in-Europe-Schengen.pdf

I dont agree about getting the NZ Govt to make it easier, I would hate for them to just stop it all together because that was easier for them.

This is some great info. Love that someone posted the link for 180 days in Italy, printed and saved!

“I dont agree about getting the NZ Govt to make it easier, I would hate for them to just stop it all together because that was easier for them.”

No doubt that would be a terrible outcome, and you might be on to something, this would be easier for them. But it shouldn’t be one or the other, obscure documents or none at all, they should just substantiate these agreements and make them accessible. I hope we can assume they would act reasonable, take into account the value for NZ citizens these bilateral agreements have, and what must have been an immense amount of diplomatic time, resources and effort by whom ever organised and put these on paper back the 60s.

The irony is that the link you provided happens to be the document I presented to the French immigration officer I mentioned in my original post, the one he noted was not clear enough and not substantiated enough by the NZ government, or other official French legislature he could find.

Thanks for point out there was a post on here about 180 days Italy btw, also printed ; )

Hey thanks so much for this blog, it’s been hugely helpful planning my current trip around Europe. I had an interesting experience today which i thought was worth sharing here. I’ve been in Europe just over 3 months and got passport checked going into the Netherlands from Germany. I explained the bilateral agreement to the Dutch officer, he didn’t know about it and had to go away and check. Fortunately he came back and confirmed it was all OK, but I was a bit nervous as I didn’t have embassy confirmation etc cause i didn’t expect a border check as it’s schengen to schengen. Thought it was worth knowing that you might get checked, but can confirm the Netherlands recognises our agreement, so you shouldn’t have a problem.

Thanks for reporting back. Those central western countries like Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland do everything by the book, so I’m less nervous exiting through there.

Hi Bren, I’ve just been talking with the Italian embassy here in Wellington, apparently you can stay for up to 180 days visa free in Italy now; https://ambwellington.esteri.it/ambasciata_wellington/it/informazioni_e_servizi/visti/ NEW ZEALAND PASSPORT HOLDERS DO NOT REQUIRE A VISA FOR SHORT STAYS IN ITALY UP TO 180 DAYS, including the standard 90 days visa-free in the Schengen area and additional 90 days in Italy on the base of the Bilateral agreement signed on 25 January 1961 (irrespectively from other periods spent in other Schengen countries).

The only think I’m not sure about, and not sure if you know this – how many bilateral agreement visa’s would one be entitled to? And how long would one have to leave Italy for (after the 180 days) before returning to receive another 90 day visa under the bilateral agreement? The embassy couldn’t provide any guidance on this. Thanks

If the embassy can’t tell you then I certainly can’t tell you. This is good news though!

According to the Embassy website 'Please also note that after the 180 visa-free period, NZ passport holders are required to exit the Schengen area for at least 90 days.'

I arrived in Italy at the end of February 2020 and stayed (mostly in lockdown) for six months (180 days). Then I spent three months in Croatia (August-October) before returning to Italy in November 2020 for another six months. I'll leave Schengen again in late May 2021 (probably back to Croatia or UK if enough vaccinations have happened). Then back to Italy for another six months …

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I'm currently in Spain and need to leave by April to avoid overstaying. Italy is looking like an excellent option given that I can stay for 6 months. When you arrive/exit Italy, do you have that notice from the embassy printed out? Also, when you went to Croatia from Italy, did you fly or take a ferry to avoid exiting the Schengen area from Slovenia?

Thanks again, Hannah

Following the advice in your blog I have just completed about 340 days in Europe over 365 days. There were a few exits and entrances from the Schengen region over that year and I was pulled aside 3 or 4 times and questioned. Mostly officials were just after an excuse to send me on my way. Generally I could show an entrance from a non-Schengen region country within the last 90 days and rather than examining the previous entry, which must be on computer showing I had recently had another lengthy stay, they showed me the door. Not sure how much was luck, and how much was good management but I had all my receipts, and a spreadsheet accumulating the number of nights I’d spent in countries with bi-lateral agreements with New Zealand.

Great to hear confirmation on that long stay, thank you for sharing Greg.

Anyone have experience travelling to Austria on the Bilateral Waiver Agreement from within Schengen?

I emailed the Austrian embassy to check agreement is still honoured. Response: it is, but one of the conditions: “You must exit the Schengen area before entering Austria under the Bilateral Agreement”. Never heard of this condition and none of the other Bilateral agreement countries I emailed have mentioned it. Anyone had problems with this? I don’t plan to travel out of the Schengen area from Austria.

Bren this is an awesome resource, you deserve a knighthood for your service to kiwis.

Just wondering peoples’ experience with providing evidence of where you’ve been. Eg is it enough to just have plane/train tickets to show you moved from one place to the next? Obviously all the embassies are telling us to bring evidence of everything but I’m interested to hear what peoples’ actual experiences are. When we’re staying with friends and family etc we don’t always have accommodation receipts. And holding onto little receipts from restaurants and ATMs is a pain in the arse too. Thanks guys and see you on the road.

Honestly I doubt customs officers really are going to look that far into it unless they hate you. As long as you have basic accommodation receipts it should be fine. Worst comes to worst you can pull up your bank/credit card statements and show a few transactions.

Thanks Bren, I won’t have accommodation receipts for a fair bit of it as I’ll be staying with friends etc. But I’ll have receipts from flights and trains etc so hopefully that will do the trick!

Hi Bren I am wondering how current everything is in October 2019? My husband is a kiwi, I am an EU passport holder and we are planing to go caravaning or motorhoming in Europe next year open ended

Hi again. Sorry didn’t see that some post are quite recent…so I answered my own question. Love your entire website. Great resource

Hi Bren We have been tracking developments on your website on this issue as we are planning a 6 month trip to Europe in 2021 as a big retirement adventure. We plan to spend 5 weeks in Spain, spend a month in France, go on to Switzerland in June for 2 weeks and then back to France for approx 2 months ( the rest of our 90 day entitlement for France) , before heading to Italy for approx 3 weeks to take us up to just short of the 180 days. We will seek documentation about the bilateral visa waiver from France and there is a letter to print available on the Italian embassy website in NZ and have that as well as all our proof of bus tickets accommodation. We are just wondering if we will have a problem if we don’t fly home to NZ directly from say Rome but say we have a return ticket on Lufthansa they will take us through a hub like Munich or Frankfurt who will be our exit port from Europe and the Schengen. Even though the 180 days has not been at any stage in Germany could they still get uptight with us, despite the documentation? Would hate this to spoil the end of our trip and dont want a ban stopping us going back for a few years. Thanks so much for any advice you can give us.

It would be the final destination where the check usually happens, so in the scenario you described it would most likely be in Germany. Germany is pretty good though, they are sticklers for rules and in this case, the rules are on your side.

FYI – also be aware that from 2021, NZ is one of the 60 countries that will be required to apply for a ETIAS. This is essentially the same as what NZ have just introduced with their eTA and what the US have had for years.

https://www.etiasvisa.com/etias-requirements/new-zealanders

Hi BreathingTheWorld, I’ve been reading about the introduction of the ETIAS in 2021. Correct me if I am wrong but does this introduction essentially remove the luxury that New Zealand’s have had in some countries of staying beyond 90 days in the Schengen zone? Or does our bilateral agreement with particular countries, as mentioned in the article, still superseded this? Somewhat confused…

Am I going Crazy? I could have bet this article said starting in 2021 last time I looked at it, but now it says end of 2022.

Hi Gary and Troi,

I just read thru the linked website and also wonder if the special arrangements NZ has with many EU countries will end when ETIAS comes into effect at the end of 2022. Note that they say to check back from time to time for updates. That’s probably why Troi was doubting his sanity when he saw the implementation date change overnight.

Copied from the FAQs on that website:

How long can a New Zealander stay in Europe?

NZ passport holders are granted a 90-day stay within a 180 days into the Schengen Area without a visa. For these purposes, the 180-day period begins on the first day that a traveler enters a member country. The 90 days are counted by adding the total number of days a visitor spends within the Schengen Area starting from the first day they entered. This includes an unlimited number of entries into and exits from member nations.

I’ve come back to this article many times over the last few years so I thought I’d share my experience.

I’m now sitting on the other side of immigration control at Düsseldorf airport.

Officer looked through my stamps and asked me when I arrived. I said April X in the Netherlands, to which he seemed surprised and I almost shat myself.

He kept looking through my prior stamps in Europe – which is a lot but all within the overall 90 days rule on this passport. I didn’t say anything and tried to not look nervous.

Then he asked when I flew to Germany, I said I took a train from Paris in August. He said something to the other guy next to him and reached for the stamp.

So it was a bit scary. I have a feeling that he was looking at whatever data they have on the computer screen, to see if what I said matched up.

He certainly changed a bit when I indicated I’d been in Germany less than 90 days. They probably have to assume that travellers have been in the country the whole time until shown otherwise. Entering and exiting the same country after 90 days might be a different story.

So my guess is he was aware of the rule, or Kiwis aren’t a significant risk, or his shift is almost over. It’s always hard to know, just be prepared with evidence and be able to jump to the appropriate documentation on the rule.

I have to come back for my car within the next month so I’ll also share the sequel on reentering.

Promised sequel:

I didn’t get around to going back for my car until 92 days later in February. I took the Eurostar from London to Paris. As with all my experiences entering France, I had no questions at all and the process was fast.

About 1 week after that I took the ferry back to the UK, and again no questions from French border control on exit.

So my Schengen experience was: 186 days in 92 days out 8 days in

No problem.

France is supposedly great re entry exit. I’m guessing more of them are aware about the NZ passport now and don’t even bother checking just see the front cover and assume you’re good. Spain too.

My experience: leaving the Schengen Area after 6 months from Austria. I wanted to share my experience for others to know how this works in real life. I travelled in the Schengen area for around 155 days and I was super nervous about leaving from Vienna. When I went through passport control, the woman looked at my passport and was clearly confused. She asked me a lot of questions about where I had been and I showed her the itinerary I had printed off. She called two other officers who spoke to each other in German for a few minutes, then they stamped my passport and waved me through. I did not have to explain the bilateral visa agreements at all. I was relieved. Your border experience totally depends on the immigration officers who are there on the day. Relying on these waivers is a risk and you may have to pay a fine. Be prepared.

In those German influenced countries they’re generally quite good with rules. If your officer thinks you’ve overstayed you could just explain the waivers and she’ll call her superiors and they should see that it checks out. Even if you pay a fine make sure you get the receipt, and you could probably get it refunded later if you follow it up.

For the last three years we have spent 6 months in the schengen zone and six months in NZ. We have departed the Schengen zone each time from a different place, Barcelona, Copenhagen and Berlin.

We have always carried a folder of receipts that link us by bankcard to a location and date as well as printouts of emails that demonstrate our bilateral agreement.

We have been asked each time by officials to tell them when we entered the EU. We have never had to open the folder or explain further.

