New Zealand visa options for France passport holders
Tourist / short stay
Electronic travel authorisation (eTA)
Apply online for a quick travel authorisation before you go.
Visa types & longer-stay routes for New Zealand
Rules are written for foreign nationals (non-New-Zealand, non-Australian citizens); Australian citizens and permanent residents may generally live, work and study in New Zealand without a pre-arrival visa.
- Most nomadsTourist
NZeTA (Electronic Travel Authority)
Up to 3 months per visit for most visa-waiver nationals (up to 6 months for UK citizens); verify your country's limit.
- Insurance
- Required— Immigration NZ advises full medical/travel insurance for the stay; not mandatory.
- Good for
- Citizens of around 60 visa-waiver countries (e.g. USA, UK, Canada, most EU, Japan) flying in for tourism, visiting family, or short business; also required for some cruise and transit passengers.
- Requirement
- Hold an NZeTA (approx NZD 17 online / 23 via app, plus the International Visitor Conservation & Tourism Levy) before travel; show onward travel and sufficient funds. Since 27 Jan 2025 holders may also do remote work for overseas employers/clients.
- Most nomadsTourist
Visitor Visa
Up to 6 months (multiple-entry) or up to 9 months (single-entry, within an 18-month period); verify.
- Insurance
- Recommended— Immigration NZ recommends full medical insurance for the stay; not required.
- Good for
- Nationals of non-visa-waiver countries, or anyone wanting a longer tourist/family stay, plus short-term study up to 3 months.
- Requirement
- Apply online (fee approx NZD 246, verify); prove enough funds (approx NZD 1,000/month, or NZD 400/month if accommodation prepaid), onward travel ticket, good health and character. Remote work for overseas employers permitted since 27 Jan 2025.
- Most nomadsWork
Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)
Up to 5 years depending on role and wage; renewable; can lead to residence pathways.
- Insurance
- RecommendedNot required by Immigration NZ for the visa, but private health cover is strongly recommended as migrants are not always eligible for fully subsidised public healthcare.
- Good for
- Skilled and semi-skilled foreign workers with a confirmed job offer from a New Zealand accredited employer.
- Requirement
- Job offer from an accredited employer that has passed the Job Check; meet minimum skills/experience and (for lower-skilled roles) English-language thresholds; pay typically at/above the general wage threshold (approx NZD 35.00/hour as of Mar 2026, verify).
- Most nomadsWork
Working Holiday Visa
Usually 12 months; longer for some nationalities (e.g. up to 23 months Canada, up to 36 months UK); country quotas apply.
- Insurance
- Required/ sometimes required — many schemes require proof of comprehensive medical and (in some cases) repatriation insurance for the whole stay; check your country's requirements.
- Good for
- Young travellers (typically 18–30, up to 35 for some countries e.g. UK, Canada, Argentina, Chile) from one of 45+ partner countries wanting to holiday and work.
- Requirement
- Hold an eligible-country passport, meet the age range, have sufficient funds and (for some schemes) onward-travel funds; apply within the annual quota for your country.
- Most nomadsStudy
Fee Paying Student Visa
For the duration of the enrolled course (typically up to the length of the programme); renewable.
- Insurance
- Required— students must hold acceptable medical and travel insurance for the whole stay under the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021.
- Good for
- International students with an offer of place to study full-time at an approved New Zealand education provider.
- Requirement
- Offer of place from an approved provider; proof of funds for living costs (approx NZD 20,000/year, verify); evidence of tuition payment; good health and character. Most can work up to 20 hours/week in term and full-time in breaks.
- Residence
Skilled Migrant / Green List Residence
Permanent residence (indefinite); Green List Tier 1 is direct residence, Tier 2 is a work-then-residence pathway.
- Insurance
- OptionalNot required for the visa; private cover advisable until eligible for publicly funded healthcare.