We will be doing the same again in 2020 but not sure yet where our exit point will be. I follow this page regularly and appreciate the work Bren did originally and the recent updates from other travelers.

Great to know, thanks!

We got confirmations by email from the French and Spanish embassies in mid-2019, plus the printable letter on the Italian embassy website, saying the bilateral agreements are still accepted and in force. Leaving Spain in December 2019 the guy behind the counter looked carefully at the dates of entry, asked if I could speak Spanish (perhaps to ask about our 120 days since arrival in Schengen?), and on getting my “No”, just stamped the passports with a smile and off we went.

By contrast in 2018 we left from Prague, Czech Republic, after 100 days in Schengen. The counter man worked out we had gone over 90 days and called for backup. We were taken aside by a rather officious woman, stood waiting outside some offices for a good 10 minutes before a pleasant (and more senior?) official came out and said that “Yes, we know there is a bilateral agreement with the Czech Republic, but we choose to ignore it and you have overstayed by 10 days. However we are really busy out back with more serious cases, and you are welcome to leave.” And he escorted us past immigration and off we went.

The message from that is don’t leave Schengen from somewhere that does not actively allow use of the bilateral agreement.

A confirmation email from the embassy would really help in that situation.

Wondering if anyone knows how the new 2021 ETIAS will affect waivers and stays in europe/schengen/non-schengen areas please?

Hey Bren……I returned from a month in Portugal via london to NZ in November. I’d travelled Europe extensively for about a year…..but always ensured I popped into and out of Bulgaria a couple of times, and I never once got pulled aside or questioned……I’m a retired pensioner……so I’m guessing perhaps my age is a benefit to me! I’m heading back to Europe via Athens in ten days time…..intending on living and travelling around Europe for good…..eventually taking up the reciprocal pension agreement we have with Greece to be a permanent resident living on Crete.

Hi has anyone had a very recent reply from the Portugal Embassy as to whether New Zealand now has a waiver with them or not. A year and a half ago the answer was a no so just wondering if anyone has heard any different recently.

I had a reply from the Portuguese embassy in Canberra earlier this year confirming that they don't honour the waiver, which is such a bummer. Do you have recent experience exiting via France? I want to take the eurostar to London after 3 months in Spain and 3 months in France, but I can't find it mentioned anywhere on the French Consulate's website and none of the embassies I've contacted confirm it either.

Thanks, Hannah

Just a recent 2020 update…Belgium allows for a 2 month visit after spending 3 mths in other schengen countries. France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland all allow NZ citizens up to 3 months regardless of time spent in other schengen countries. I travelled a couple of years ago but am writing to embassies again just to double check. I’m waiting to hear back about Portugal I know it was a no in the past but I’m hoping maybe they have changed their minds.

I’m just wondering if anyone can help. I’m a New Zealand citizen mid fifties and would like to stay in Europe and work. I teach English but I don’t have a degree which makes it very difficult getting a work placement. I’m thinking maybe of Nanny work but can’t find any help online. If anyone has suggestions or experience in getting work /work visas it would be very much appreciated. I want to stay over for longer to be closer to young grandchildren, but due to our New Zealand dollar exchange it gets very expensive if one cannot work.

Hi Been I just heard back from the French Embassy who deals with the Portugal/NZ schengen zone rules. And New Zealanders are allowed to enter Portugal and stay for up to 3 months regardless of time spent in other schengen zone countries. Just thought id update if anyone was needing the info

Awesome thanks!

How can the French Embassy comment on the Portugal rules?

I’m wanting to spend 5 months a year in Portugal, and I have Spanish residency. A waiver by Portugal would be awesome for me, otherwise I will be limited to just 3 months. Though how either Spain or Portugal will know with no border control between them I have no idea.

Hi Mia, Can you confirm that this is true and valid? What did they say and who did you contact exactly? My email from the Consulate General of Portugal in Sydney said "There is no bilateral agreement between Portugal and New Zealand,"

Hi all. I know it’s an old article but it’s a great read bren!! Fantastic actually. Very imformative.

I’m wondering though, do these rules still apply to nz passport holders since the covid-19 has hit? If so is it possible to obtain my first schengen visa from the UK?

The waivers won’t have changed but travel restrictions are going to depend on each particular country.

The ETIAS information page has been updated to include details about the individual visa waiver bilateral agreements between NZ and several EU countries, specifically stating “This means that citizens of New Zealand can visit these countries for more than the 90-day visa-free permission already in place.”

Hi H, thanks for pointing this out! Would you be able to post the exact page link? Much appreciated. Had a look on the main page and couldn't find this. I think its statement on the official Schengen visa information site is about as authoritative official recognition we can get on the bilateral agreements, which skeptical border officials and airlines can then be referred to. With border checks currently back in place between EU countries, I find myself constantly questioned by border officials who have no idea about this, and who are very unconvinced by what documents I can show them.

https:undefinedundefinedwww.etiasvisa.comundefinedetias-requirementsundefinednew-zealanders#:~:text=The%20New%20Zealand%20government%20has,free%20permission%20already%20in%20place.

I’m in Portugal at the moment and my three months is almost up. Am I reading the website correctly? I can actually stay for a total of six months?

This post has been incredibly helpful to understand bilateral agreements. I read all the warnings and I know this is not meant for anyone not being a NZ citizen, so yes I'm writing under my own risk haha!

I'm a canadian citizen currently in the EU, which I entered through France. After my 90 days I would like to use the Canada-Belgium bilateral agreement to stay 60 days more in Belgium. I have emailed the department of foreign affairs, and they said that yes, it's possible to use the agreement, as long as my ARRIVAL and depart is from Belgium.

And the arrival confuses me. Do you think he refers to the original arrival at the Schengen or the arrival for the beginning of the 60 days? It wouldn't make sense that it's the arrival to the Schengen, right? If that was the case I wouldn't be able to use the agreement since I entered the Schengen through France. He also said it's not necessary to leave the Schengen or even Belgium (if I'm already there) to put in force the agreement. This is why I'm a bit confused.

I know this is meant for NZ citizens but really this is the only place where I have gotten such complete information on this matter. And the foreign affairs guy was incredibly helpful but I guess I annoyed him too much because he stopped answering my questions. He read on the email that I entered the Schengen through France though, so my guess is that he would have told me if it wasn't possible to use the agreement.

So well, I would love to hear about someone using the agreement on Belgium or if anyone might help me interpretating his answer.

Best regards!

I have no idea – you would need to ask a Canadian embassy! Or give them a call if they won’t answer your emails 😉

Thanks for all your hard work pulling this information together.

Fyi – here is a list of bilateral visa waiver agreements in effect for Schengen area countries, as reported to the European Commission:

https:undefinedundefinedeur-lex.europa.euundefinedlegal-contentundefinedENundefinedTXTundefined?uri=OJ%3AJOC_2019_130_R_0007

It's sometimes possible to find the text of these agreements by searching through the online collections of treaties andundefinedor diplomatic notes published on the websites of the foreign ministries of the countries involved, or through the online publishings of the old UN Treaty Series.

Here I believe is the new definitive page by the European commission regarding bilateral visa agreements. It confirms the agreements, and provides some updates. It appears now that we 'should' request before entering the country if we may use the agreement – this is different than before, where we emailed to get confirmation that the agreement was in place at all. In 2022, when the ETIAS is launched, the process of tracking which countries have been traveled in on the bilateral visa agreements will be recorded – so it appears there may not be need to document yourself where you have traveled.

https:undefinedundefinedwww.etiasvisa.comundefinedetias-newsundefinedeu-bilateral-visa-waiver-agreements

For anyone with insight, I'd be grateful if you could share on this topic. Where do you clear passport control when exiting Europe, if your international flight first stops briefly in another European Schengen country before continuing on. The first airport, or the last one before actually leaving Europe?

I'm trying to make sure I leave through a country that is familiar with the bilateral agreements to avoid hassle, but its hard to say when there is an hour stop over in another Schengen country, at which one will I actually go through the boarder controls.

Hi! I have a house in Spain and want to reside there 6 months per year. This means I would utilise the bilateral agreement with Spain and stay for 89 days, depart to a non Schengen country for a few days/weeks and return for a further 89 days. The Spanish embassy in NZ said I could do this, but border control in Spain had a different view on this. They said I needed to apply for residency/NLV and I couldn't come and go as I had been doing, or I would risk being black listed. I have an email from the Spanish embassy detailing my ability to leave Spain & the Schengen before my 90 days ( for as long or short as I want), and return again to Spain , which resets my 90 days. I'm worried to do this again as I can't risk being black listed so have been staying outside Schengen for 90 days this time and will return on the 90th day. Has anyone experience of doing this successfully themselves? Can they blacklist me if I have their email telling me I'm within my rights to do this? Thanks, Jamie

According to the waivers, you could go to Spain for 90 days, then to France for 90 days, then back to Spain for 90 days, and do this indefinitely. But that’s only according to the waivers, whether each country respects them or not is a different story. In your case, I’d say it will be easier in the long run to just apply for a visa.

Thanks Bren. I would be travelling out of the Schengen zone, to the UK to lessen any issues, before returning to Spain…. ,although legislation states it can be done, border police can do as they please, so Im not confident in utilising the waiver again anytime soon, but may be once covid is under control I might give it another go. In the meantime I will just stay out of the Schengen for 3 months each time to reduce the risks. May be in the future I will apply for the NLV, but many hoops to jump through, lots of income evidence required, etc. We will see! Thanks again 🙂

This post is amazing! Just had a quick question…… Say you enter the Schengen area and your 180 days starts and you visit the countries where the bilateral agreement with New Zealand is in place, so now you've spent say 10 or so months (legally) in the Schengen area, when does the 180 day period restart? Does it just restart after 6 months even if you are still in the Schengen area. Or do I need to pop over to some where like the UK for 90 days? Or would I need to stay in the UK for 180 days to restart my 180 day period for the Schengen area so that I can visit the countries where there is no bilateral agreement?

If you plan to go to a country with no bilateral agreement, you will need to exit Schengen for 90 days and then return.

Just thought I'd share, I'm planning a trip to Europe at the end of the month and emailed the France, Italy, Spain and Greece embassies in New Zealand.

Within 24 hours, I've had confirmation that the bilateral agreement is indeed still active. Greece sent me the most detailed response, saying it was necessary to let border control workers when entering that I was entering on this visa waiver and ensure they stamp my passport.

Spain went as far as to say 'Once you leave Spain you can return for an additional up to 90 days at any time (you do not need to wait for any period before returning to Spain). If you do this, and although it may be a difficult thing to do with no border controls, be sure to get your passport stamped on the way out of Spain and also upon coming back, so the periods may be properly computed.'

Italy sent to to this link to have a printed document of the agreement: https://ambwellington.esteri.it/ambasciata_wellington/it/informazioni_e_servizi/visti/visti.html

France was also very insistent in keeping records 'To be able to prove when you leave France that you didn’t overstay, we strongly advise you to keep all your travel tickets and hotel invoices from the Schengen entry date (stamp from the immigration officer in your passport).'

Really helpful thanks!

Hi! I’m planning on going to Greece and would love to use the visa waiver. Do you have the email address of the Greek embassy still? Not totally clear who to email on google!

Thanks Christina

Hi Bren, My question relates to the coming ETIAS visa implementation from late 2022 Historically I have used NZ's bilateral agreements to stay in Europe for 5-6 months a year (but never more than 90 days in one EU country). I have never had a border issue leaving (although I have all my documented proof of travel if questioned) This site has some good information about the new ETIAS visa waiver system https://www.etiasvisa.com/etias-requirements/new-zealanders

But I am a bit lost regarding this paragraph – "A bilateral agreement is a deal signed with an individual government. This means that under one agreement, New Zealanders can only travel visa-free to the country the agreement applies to and must remain there for the total length of application of this reciprocal arrangement. Those interested in visiting more than one Schengen Member State visa-free within one trip should apply for an ETIAS visa waiver for Europe."

Will the bilateral agreements currently in place still work like they always have for NZ Passport holders once the ETIAS visa system has been implemented, or will it be more restrictive going forward?

Many Thanks

Richard, Did you ever find the answer to your question?

Hi Bren, your post has been very informative and found it when googling bi lateral agreements 🙂 If I stayed 90 days in Austria, could I leave to a non Schengen country for a period of 2 weeks and go back to Austria for a month or does the bilateral agreement not apply? Am getting conflicting info when I ask about if they are of 2 different legal basis from Austria like you have. Thanks

This is such a helpful article – thanks Bren!

Hoping you can help with some additional specific questions, I’ve emailed the embassies to ask too, but can’t find the answers online.

I’m planning to go to Europe in April 2022 – and spending April and May in Spain, and June in Sweden – using my 90/180 days. I then want to go back to Spain using the bilateral agreement for July and Aug.

1) should this be possible? Unsure if the bilateral allows 90 days in total in Spain irrespective of other Schengen time spent, or if it is an additional 90 days in Spain (despite having already spent 60 days there)

2) I see once you utilise the 90 day bilateral you can’t travel within Schengen area (fair enough!) but can I travel in and out of Spain from non-Schengen? I have a wedding in Scotland at the end of July, so hoping I can start my bilateral at the start of July, visit Scotland for the wedding then return to Spain and continue utilising the bilateral.

Any help would be great, this info is not online!

In collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs we have got many of the Embassies to update their websites with information about the bilateral agreements in each country, for example Italy allows 90 days PLUS 90 extra days, you just have to leave the Schengen via Italy after your additional 90 days. So in general you do not need to email first – you can check the website of the individual country to see if they honour the agreement.

NOTE: DO NOT TRAVEL FROM MALTA. Myself and a second NZ citizen were issued travel bans after they refused to review the information presented to them by the NZ/EU governments. They gave me a 3 year ban initially but I was able to get it down to ONE year. Even though the other NZ citizen who traveled two weeks prior to me was en-route to the UK, he was denied passage while TRANSITING through Malta. He was returned to Bulgaria where he flew from. But he was able to enter Germany a few weeks later so I am not sure that he was issued a ban per se.

I can confirm also that Greece recognises the bilateral agreement so you can still use it until ETIAS takes effect.

Hi Mark, just wondering if you or anyone else could shed some light on the Italy agreement. I know that the document mentions you must leave Italy for a non-Schengen country after the 90 extra days and you must leave for 90 days before returning to the zone. But what if my original 180 days will roll over and reset after only 14 days of being in Italy on the bilateral agreement. Could I leave Italy for the UK for a couple of days and then head to France a couple days later once my 180 days reset?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Does anyone have any information on Hungary? Planning to enter Portugal at the start of May this year and leave Croatia (now part of the Schengen Area) on my 89th day.

I am wanting on be in Hungary for around a week from the 90th day, then head into Greece for 2 weeks and then finish in France for one week.

Any info would be much appreciated!

Just found this official EU website listing all the bilaterals between EU member states and third countries (like NZ). Super useful for it to be more official looking to confirm the many agreements listed on this site.

https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/c067e92d-5a8b-11e9-9151-01aa75ed71a1

Any updates on the latest bilateral agreement policies? We have no idea where we're going to end up but want more than just 90 days in Schengen zones!

Nothing has changed as far as I know.

Hi Bren , Thanks for all the info.

Can I ask a theoretical question: let's say, I spend 90 days in Prague in Czech Republic in the schengen zone. Then I go to Italy for the additional 90 days.

Can I then go Italy direct to France…. for the additional 90 days that France gives a nz passport holder?

I am originally from Taranaki but have lived in Hurghada, Egypt on the Red Sea for 5 years. Bren – if you ever come this way, you are welcome to stay at my guesthouse, it is just next to the Hurghada Marina & 350 metres from the beach. Anyway Bren….your website has been so helpful! Thank you 🙏😊

Cheers John Taranaki & Hurghada WhatsApp –

Hi John, my understanding is yes, the law allows you to do that. Whether the French border patrol will allow it is a different story, but France seems to be reasonably good at following the guidelines. Double check with the embassy – having an email in writing helps. Regards Brendan. P.S. I edited out your phone number – best not to have that floating around freely on the internet 🙂

I'm a NZ citizen and have just spent 194 days in the Schengen area. I entered the Netherlands via ferry on 1 September 2022 and left via Dunkirk on 14 March 2023. There was no comment from either the French or UK border control. I had receipts confirming dates of stas which were predominantly Italy (81 days), Spain (51 days), France 47 days) and the Netherlands 14 days). I also had confirmation printed off from the embassies confirming the bilateral agreements but still I felt a bit anxious at the border when leaving. Thank you so much for your research as it was a great help in my planning. I travelled solo in my campervan and had a great time.

Great to hear!!!

Hi Glynis When you say you had confirmation from the Embassies, do you mean you emailed them? Or that you had information from their websites? Many thanks

Whilst the original post is a bit old now, I suspect others will stumble on it like I did, so hopefully the following information will help. I'm not a lawyer so please intepret as you see fit but my view is that NZ Bilaterals still stand, are not superceded by the Schengen agreement and NZ citizens should legally be able to stay longer than 90 days out of 180 in these countries. That of course doesn't mean the border immigration staff (where they exist) will know about these agreements, so having some evidence may be helpful.

1. The majority of old bilaterals NZ has with EU countries are still in force. See: http://www.treaties.mfat.govt.nz/search

2. The Schengen agreement of Jun 1985 did not supercede these bilateral agreements. See: eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:42000A0922(02)

3. The EU has recognised that confusion was created between the Schengen agreement and exiting bilateral agreements as explained in this recommendation document of Sep 2016. See: http://www.statewatch.org/media/documents/news/2016/oct/eu-council-exit-entry-bilaterals-12114.en16.pdf

4. Following this, an amendment was issued which states that a stay may be extended in accordance with the bilateral agreement. See Article 60 in the following dated Nov 2017: webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/eu-exit/20181201110010/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2017.327.01.0020.01.ENG

5. This agreement required Schengen countries to provide their list of active visa bilaeral agreements which was published in Apr 2019. See: op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/c067e92d-5a8b-11e9-9151-01aa75ed71a1

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the updates! Appreciated.

Hi Bren, wow what a read, very awesome . Got a curly one for you, I'm travelling with my Irish wife and 2 aussie kids, can they come through with me on my nz passport?

You’re all treated as individuals, so if you’re wife has an Irish passport that would most likely be fine, but Aussie passports I think are restricted to 90 days.

Hey guys! Regarding this topic, I am currently a New Zealander who's gonna be staying in Europe and overseas for 5-6 months. I was wondering whether attempting to use these bilateral agreements would be worth it. I have emailed all the respective embassies and all of them have said the bilateral agreements are still valid. However, all the embassies also said that it was up to the airport authorities to decide whether the bilateral agreements were valid or not and that some airport authorities may not know about these rules. To be honest I'm still deciding whether to use these bilateral agreements or if i should just leave before the 90 days expire. Any advice would be appreciated!

Confirmation from the embassy is the key. Most people have no issue if they have this. The bilateral agreements are law after all.

Hi Bren, this is a great blog and really informative. I’ve read through all the comments but just wondering if you or your readers could help clarify something for me. I’m coming up to leaving the Schengen area after 85 days , to go to the UK for a few weeks, then to Norway under the bilateral agreement for 2.5 months. I’ve emailed the Norwegian embassy and know I have no problems entering and leaving Norway.

My question is do I need to leave the Schengen area from Norway. I have read conflicting information about this. If I do leave the Schengen zone does the 90/180 reset from when I last left i.e arrived mid March , left mid June and spent three months in UK and Norway. So re entry would then be mid September.

Or can I go straight from Norway back into the Schengen zone and leave again at the end of 90 days from either Switzerland or Germany where they seem to be more aware of the rules.

Technically you should be able to leave any country that recognises the waivers. Germany and Swizterland have proven pretty good in the past, but if you have a confirmation from the embassy in any country you should be okay I would imagine.

Hi there Bren,

Thank you so much for the helpful information, you’re a legend! I’ve had trouble trying to work out this and your blog has been a saviour.

I just wanted to clarify with you about my situation and see if you can help:

I have been living in the UK studying at Bristol University and since it was 6 months or less i didn’t need a visa. During my time there I did a week trip to France (my first entrance into the Schengen Zone). I then returned back to the UK as normal. After finishing my semester, I travelled to the Amalfi Coast in Italy for 26 days and then went to Spain for 6 days and then Portugal for 6 days as well. I am now back in the UK but on the 1st of July I go to Prague and then to Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, Italy and France. Overall, my time in the Schengen area is 107 days (17 over the 90 days). My 90th day is the day I leave to Spain. I am wondering how do I avoid getting pinged at the border as I moving around a lot of countries via flying and worried I will get caught. I’ve gone ahead and emailed all the embassy’s and am waiting to hear back. On my 107th day, I leave France to go back to the UK and fly out back to NZ a few days later.

Are you please able to give me some advice and recommendations or reassurance that I will be okay?

Thanks again mate, Matt

Are you please able to a

I’m also about to email the embassies for France, Spain, and Sweden to check if they will recognise the waivers. Did you get a response from the embassies you emailed already?

I also contacted the French embassy in July but haven’t heard back. Which email address do you intend to use?

Cheers! Kelsey

Sorry for the late reply – I didn't see that you'd replied to my message!

I initially filled out a 'contact us' type form on the embassy website. They emailed me back telling me to email [email protected] . When I emailed that address they sent me an automatic response that included:

"Please note that the visa service will NOT reply to any inquiry regarding the information below:

. For information regarding the bilateral visa waiver agreement please refer to the page below: >> https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/travel-tips-travel-europe&quot ;

.. seems like they have received a few emails about this, but also the response is not conclusive, just points back to the safetravel advice.