- Good for
- Skilled workers seeking permanent residence — via the points-based Skilled Migrant Category or the Green List (Tier 1 Straight to Residence / Tier 2 Work to Residence) for in-demand occupations.
- Requirement
- Meet the SMC 6-point threshold (qualifications, NZ work experience, registration/income) or hold a Green List occupation with the required registration/qualification/experience and a qualifying job offer; meet health, character and (often) English requirements. Further SMC pathways take effect Aug 2026 (verify).
- Residence
Active Investor Plus Visa (Investor Residence)
Residence; Growth category requires a 3-year investment period, Balanced category a 5-year period.
- Insurance
- OptionalNot required for the visa; private health cover advisable.
- Good for
- High-net-worth investors seeking residence through qualifying investment in New Zealand.
- Requirement
- Invest at least NZD 5 million (Growth: direct/managed-fund investments, minimum 21 days in NZ over 3 years) or NZD 10 million (Balanced: broader options incl. bonds/property, minimum 105 days over 5 years); meet health and character requirements. Verify thresholds and rules.
- Transit
Transit Visa
Up to 24 hours in the transit area.
- Insurance
- OptionalNot required for a same-airport transit.
- Good for
- Nationals not from a transit-visa-waiver country who pass through Auckland International Airport en route to another country (not needed if travelling to/from Australia or holding a valid NZ visa/NZeTA).
- Requirement
- Apply online (free); hold confirmed onward travel within 24 hours and any visa needed for the onward destination. Transit-visa-waiver nationals instead need an NZeTA.
Indicative summary of New Zealand visa routes for foreign nationals; durations, thresholds and conditions change frequently — always verify with Immigration New Zealand before applying. Last checked: 2026-06.
Last verified June 2026
Routes that depend on your nationality
Some of New Zealand’s long-stay routes are open only to citizens of specific countries. Here’s where a France passport stands:
Working Holiday Scheme
You qualify — open to France passport holders
New Zealand has bilateral working-holiday/work-and-holiday agreements with 45 countries/territories (the full verified list, per Immigration NZ and NZ Shores 2026 data). Standard age is 18-30; nine schemes allow up to 35: Argentina (AR), Canada (CA), Chile (CL), Czech Republic (CZ), Finland (FI), Hungary (HU), Slovakia (SK), United Kingdom (GB) and Uruguay (UY). Most schemes run 12 months; UK runs up to 23 months. Many countries have annual quotas (e.g. UK 15,000, Korea 3,000, Spain 2,000, China 1,000, Czech 1,200, Argentina 1,000, Chile 940; small caps of ~50-100 for Portugal, Luxembourg, Malta, Estonia, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Poland, Latvia, Thailand, Lithuania, Turkey, Croatia, Peru, Philippines), while the large Western-European partners (e.g. Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Italy, Ireland) and Canada/USA/Japan are effectively uncapped/year-round. HK=Hong Kong, KR=South Korea, TW=Taiwan.
Visa-free isn’t insurance-free
Whatever route you take into New Zealand, your entry stamp never includes health cover. Many longer-stay visas also require proof of insurance before they’re granted. That part is on you — and it’s what we actually do.
France → New Zealand: frequently asked
- Do France passport holders need a visa to visit New Zealand?
- Electronic travel authorisation (eTA). Apply online for a quick travel authorisation before you go. Always confirm with the official source before booking.
- Can a France passport holder live or work long-term in New Zealand?
- Yes, via a long-stay visa. New Zealand has 8 documented visa types covering work, study, residence and — where it exists — digital-nomad routes.
- Do I need travel insurance for New Zealand?
- Entry to New Zealand never includes health cover, so travel medical insurance is strongly recommended. Several New Zealand visas also require proof of insurance before they're granted.
Last updated
Visa rules can change at short notice and depend on your purpose of travel, length of stay and onward tickets. Always confirm with the destination’s embassy or the IATA Travel Centre before you book. Visa-free entry never includes travel health insurance. That’s still on you.