Just thought I'd add that I noticed Italy has added this on the embassy website ( https://ambwellington.esteri.it/ambasciata_wellington/it/informazioni_e_servizi/visti/ ):

"We advise not to overstay the 90 days period as the Italian Authorities in Italy do not recognise additional visa-free days on the base of the Bilateral agreement signed on 25 January 1961."

That same page used to have this PDF linked which stated we could stay 180 days…(link is still live it seems: https://ambwellington.esteri.it/ambasciata_wellington/resource/doc/2019/05/bilateral_agreement.pdf )

I didn't notice it when planning my trip so must have been added relatively recently.

I am currently in Italy and had plan to be here for a while. I have a copy of the letter that is still in the live link so hopefully I won't have any problem, but the website has clearly been changed not to honor the extra 90 days. Has anyone tried to leave from Italy after the website was changed?

Hi Troi, have you left Italy yet? If so how did it go. We are about to enter Italy and were planning on using the Bilateral agreement to stay 21 days over the schengen 90 days but are now a bit worried to do so given the changes on the embassy website.

I'm currently in Italy and have been here for several months, longer than 90 days. When we arrived in May the information on the NZ website was for 180 days. I downloaded the letter and see that the link is still live. Hoping we can leave from Fiumicino without problems next month. We would appreciate keeping in touch here with people in the same situation. Thanks.

Hi there! I am trying to stay in Spain for up to 90 days and want to contact a Spanish embassy for proof but I cant find their email anywhere! I was wondering if you knew how. Thank you

Hi Bren Do you know if you can overstay in Greece with the Schengen regulations?

Yes you can. Email the Greek embassy in nz and they will confirm

Help Please! I have dual citizenship, NZ and UK. My partner of 100 years has UK passport with permanent residence in NZ. What we have done in the past: Spent 3 x 1 months in Spain over 180 days with the interim time in the UK. What we would like to do now we have heard of the magic NZ Bilateral Agreements: Spend 3 weeks in Spain (coming from the UK), fly to Italy for 1 week and then fly back to UK for 1 month. Then, from the UK, fly to Portugal for 1 week, then fly to Spain for 4 weeks, and then fly back to UK for 2 months. Finally, fly to Spain from the UK for the balance of our 90 day Spanish allowance (plus any extra days if we are allowed) before returning to UK and departing back to NZ Is this allowed? And if so, should I email Spanish Embassy for confirmation? I don’t think I would need to email the Italian or Portuguese embassies as we would not be up to a total of 90 Shenghan days when we travelled there. And, last but certainly not least, can my partner piggy back on me/come under the agreement anyway as he has permanent residence in NZ? Any advice much appreciated

Hi Bren, We are a multinational family and one of us already has NZ citizenship, the kids could follow. We are travelling the world indefinitely since February and of course one of our questions was : How to not be limited by the 90 out of 180 day rule inside the Schengen area.

We have come across your post when researching for our trip which guided us to dig deeper. In recent years some things have changed due to the imminent EES (entry/exit system) which would flag anyone as overstaying if they just stayed based on bilateral agreements.

The EU has discussed and brought these to attention. They are now listed, still marked as valid and while there are sometimes different answers from governments you will find that some countries have created ways to even apply online for an extension based solely on these bilateral agreements. We have included all the info we could find on our blog here https://fouronajourney.com/2023/09/16/travel-europe-long-term/ Thanks again for the hard work you put in, you inspired us 🙂

there is one rider to all of this. The Nordic countries count all time spent in another nordic country as part of their 90 days. So you cannot spent 90 days in Norway and 90 days in Sweden. It appears to apply to Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland. So it is 90 days nordic and 90 days bilateral treaty non-nordic.

Does anyone know if the ETIAS next year will affect the validity of these bilateral agreements?

Hey, my friends and I just had a bit of a mare trying to use the bilateral visa waiver to get into Greece and thought it could be helpful to share our experience for anyone planningto go to Greece.

We all had stayed over our 90 days in SChengen (legally, using visa waivers in other countries like Switzerland and Germany). And then we all met in Albania. We had confirmed letters from the embassy saying the bilateral visa waiver with Greece was still in place and printed these. We took the ferry across to Corfu and 2 of us got stamped, but another got hold up.. we waited for them and then we all were pulled aside for more questioning by the customs people. They told us that the visa waiver is in place HOWEVER, because we had been over 90 days in Schengen AND were entering from Albania/non-Schengen then they did not recognise the waiver. So they refused our entry and sent us back to Albania..

Lesson learnt is to really confirm with the NZ embassy about the exact Schengen dates you're at and where you are entering from, rather than just confirming the waiver. After speaking with the NZ embassy they said that the officer was correct and it's just a technicality. A

Also we met other Kiwi's who breezed in from Albania so it is just really does to who you get at the Greek border..

Damn thats a shitty situation, as you say 2 of you got stamped through without issue so you must have had a real stickler at customs to pull you up.

wow! That sucks… I'm planning on entering Greece in a few days from Albania too and intend to use the bilateral agreement to enter. I have only spent 66 days in the last 180 in other Schengen countries… does that mean I will be okay? And do you need to tell the border agent your intention to enter on the bilateral agreement? I find it confusing that they don't recognise the waiver in your situation!!

I was thinking the best thing for you to do is enter under the Schengen visa as you still have extra days and then stay under the Greek extension. I see the post was is a couple of months old. Can you please advise what you did and how it worked for you?

How does this apply to Croatia now that it is in the EU

Hi, I spent 114 days in the Schengen zone from July to November 2023…. Entered Frane and left Italy. I hadn't given much thought to how long I had left on my 90 days until a quick calculation today…. I am planning to go to France again on the 17th Jan 2023…. which means I have only been out of the zone for 77 days before entering again. Given the bilateral waivers I am sure I can justify the overstay back in 2023 but my question is can I enter France again since I had already entered as apart of the 90 days only 77 days ago? Any advice would be appreciated. Or how I can get around this. Planning on one week in France and then 4 nights in Belgium before heading back to England. Also will this mean needing to wait another 90 days before heading back?

Amazing effort pulling this all together. Im planning a van trip with my German girlfriend this year. We are flying to Germany format at the start of April where we will stay for six weeks and convert the van.

We are then planning to drive through France, Switzerland, Italy, Australia and Croatia, leaving the Schengen zone into Bosnia at the beginning of August.

We then intend to spend about six weeks in non Schengen countries, before entering again in Hungary and then driving up through Slovakia, Czechia, Poland before flying out of Germany in October.

Is this likely to work if I use the visa waivers for the beginning of my trip to Germany, France, Italy and Spain? My sense from reading your article is that it is better to use them to extend the visit rather than the other way around.

Be really grateful for any thoughts.

Update on this as of 04/02/24:

France: yes Germany: yes Switzerland: yes The Netherlands: yes, but "we would advise you to go to an IND office once you arrive in the Netherlands to apply for an extension of stay citing the bilateral agreement between the two countries. https://ind.nl/en/service-and-contact&quot ;

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TRAVEL & STUDY

Travel & study.

Useful information on travelling from New Zealand to the EU, such as visas, travel restrictions and consulates, and for studying there

* Disclaimer *

The information in this page is  for guidance only  and does not replace or substitute national legislation. Please contact the diplomatic mission of the country you intend to visit for up to date travel information. If you are subject to special circumstances (e.g. conviction, intending to work, get married, join partner or family for a long stay etc.) or if you have any doubts please contact the relevant diplomatic mission. It is subject to change due to the evolving global Covid-19 situation.

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Entry into europe and travel within europe, schengen area, short stays in the schengen area (less than 3 months), longer/working/studying stays in schengen area, travelling to new zealand, more information about entering and travelling around new zealand, european union representation to new zealand, study programmes, european union information centres.

Currently, New Zealand residents may travel to the EU for non-essential purposes. The conditions of travel may change, however, due to epidemiological conditions. People considering travel to the EU from New Zealand are advised to check the EU’s status of travel and travel conditions and advice from the EU country they plan to enter first.  

For travel within the EU, Re-Open EU provides information on the various measures in place, including on quarantine and testing requirements for travellers, the EU Digital COVID certificate to help you exercise your right to free movement, and mobile coronavirus contact tracing and warning apps. 

The Schengen Area is 26 European countries that have mutually decided to eliminate passport and immigration controls at their joint borders. Within the Schengen Area, concurrently, the citizens of these 26 European countries are free to travel in and out of this zone as one single country sharing equal international travel rights. The citizens of the Schengen zone countries cherish the right to migrate internationally without any limitations, the basis of free movement, one of the basic human rights. For more information please visit  http://www.schengenvisainfo.com/ 

The Schengen Area countries are:  Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Spain and Sweden. 

When travelling to the European Union please bear in mind that not all EU Member-States belong to the Schengen Area . Of these countries, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania have unilaterally recognised certain documents (e.g. a Schengen visa) as equivalent to their national visas for transit through or intended stays on their territories not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period. 

When travelling to the Schengen Area, foreign citizens must apply for a Schengen short-stay visa, which enables them to travel freely throughout the Schengen Area for a maximum period of 90 days in any 180-day period (with multiple entries and exits).

New Zealand is however on a list of third-countries  (outside the European Union, the European Economic Area and the Schengen Zone)  whose citizens   do NOT require a visa to visit the Schengen Area for less than 90 days within a 180-day period .

New Zealand citizens benefit from this short-stay visa waiver,  as long as they (a) do not intend to work; (b) hold a passport valid for at least 3 months after date of return; and (c) have a return ticket .

New Zealand nationals are advised to ensure that their passport is stamped on entry and exit at the external borders of the Schengen Area. It is important to have evidence of the date of entry into the Schengen Area for any potential subsequent contact with local police or other authorities. Border officials in EU countries may ask for other supporting documents such as for example an invitation letter, proof of lodging, return or round-trip ticket. For the precise requirements contact the local consular services of the Schengen country in question.

For stays in the territory of the Schengen Area which are longer than 90 days within any 180-day period, or for studying or working purposes, a national visa of the respective Schengen country is required.

For more information please consult: http://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-types/

It is highly recommended that you consult the country's consular offices of your destination , in order to obtain more detailed information and/or make your visa application. Scroll to the bottom  for EU countries with consular offices in New Zealand.

General Advice New Zealand is considered one of the safest and more welcoming countries in the world, with record low crime rates. However, this does not mean that crime does not occur. Like everywhere, common sense and vigilance should be exercised at all times

Visiting New Zealand

Some visitors and transit passengers can travel to New Zealand without a visa if they get an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) before they travel. This is valid for many visits and up to 2 years. A list of visa waiver countries and territories can be found here . To find more information click here .

When EU citizens are only passing through New Zealand, as travellers in transit, they do not need a transit visa. However, please note that if you are transiting through Australia on the way to New Zealand, you may need to apply for an Australian visa .

Longer stays/working/studying in new Zealand 

For stays exceeding 3 months an appropriate visa is required.

You can consult the visa type needed and all requirements here .

Biosecurity

New Zealand has  strict biosecurity procedures  at airports and ports to prevent the introduction of unwanted pests and diseases. These are much stricter than in Europe.  Arriving passengers are required to declare any and all of the following items : Food (any type of fruits), Plant and plant products (including souvenirs and other items made of wood, straw, shells etc.), live animals, animal products, salt and freshwater products and items associated with water (including holy water), used sporting and camping equipment (including hiking shoes).

If you have any items you are unsure about, you are required to declare it before the biosecurity process or dispose of it. Amnesty bins are located throughout ports and airports. Failing to do so will result in a fine.

Driving in New Zealand

New Zealanders drive on the left-hand side of the road and some roads are narrow, windy and have loose gravel. It is recommended to give yourself more time to reach your destination than that advised by your travel guide or GPS.

Driving licence

Overseas drivers, who do not hold a permanent visa, are regarded as 'visiting drivers' and may use their valid overseas licence to drive.  If the licence is not in English the driver must have in addition either an international driving licence (recommended) or a certified English translation of the licence. All drivers must carry their licence or permit at all times when driving.

Most EU countries with accreditation to New Zealand have their Embassies located in either Wellington or Canberra.

There are eight EU Member States Embassies based in Wellington: France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, and Spain.

Fifteen EU Countries who are based in Canberra are also accredited to New Zealand: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.

The Estonian and Lithuanian Ambassadors to New Zealand are resident in Tokyo and Latvia's in London. Bulgaria and Luxembourg are not accredited to New Zealand at this stage. Bulgaria's consular affairs are dealt by their Embassy in Canberra while Luxembourg's are dealt by the Embassy of The Netherlands in Wellington.

To cover the ground in the absence of full Embassies in New Zealand - and to have a wider reach outside Wellington for those with Embassies - Consuls-General and Honorary Consuls represent EU/Schengen countries in the main cities of New Zealand - Auckland, Wellington, Napier, Christchurch, Queenstown and Dunedin.

Erasmus+  is the European Union’s programme for education, training, youth and sport. Between 2014 and 2020, it will provide opportunities for four million people to study, train and gain life experience abroad.

See the Erasmus+ web portal’s  Resources section  for information about linguistic support, documents for applicants and the management of proposals.

EU Visitor Programme

The EUVP is jointly sponsored and administered by the European Parliament and the European Commission and has been in operation since 1974. New Zealand and Australia have participated in the programme since 1983 sending over 138 visitors to Europe during that time.

Supported and established by the European Union, European Union Information Centres stock official publications, documents and information about and by the European Union. They can help you find information on a variety of subjects including European law, integration, policies and EU institutions.

University of Canterbury  

Central Library Private Bag 4800 Christchurch 8140 New Zealand

Contact: Janette Nicolle Tel: (0 3) 364 2987 (ext 7035) Fax: (0 3) 364 2483 [email protected]   http://library.canterbury.ac.nz/eu/

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A passport is required for travel to all countries, including Australia. If you are planning to travel and your passport is due to expire in less than a year, you may need to renew your passport. Some countries require that your passport has at least six months validity remaining after your intended departure from the country you are visiting. Check with Embassies of the countries you are planning to visit for validity requirements. You should also make sure you have at least one clear visa page in your passport for immigration stamps. Your passport should be signed. Signatures are not required if the passport holder is unable to sign or is a child under 10 years.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade does not issue passports.

How do I get a passport in New Zealand?

The Department of Internal Affairs issues passports. Their website provides information about passports, and application forms .

How do I get a passport overseas?

Only the Passport Offices in London, Sydney or New Zealand can issue a passport.

In an emergency, a New Zealand Embassy overseas may be able to issue an Emergency Travel Document (ETD).  Please note this service is not available through our offices in Austria, Barbados, Iraq, Niue, New Caledonia, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia or Poland.   People requiring assistance in those locations should go to http://www.passports.govt.nz/ for further information on applying for a standard New Zealand passport.

In addition our offices in Guangzhou and Honolulu are not able to issue Emergency Travel Documents, however an ETD can be obtained from Beijing and Los Angeles.

How do I get a visa for another country?

You should check with your travel agent or with the Embassy or High Commissions of the countries you intend to visit or transit to find out their visa / entry requirements and if you need to apply for a visa. You should do this well before your planned departure date to ensure you have the correct visa. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade can not provide this information. If you do not have the required visa, you may be refused entry to a country. Having a visa does not necessarily guarantee entry into another country; this decision rests with immigration officials.

How do I get a visa for New Zealand?

Check Immigration New Zealand for information .

Tips for keeping your passport secure

Make a note of your passport number, take a photocopy of the personal details page, and keep this separately from the passport.

• keep your passport in a secure place
• don’t carry your passport in your pocket
• have an additional means of photo identification to carry with you
• never hand your passport over as a guarantee
• if your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it to the police and then contact the nearest New Zealand Embassy.

Working Holiday Schemes

Working Holiday Schemes are reciprocal arrangements that allow people aged 18 to 30 years, who are not accompanied by children, to spend up to 12 months on holiday in the host country. You can find more details on Working Holiday Schemes from the Embassy or High Commissions of the countries you intend to visit or from the relevant country pages in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's main website .  

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System for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay in 29 European countries (starting in the second half of 2024)

Travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers to enter 30 European countries (starting in mid-2025)

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ETIAS for New Zealander Citizens

Etias eligibility.

  New Zealand will be a launch member of the ETIAS   New Zealander citizens will be eligible to apply for ETIAS in 2025   New Zealander citizens will benefit from a using an online application system to apply for ETIAS

Other ETIAS Requirements

  New Zealander citizens can apply for ETIAS online   ETIAS is valid for arrival to Europe by air, sea or overland   Travellers must have an e-passport that is machine readable   ETIAS is for short tourist, business, transit and medical visits   Applicants under the age of 18 or over the age of 70 will receive their ETIAS free of charge

New Zealander citizens will be required to apply for an ETIAS  to enter  participating European countries on a short term basis, under 90 days, for general tourism, business, transit or medical purposes.

The ETIAS program will be in force from 2025 onward and is intended to screen travellers arriving from overseas as a response to the global increase in terrorist activities.

The ETIAS program was approved in 2016, and will take four years to develop the required systems that would tie in with existing immigration databases and other security data to provide a seamless new screening tool across the participating European countries.

In the year 2025, citizens from New Zealand will be required to complete an ETIAS application prior to boarding an aircraft, sea carrier, or coach vehicle for Europe, and this includes travellers who will only be transiting in Europe en route to other destinations.

Any New Zealander citizen that wishes to enter Europe for over 90 days, or for other purposes than those allowed under the ETIAS program will need to apply for a Schengen visa. Further details can be found by visiting  https://etias.com/  and using the homepage assessment.

It is advised that New Zealander citizens complete their ETIAS application 96 hours prior to their departure date. Full details can be found by visiting the ETIAS requirements  page or the ETIAS FAQ's . It is advised to review these pages prior to starting an ETIAS application to avoid any delays or the risk of an ETIAS being refused.

Starting in 2025, it will be a requirement to be a full New Zealander citizen before applying for an ETIAS, so travellers holding a passport or travel document with a different status may be required to apply for a full Schengen visitor visa, and not an ETIAS.

New Zealander citizens can expect their ETIAS application to normally be processed and approved within minutes, and the authorisation is sent by email in the form of a PDF document. There is no need to print or present any documents as the ETIAS is stored electronically against the passport details stored in the European Immigration system.

ETIAS Benefits

• ETIAS is valid for 3 years from date of issue
• Can be used for multiple entries under a 90 day duration
• Fast authorisation and electronic delivery
• Apply on desktop, tablet or mobile

ETIAS Application Advice

• Submit application at least 96 hours before departure
• If denied for an ETIAS, travellers can still apply for full visitor visa
• An ETIAS does not guarantee entry to Europe as the final decision is made by the border security personnel of the European country of arrival.

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Wait, do you need a visa to go to Europe now? The new ETIAS requirements, explained

Emily Olson

St. Mark's basilica in Venice is one place U.S. passport holders may not be able to get to without approval under the new ETIAS requirements Andrea Pattaro/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

St. Mark's basilica in Venice is one place U.S. passport holders may not be able to get to without approval under the new ETIAS requirements

Already thinking about next summer's vacation plans? If Europe is on your short list, there could be one extra step to take before boarding that plane.

Starting in 2024, American passport holders traveling to 30 European countries will need authorization via the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS).

Though it may sound complicated, the ETIAS and the reasoning behind it are quite similar to existing travel requirements and reflect increasing fear of terrorism in the U.S., Europe and around the world.

Here's what you need to know.

What is ETIAS? Is it a visa?

While some media outlets are taking a cue from the European Union's travel site and calling this a visa, in truth, ETIAS is more like a travel authorization form.

Summer air travel could be expensive and chaotic. Here's how to avoid trouble

"It's definitely not a visa," said Dan Hamilton, a senior non-resident fellow for foreign policy at the Brookings Institution. "It's an electronic entry-point, an authorization for countries that are currently visa-free."

Even the European Commission has said as much (and in bold letters) , writing this is "not a visa" but rather an "automated IT system" in a press release on the discussions around it back in 2018.

Whatever you want to call it, the ETIAS form is not what you'd seek if you're trying to work or live in Europe, but rather what you'll need for short-term trips — up to 90 days within any 180-day period.

Why is it being implemented?

These new requirements have been years in the making, stemming back to a rise in terrorism fears following 9/11. It's very similar to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization — or ESTA — program that the U.S. implemented in 2008 .

At the heart of ETIAS is an electronic database system to better track who's coming and going. According to the EU's latest report on terrorism data , EU law enforcement authorities arrested about 388 suspects for terror-related offenses in 2021, more than half of whom were accused of being associated with Jihadist groups based abroad.

The European Commission says ETIAS may have the added impact of cutting down on "irregular migration" (i.e. illegal immigration), but one thing the form is definitely not aimed to do is deter tourism in general.

'Revenge travel' is surging. Here's what you need to know

Crowded cities, inflated airfare and extreme heat disasters may all be making headlines this summer, but many of these European countries are still depending on tourism revenue to help them bounce back from pandemic slumps, Hamilton said.

And the pandemic is another one of the many reasons this new requirement has been delayed by decades — there was no need for ETIAS when countries closed their borders to all travel amid fears of spreading COVID-19.

"Another part of it is simply the pace of the way this parliament and European commission works," Hamilton explained in an interview with NPR. "They're ending their term and pushing through a lot of these directives because parliamentary elections happen next June."

"And getting 30 countries to agree on anything takes a long time," he added.

When does it take effect?

The European Union's website says the new authorization will start in 2024 but hasn't clarified a specific date. A press spokesperson for the union's travel arm did not respond to NPR's request for information.

And, similarly, a spokesperson for the State Department told NPR that the U.S. government website for international travel (travel.state.gov) would be updated "once the regulation goes into effect," but didn't specify when that would be.

"Frankly, I'd be surprised if this starts on time," Hamilton said. The rollout of ETIAS has already been delayed at least once.

But it couldn't hurt to plan ahead for any 2024 travel just to be safe.

Who needs to apply for ETIAS approval?

Basically, all passport holders from 60 countries who can currently travel to most European destinations without a visa — and that includes American passport holders — will now need to get ETIAS authorization for the same trip. That's about 1.4 billion people, by the European Union's estimation.

There are 30 European countries in total on the impacted destination list , including those in the "Schengen Area" — 27 European countries, many that are part of the European Union, that agreed to ease border restrictions to facilitate the movement of people within Europe.

Planning a trip? Here's how to pack like a pro

Those Schengen countries include top vacation spots like France, Italy and Spain.

The other three countries on the list are Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus, which are all trying to become a part of the Schengen Area soon.

You can check the full list of both impacted passport holders and affected European destinations here.

How can you apply for ETIAS approval (and does it cost money)?

The application isn't open yet, but the European Union says that when it is, all necessary forms can be filled out via a web portal or mobile phone application.

You'll be asked to share personal information such as your date of birth, parents' names and details about your current occupation and previous criminal convictions. You'll also need to share a passport that is not set to expire in less than three months.

Oh, and you'll have to pay a fee of 7 euros (about $8).

When is the right time to apply?

If you want to play it safe, apply well in advance of your trip — no later than a month out.

ETIAS says most applications "are processed within minutes" and decisions are delivered within four days. But that wait could take up to 14 days if you are requested to supply additional information and up to 30 days if you're invited to interview.

It's Been a Minute

Presenting 'life kit': making the most of travel and your time off.

Those denied an application can appeal, but that process could be even lengthier.

The European Union says ETIAS approval will stay valid for three years or until the passport you used in your application expires.

Naturally, you'll also need to follow the ETIAS rules to stay in good standing.

Those with ETIAS approval can stay in the European countries on the list for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. So you can leave and come back, but you can't stay in the confines of the countries on the list for 91 days or more non-stop.

What happens if I don't apply for this and try to travel to Europe?

Your ETIAS approval will be linked to your passport. So without it, airport security (or cruise, bus or train line staff) won't let you board.

In other words, you can kiss that dream vacation goodbye.

• European Commission
• Europe travel
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ETIAS Visa Waiver for New Zealand Citizens

Learn more about the EU and ETIAS travel authorization

Get notified when ETIAS is mandatory

Start ETIAS Application online

Receive ETIAS confirmation

Welcome to Europe

Visa Waiver for New Zealanders traveling to Europe

New Zealand passport holders can travel to Europe without requiring a European visa. New Zealand citizens can enter all Schengen member states for short-term stays by simply showing their passports to immigration officials upon arrival. The privilege is due to the island country being a member of the European Visa-Exempt Program. ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System – European Travel Information and Authorisation System) aims to improve security and strengthen border control within the Schengen area. The main goal is to ensure the safety of Europeans and visitors. However, New Zealand citizens who wish to travel to Europe in 2023 will need to apply online to get an ETIAS visa exemption.

ETIAS Requirements for New Zealand Citizens

New Zealand Citizens must apply for the Schengen visa if traveling for long-term purposes. The visa requirements do not apply for citizens who travel to Europe from New Zealand for less than 90 days. For entry to the European Union as a tourist or leisure visitor, travelers must simply present the NZ passport at the Schengen Member State border. The changes within the travel requirements will come into full force by the end of 2023. An EU visa waiver for New Zealander citizens will be a mandatory requirement who visit Europe. Along with their national passports, NZ travelers must carry an approved ETIAS visa waiver to enter Europe. New Zealanders who travel to Europe in late 2023 will need to register online before they depart to receive the Schengen Area travel authorization. The ETIAS visa waiver will be made available via an easy-to-use online application. • A valid New Zealand passport that can be machine-readable and has at least three months before departure. • Debit or credit card to pay the ETIAS fee. • Valid email address to receive the approved ETIAS Visa Waiver

These are the primary ETIAS conditions for New Zealand citizens wishing to visit any Schengen Member States. The Schengen Area consists of 26 European countries that have agreed to unite passport and border control. The Schengen Area includes EU member countries such as Austria and Belgium, and the Czech Republic. Denmark, Estonia. Finland, France. Germany. Greece. Hungary. Italy. Latvia. Lithuania. Luxembourg. Malta. Spain. Slovenia. It also includes four countries that aren’t EU members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, and the microstates Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City. New Zealanders will be granted entry to any of the above countries with the new ETIAS electronic trip authorization. They will also travel freely between these countries with approved ETIAS. Travelers can stay up to 90 days within Europe with the European visa waiver. ETIAS is a multiple-entry travel waiver. Citizens can enter and leave all Member States if they do not exceed the 90-day limit. New Zealand passport holders should be aware that Ireland and the United Kingdom are not members of the Schengen Area. These countries have not chosen to participate in ETIAS, so visiting either country will not require a European visa waiver travel authorization. Additionally, Schengen Area membership, as expected, might be extended to other EU countries like Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia. Therefore, NZ tourists who plan to travel to these countries will likely need an ETIAS. ETIAS representatives shall update additional information such as the required documents for New Zealanders applying for an ETIAS and the countries citizens will have entry when they travel with this electronic travel authorization. Once information is available, we will update this website with details about ETIAS and how it affects New Zealanders traveling to European countries. New Zealanders must apply for ETIAS travel authorizations before leaving New Zealand to allow enough processing time and screening.

Get notified when ETIAS becomes mandatory

Etias required.

These countries will require an ETIAS visa waiver upon their arrival on their territory.

EU Visa Waiver Application for New Zealand Citizens

As of 2023, the ETIAS visa waiver is a legal requirement to allow New Zealanders into the Schengen area. You can obtain the visa waiver online by accessing the ETIAS application from your smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer. The process is straightforward. New Zealanders who apply for an ETIAS must provide basic personal information, such as the below: • Full name • Date and birthplace • Street address • Phone number • Exact passport information such as country of issue, expiration date, and expiration date should be available Citizens of NZ who complete the online ETIAS application will have to disclose some of these details: • Criminal records • History of employment • Use of drugs • Ties with human trafficking • History of deportation from the EU Member States or prior travel to conflict zones • Information about European trips in the past The application for ETIAS should be easy and quick. It should take NZ citizens less than 10 minutes to complete the form. Double-checking is necessary to ensure the smooth processing of their ETIAS request. It is good to read through all information before applying for a European visa waiver. Doing this will ensure no typographical errors or inconsistencies, as any mistakes could cause delays. The final step in the ETIAS travel authorization process is payment. The applicants can make the payment with a debit or credit card. After the application has been submitted, officials will check it against European border security and criminal databases. ETIAS checks aim to detect potential threats and enhance security measures for residents and visitors. The information provided in the ETIAS application allows European immigration officials pre-screen all citizens who intend to visit the Schengen Zone. All data submitted on the Europe Visa Waiver Application are checked against multiple security databases managed and maintained by the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems within the Area of Freedom, Security, and Justice, also known as EU-LISA. Some security databases used for screening include: • VIS is a database that compiles information about visas • SIS is a European shared database identifying criminal records, missing persons, and theft. • EURODAC is a database that collects fingerprint information ETIAS is a set of security processes and procedures designed to identify illegal entry into the Schengen Area or identity theft. Suppose an NZ citizen submits a form that raises red flags in its automated screening against the security database. In that case, the ETIAS staff will manually process the application. A manual assessment by the European Coast Guard or Border Guard will undoubtedly result in a more extended processing and delivery time. If the citizen is involved in serious criminal activity, an ETIAS visa waiver will be rejected.

ETIAS - Travel from New Zealand to Europe

After the travel authorization has been approved, the ETIAS will go to the applicant’s email. It will be in PDF format. Since applicants will not receive any physical documents, their passports will be digitally linked. The passports will reflect their status as ETIAS holders for immigration officials. The ETIAS visa waiver is available to New Zealanders for three years starting at the date of approval. It allows unlimited entry into the Schengen area. Dual citizens must ensure that they travel with the same passport number as the user entered when filling out the ETIAS online form. You cannot transfer it onto a different passport like other travel authorizations. The electronic travel authorization shall become null if a traveler’s passport expires before the expiration of the 3-year ETIAS validity period. New Zealanders will need to apply for an ETIAS renewal if they lose their passport or are denied a visa.

New Zealand's bilateral agreements with European countries

New Zealand’s government has reached a bilateral agreement with many European countries. These agreements allow citizens of New Zealand to visit these countries for longer than the existing 90-day visa-free permit. Any passport that meets the validity requirements issued by New Zealand may be used for extended stays in the following countries: • Belgium (2 months) • Denmark (3 months) • Germany (3 Months) • Italy (3 Months) • Luxembourg (90 days) • Netherlands (90 Days) • Iceland (3 Months) • Liechtenstein (90 days) • Norway (90 Days) • Switzerland (90 days) New Zealanders with an ordinary passport is allowed to enter the following countries during the additional period: • Greece for 90 days • Spain (90 Days) • France (90 Days) • Austria (3 Months) • Portugal (90 Days) • Finland (90 Days) • Sweden (3 months) New Zealanders can also enter Austria with an official, diplomatic, or service passport, which allows them to stay for up to three months after the 90-day visa-free period in the UE. A bilateral agreement refers to a contract signed with a particular government. New Zealanders cannot travel visa-free to any country where the deal is not applicable. They must stay within the relevant country for the duration of the reciprocal arrangement. Those who wish to visit more than one Schengen member state visa-free in one trip should apply for an ETIAS Visa Waiver. The bilateral agreements between the NZ-EU Member States may differ depending on the new legislation.

FAQs for New Zealand citizens applying for ETIAS

Can’t find what you are looking for? Reach out to our customer support team.

No. New Zealand citizens can travel to Europe without a visa for stays less than 90 days. If any of the travelers plan to remain in Schengen Area for more than 90 days they need to apply for the Schengen visa designated for the appropriate travel purpose (work, study, living)

Up to 3 months. New Zealand citizens are allowed to travel short-term to EU without any visa requirements. It includes the leisure, business and medical purposes. However, for the purposes for traveling for studying, working or living in the EU, or any other long-term plans, New Zealanders need to apply for the Schengen visa.

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This Website is used by an individual who corresponds to the Data Subject, except where otherwise noted.

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Updated: 1 February 2021

Visitor Visa

People travelling on a passport from some countries must apply for a Visitor Visa to visit New Zealand. You can stay for up to either 6 months (multiple entry) or 9 months (single entry). You cannot work, but you can study for up to 3 months.

Length of stay

6 or 9 months

Processing time

With this visa you can.

• holiday in New Zealand
• visit family and friends in New Zealand
• study for up to 3 months
• include your partner and dependent children in your visa application.

Things to note

• Some people including citizens of visa waiver countries can travel to New Zealand with an NZeTA instead of a visa.  Check if you need an NZeTA or visa
• How long you can stay depends on if you have a single entry or multiple entry visa. Check the visa conditions to learn more. Visitor Visa conditions
• We advise travellers not to book any non-refundable travel until after their Visitor Visa is approved.

Use the filters below to display relevant tips as well as detailed fees and receiving centre information

What you need to apply

Check if you are eligible to apply for this visa and what supporting documents and information you need to provide.

View All Evidence

You must provide proof of your identity

• 1 acceptable photo if you apply online, or 2 photos if you use a paper application form.
• your passport or certificate of identity .

Acceptable photos

If you apply online, you must upload a copy of your passport when you apply. We will let you know if you need to send your passport after you have applied.

Providing your passport for online applications

If you submit a paper application, provide your original passport or a certified copy.  We can usually process your application faster if you provide your original passport.

If you are a citizen of China and you submit a paper application form in China, you must also complete a supplementary form.

Supplementary form for Chinese citizens (INZ 1027) PDF 338KB

If you are submitting a paper application form, you must provide a supplementary form for Hong Kong and Macao visitors, workers and students.

Supplementary form for Hong Kong and Macao visitors, workers and students (INZ 1220) PDF 240KB

Also provide a copy of your Identity card.

Also provide your:

• Hukou (household registration book)
• Chinese identity card.

Check that you enter your details correctly when you apply. If there are any errors or mistakes your application will be delayed. We also may decline your application or refuse you entry to New Zealand.

You must be in good health

We may ask you to have a chest x-ray, a medical examination or both as proof of your good health.

If you are staying less than:

• 6 months you do not normally need a chest x-ray. 
• 12 months you do not normally need a medical certificate. 

Who needs an x-ray or medical examination

When we process your application we let you know if we need you to have a chest x-ray or medical examination.

Acceptable standard of health criteria for visa approvals

Please only provide medical certificates if requested

You must provide a chest x-ray completed in the last 3 months, even if you've provided one to us previously, if:

• you have spent 6 consecutive months in China since the last x-ray certificate was issued, and
• you are now coming to NZ for more than 6 months.

You must be of good character

If you have a criminal conviction or are a security risk to New Zealand we may not be able to grant you a visa.

Good character for temporary visas

You must provide police certificates if your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer across all visits. This includes any time you have spent in New Zealand in the past on other visas, even if you have been out of the country since then.

You also must provide police certificates if we ask for them.

If you are 16 years old or younger you do not need to provide police certificates.

Providing police certificates

How to get a police certificate

If you have already sent us Police Certificates with a previous visa application and they are less than 24 months old, you do not need to send them again.

Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when you submit your application. They must be from any country you are a citizen of, or have spent more than 5 years in since you turned 17.

Genuine intentions

You must be a genuine visitor to New Zealand and intend to leave at the end of your visit

When we decide if your intentions are genuine, we consider all the information:

• you provide to support your application
• we have about your personal circumstances, and
• you provided in any previous applications.

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in NZ

If you will return to a Schengen member state after your visit, but are not a citizen of a member state,  you should provide evidence of your right to return to that country.

Evidence of your right to return to that country is a current copy of your Schengen visa.

You may need to apply for a different visa if you are coming to New Zealand:

• to work — apply for a work visa.
• for a special purpose, such as joining a partner, or traveling for a work conference — check the other visitor visas to find one that matches your purpose.
• for medical treatment - apply for a Medical Treatment Visitor Visa.
• to conduct or undertake business — apply for a business visa.

Explore visa options

Relationship with family

You can include your partner and any dependent children up to the age of 19 in your application

To bring family:

• you must provide evidence of your relationship with them, like marriage and birth certificates
• you must provide proof of their identity
• they must be of good character
• they must be in good health.

Partnership Dependent children

A family can include yourself, your partner, and dependent children 19 and under.

You should provide copies of family members Hukou (household registration book) included in your application.

You should provide copies of identity cards for family members included in your application.

Funds or sponsorship

You must have enough money to live on while you are in New Zealand or have an acceptable sponsor

If you are paying for yourself

You must have at least NZD $1,000 per month, or NZD $400 per month if you have already paid for your accommodation.

To prove this, you can include:

• proof of accommodation pre-payment, like hotel pre-paid vouchers or receipts
• bank statements or credit card statements
• bank drafts or travellers’ cheques.

We may also ask for information about the source of your money that you will use for travelling.

If you are sponsored

Your sponsor must provide evidence that they meet the criteria, and can look after you while you are in New Zealand.

Criteria to sponsor a visa applicant

What sponsors must do while a visa holder is in New Zealand

Evidence they can provide includes:

• recent bank statements
• employment agreement
• accommodation ownership or payment of rent

You must have your sponsor's Sharing ID to complete your online application.

Process to become a sponsor

You may be eligible for streamlined visa processing arrangements.

Check if you are eligible

If you are pregnant, there are additional requirements.

Paying for maternity care

Health care

You must agree to pay your own health care costs

You must declare in your visa application that you will pay the costs of any health care or medical assistance you receive in New Zealand.

We recommend that you have full medical insurance for the length of your visit.

Onward travel

You must leave New Zealand at the end of your stay

When you arrive in New Zealand you may be asked to show that you intend to leave the country — for example, a return ticket or proof you have enough money to buy a ticket out of New Zealand. This is in addition to the funds you have to live on.

If you are sponsored and you do not have a return ticket your sponsor can provide recent bank statements to show they have enough money to buy you a ticket out of New Zealand.

If you are not a citizen of the country you will return to after your visit, you must provide evidence of your legal right to enter that country.

If you will return to Schengen member state after your visit, but are not a citizen of a member state, evidence of your right to enter that country is a current copy of your Schengen visa.

If you buy your ticket before we have processed your visa application, you risk losing the fare if we do not grant you a visa.

Process and costs

The information below will help you understand the process, timeframes and costs involved in applying for this visa, so you can plan ahead and have the best chance of submitting a complete application.

We cannot display any process or costs information until you have provided your country details. Enter your country details in the panel above to view information relevant to your situation.

How to submit

Payment methods and receiving centre details if applicable.

We cannot display any receiving centre or payment method information until you have provided your country details. Enter your country details in the panel above to view information relevant to your situation.

These are the conditions that you must meet once you have your visa.

Entry permission

You must apply for entry permission when you arrive in New Zealand. You can do this by completing a digital New Zealand traveller declaration (NZTD), or an NZTD paper declaration.

New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity also check that you meet their entry requirements.

Arriving in New Zealand

You can be refused entry permission if you:

• are not a genuine visitor
• do not meet our character criteria
• have had a change in circumstances since you were granted a visa
• refuse to let us take your photo or to provide us with your fingerprints or an iris scan
• cannot provide evidence of any onward travel or funds required to leave New Zealand.

Genuine intentions to visit, study or work in New Zealand

If you are refused entry to New Zealand

Before you travel make sure you carry all the documentation you need with you.

You may not be allowed to check in to your flight if your passport is close to expiring. Check that it will not expire while you are in New Zealand or close to when you plan to leave New Zealand.

Before you travel to New Zealand

How long you can stay

How long you can stay depends on if you have a multiple entry or a single entry visa.

Multiple entry Visitor Visa

If you have a multiple entry visa, you can visit New Zealand as a tourist as many times as you want and stay for a total of up to 6 months in a 12-month period.

The 12-month period is calculated back from the last day you intend to be in New Zealand (your intended departure date).

For example, if the last day you intend to be in New Zealand is 1 December 2024, then your 12-month period will begin on 1 December 2023.

To be eligible, you must have been out of New Zealand for at least 9 months in the 18-month period before you apply.

Single entry Visitor Visa

If you want to visit New Zealand for more than 6 months or extend your current 6-month stay in New Zealand, we consider issuing you a single entry visa. This lets you enter New Zealand once and stay for up to 9 months in an 18-month period.

The 18-month period is calculated back from your intended departure date.

For example, if the last day you intend to be in New Zealand is 1 December 2024, then your 18-month period will begin on 1 June 2023.

If you have a single entry Visitor Visa and you leave the country, your visa will expire.

Visa expiry

You must leave New Zealand before your visa expires.

Visa expiry dates are printed on a visa label or included in a visa letter.

If travelling in and out of New Zealand, a valid multiple entry travel condition  is needed to return to New Zealand.

Changing the conditions of a visitor visa

If applying from inside New Zealand, we will normally give multiple entry travel conditions when we grant a visa.

If there are no multiple entry travel conditions and you leave New Zealand the visa will expire.

The travel conditions will be listed on the visa label or in a visa letter.

Unless your visa label or letter says 'Return/onward travel not required', you must have either of the following:

• a travel ticket to a country you can enter
• an acceptable sponsor who can pay for your travel ticket out of New Zealand to a country you can enter.

What sponsors must do – responsibilities and obligations

Unless your visa label or letter states “Return/onward travel not required” you must have a ticket to leave New Zealand whenever you travel here.

You must have enough money to support yourself while you are in New Zealand or have a sponsor.

You may be asked for evidence you have enough funds to support yourself when you check in or arrive in New Zealand.

You cannot  work in New Zealand on this visa.

If you’re coming to New Zealand to take up an offer of employment, you should apply for a Work Visa.

If you’re coming to New Zealand for a special purpose, such as a work requirement, or as a partner or family member, you should first consider the Special Category Visitor Visas .

If you want to conduct business while in New Zealand, you should apply for a Business Visitor Visa.

Business Visitor Visa

You may study for up to 3 months in any 12 month period.

School-aged children can study for up to 3 months in any calendar year. Children studying for more than 2 weeks must attend a school that is signatory to the ‘Code of Pastoral Care for International Students’.

Code of Pastoral Care for International Students

Search Smartraveller

Visas and entry requirements in europe and the schengen area.

This page is for Australians travelling to Europe.

Read this page to learn about:

• the Schengen Area
• entry and exit to the Schengen Area
• other European countries with visa waivers
• non-Schengen European countries

The Australian Government doesn't issue visas for other countries. We can't provide final information on border rules. Ask your destination's high commission, embassy or consulate for details before you travel.

The Schengen Area

The Schengen Area is made up of 27 European countries with common border rules. It lets travellers move freely between member countries without

• going through border controls
• getting a visa for each country.

The members of the Schengen Area are:

• Czech Republic
• Liechtenstein
• The Netherlands
• Switzerland

Bulgaria  and  Romania  partially joined the Schengen area on 31 March.  Border checks should have ceased for air or sea travel  between Bulgaria, Romania, and other Schengen Area countries. Checks are still undertaken for land-based travel. Stays in Bulgaria and Romania now count towards your total visa-free stay in the Schengen Area (see below).

Entry and exit in the Schengen Area

Australians can travel visa-free in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. Your travel must be for:

• business purposes
• visiting friends and family
• tourism and holidays
• cultural and sports events
• official visit
• medical reasons
• short-term study

Apply at the embassy, high commission or consulate of the country where you'll stay the longest. If you're staying for the same length of time in each country, apply at the embassy of the country you'll visit first.

You'll need to apply for a visa if:

• you're planning to stay for more than 90 days
• your reason for travel changes, and you no longer qualify for visa-free travel.

You'll need to apply outside the country you want a visa for.

Calculating your 90/180 days

Calculating your visa-free days can be complicated. The European Commission provides a calculator to help you track your visa-free days .

• The 180 days isn't fixed in time. It's calculated backwards from today.
• Your 90 days are calculated from your first day in the Schengen Area within the 180 days.
• If you leave and return within 180 days, your last stay will count towards the 90-day maximum.
• If you use up your visa-free days, you must leave until you accumulate more or apply for a visa.
• You may be fined or banned from the Schengen Area if you overstay your 90 days.

Example You arrive in Spain on 18 March. You fly to the UK on 21 April and stay there until the 29th. On 30 April, you travel to Greece and stay until 23 June. Your trip was 97 days, but only 90 were in the Schengen Area. You can't re-enter the Area until at least 14 September, when the Spanish leg of your trip falls outside your 180 days. If you re-enter on 14 September, you can only stay another 35 days as your time in Greece still counts towards your current 90 days. If you re-enter on 22 September, you can stay another 90 days, as you haven't been in the Area in the past 180 days .

Entering and exiting the Schengen Area

You must show a valid passport when entering the Schengen Area.

Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave.

Make sure you get a clear entry stamp in your passport when you enter the Schengen Area for the first time. Without a stamp, you could be fined or detained.

Some countries need you to register within 3 days of arrival.

See our destination-specific travel advice for entry and exit details for each country. Check the European Commission for information on temporary border controls .

These visa rules only apply when travelling on your Australian passport . If you're a dual national travelling on your other passport, check the rules for that nationality.

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is an electronic security system. It will do a security check before you can enter participating European countries . ETIAS is expected to start in mid-2025 if the new system is working.

You won't need an ETIAS for EU countries who aren't taking part in the program.

Other European countries with visa waivers

There are other European countries where you can travel visa-free. Travel to these countries does not count towards your 90 days for Schengen Area travel.

Countries can change their border rules at short notice. Before you travel, ask your destination's nearest embassy or consulate for the latest rules.

Visa waiver agreements with Australia

Australia has visa waiver agreements with several countries in the Schengen Area. These agreements may allow you to spend 60 to 90 days in the country for tourism.

Visa waiver agreement countries include:

Using visa waiver agreements with Schengen visa-free arrangements is complex. Each country operates the visa waiver in its own way.

Most countries need you to use the visa waiver at the end of your Schengen Area travel.

Visa-free tourism programs in non-Schengen countries

Some European countries outside the Schengen Area allow you to enter visa-free for tourism. Most let you stay up to 90 days. Some are for longer. See our country advisories for details on border rules.

• Bosnia & Herzegovina
• North Macedonia (Republic of North Macedonia)
• United Kingdom

Non-Schengen European countries

Many European countries are not part of the Schengen Area. Non-Schengen countries have their own border rules. These countries include:

Ask these countries' high commission, embassy or consulate for visa information.

• General advice on  visas .
• Before you go, get the right travel insurance .
• Read about Australia's 11 reciprocal health care agreements .
• The Schengen Area explained

Related content

Many Australians hold two or more nationalities. If you're travelling to the country of your other nationality, find out how your citizenship can impact you.

Foreign governments often require you to get a visa before they let you enter. This page provides general advice and information about visas overseas.

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New Zealand Visa from European Union

New zealand visa for eu citizens, new zealand eta eligibility.

• European Union citizens can apply for an NZeTA
• European Union was a launch member of the NZ eTA program
• European Union citizens enjoy fast entry using the NZ eTA program

Other New Zealand eTA Requirements

• A European Union member country issued Passport that is valid for another 3 months after departure from New Zealand
• NZ eTA is valid for arrival by air and cruise ship
• NZ eTA is for short tourist, business, transit visits
• You must be over 18 to apply for an NZ eTA otherwise require a parent/guardian

What are requirements of New Zealand Visa from European citizens?

A New Zealand eTA for European citizens is required for visits up to 90 days.

EU passport holders can enter New Zealand on New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) for a period of 90 days without obtaining a visa for New Zealand from Europe, under the visa waiver program that commenced in the years 2009. Since July 2019, European Union citizens require an eTA for New Zealand.

A New Zealand Visa from European Union is not optional, but a mandatory requirement for all European Union citizens traveling to the country for short stays. Before travelling to New Zealand, a traveller needs to ensure that the validity of the passport is at least three months past the expected departure date.

Only Australian Citizen are exempt, even Australian permanent residents are required to obtain an New Zealand Electronic Travel Authorisation (NZeTA).

How can I apply for New Zealand Visa from European Union?

The eTA New Zealand Visa for European Union citizens comprises an online application form that can be completed in less than five (5) minutes. You are also required to upload a recent face-photograph. It is necessary for applicants to enter personal details, their contact details, like email and address, and information on their passport page. Applicant must be in good health and should not have a criminal history.

After European Union citizens pay the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) fees, their eTA application processing commences. NZ eTA is delivered to European Union citizens via email. If additional documentation is required, the the applicant will be contact prior to approval of New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) for European Union citizens.

New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) requirements for European Union citizens

To enter New Zealand, European Union citizens will require a valid Travel Document or Passport in order to apply for New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA). Ensure that your Passport is valid for at least 3 months past the date of departure from New Zealand.

Applicants will also require a valid Credit or Debit card to pay the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA). The fee for New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) for European Union citizens covers eTA fee and IVL (International Visitor Levy) fee. European Union citizens are also required to provide a valid email address , to receive the NZeTA in their inbox. It will be your responsibility to carefully double-check all the data entered so there are no issues with the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), otherwise you may have to apply for another NZ eTA. Last requirement is to have a recently taken clear face-photograph in passport-style . You are required to upload the face-photograph as part of New Zealand eTA application process. If you are unable to upload for some reason, you can email helpdesk your photo.

How can I apply for New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) from Europe?

The New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) for European Union citizens comprises an online application form that can be completed in less than five (5) minutes. It is necessary for applicants to enter personal details, their contact details, like email and address, and information on their passport page. Applicant must be in good health and should not have a criminal history.

After paying the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) fees, European Union citizens the eTA application processing commences. NZ eTA is delivered to European Union citizens via email. If additional documentation is required, the the applicant will be contact prior to approval of New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) for European Union citizens.

How long can European Union citizen stay on New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)?

European Union citizen's departure date must be within 3 months of arrival, or if you’re from the United Kingdom, within 6 months. Additionally, European Union citizen can visit only for 6 months in a 12 month period on an NZ eTA.

European Union passport holders are required to obtain a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) even for a short duration of 1 day up to 90 days. If the European Union citizens intend to stay for a longer duration, then they should apply for a relevant Visa depending on their circumstances.

Travel to New Zealand from European Union

Upon receiving the New Zealand Visa for European Union citizens, travelers will be able to either present an electronic or paper copy to present to New Zealand border and immigration.

Can European Union citizens enter multiple times on New Zealand Electronic Travel Authorization (NZeTA)?

New Zealand Visa for EU citizens is valid for multiple entries during the period of its validity. European Union citizens can enter multiple times during the two year validity of the NZ eTA.

Which activies are not allowed for citizens on New Zealand eTA?

New Zealand eTA is a lot easier to apply compared to New Zealand Visitor Visa . The process can be completed entirely online in a matter of few minutes. New Zealand eTA can be used for visits of up to 90 days for tourism, transit and business trips.

Some of the activites not covered by New Zealand are listed below, in which case you should instead apply for New Zealand Visa.

• Visiting New Zealand for Medical treatment
• Work - you intent to join New Zealand labour market
• Residence - you want to become a New Zealand resident
• Long-term stays of more than 3 months.

11 Things To Do and Places of Interest for European Union Citizens

• Fall for Huka Falls
• Go canyoning in Auckland
• Go skydiving over Lake Taupo
• Play Frisbee Golf In The Queenstown Gardens
• Climb (and jump off) Auckland Harbour Bridge
• Ride the rapids of the Tongariro River
• Meet the wildlife in Zealandia wildlife sanctuary
• Climb the Franz Josef Glacier
• Sample Wellington’s craft beer scene
• Spend an afternoon at Te Papa museum
• Ride The Luge Up At The Skyline, Queenstown

Delegation of the European Union to New Zealand

Please apply for a New Zealand eTA 72 hours in advance of your flight.

Apply for New Zealand eTA

• Participants/Employees
• Employers / Sponsors
• Financial Partners

Seamless Passage to New Zealand: Enhanced Visa Access for European Citizens

Wellington, NZ, 29th March 2024, In a bid to foster global connectivity and facilitate hassle-free travel experiences, Visa-New-Zealand.org announces enhanced accessibility for European Union citizens seeking entry into the breathtaking landscapes of New Zealand. With the recent updates to the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZETA), traversing the Pacific has never been more straightforward.

With a commitment to streamlining the visa application process, Visa-New-Zealand.org unveils tailored solutions for European nationals. Whether you’re from Poland, Belgium, France, or any other European Union member state, the pathway to New Zealand is now smoother than ever.

NEW ZEALAND VISA FOR EUROPEAN CITIZENS

NEW ZEALAND VISA FOR POLAND CITIZENS

NZETA QUESTIONS

NEW ZEALAND VISA FOR BELGIAN CITIZENS

NEW ZEALAND VISA FOR FRENCH CITIZENS

The NZETA, an online travel authorization introduced by the New Zealand government, ensures a seamless journey for eligible visitors. By simplifying the entry process, travelers can focus on what truly matters – exploring the wonders of Aotearoa.

“Our mission is to eliminate barriers and open doors to unforgettable adventures,” remarks ceo. “We understand the importance of smooth travel arrangements, especially in today’s fast-paced world. Through our platform, European citizens can embark on their New Zealand odyssey with confidence and ease.”

Navigating the NZETA system is effortless, with Visa-New-Zealand.org providing comprehensive guidance every step of the way. From eligibility criteria to frequently asked questions, visitors can find all the necessary information conveniently on the NZETA QUESTIONS page.

For citizens of Poland, Belgium, France, and beyond, the pathway to New Zealand beckons. Embrace the opportunity to discover a land of unparalleled beauty and cultural richness. Let Visa-New-Zealand.org be your trusted companion on this remarkable journey.

About Visa-New-Zealand.org:

Visa-New-Zealand.org is a leading online platform dedicated to simplifying travel arrangements for individuals seeking entry into New Zealand. With a focus on efficiency and customer satisfaction, the platform offers comprehensive support for visa applications, including the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZETA). Committed to excellence, Visa-New-Zealand.org strives to make the travel experience seamless and memorable for visitors from around the globe.

Media Contact

Janet Edwards

+359 2 982 4808

[email protected]

https://www.new-zealand-visa.org/visa/