New Zealand is set to welcome Pacific Islanders with a major shift in immigration policy, offering easier travel and stronger regional connections starting from July and November 2025. These changes introduce greater flexibility, longer stays, and even visa-free entry for eligible visitors, creating new opportunities for families, businesses, and cultural exchange across the Pacific.
From 6 July 2025, travellers from Pacific Islands Forum countries who are granted a Visitor Visa will be able to enter New Zealand multiple times within a 24-month period. Each visit can last up to six months in any 12-month window, with a maximum total stay of nine months in any 18-month period. Standard visa requirements, such as health and character checks and passport validity, will still apply, but the updated rules provide a level of access not previously available.
A second set of changes begins in November 2025 with a 12-month visa-free trial. Citizens of Pacific Islands Forum countries who are already in Australia on a valid visitor, work, student, or family visa will be able to travel to New Zealand without applying for a traditional visa. Instead, they can apply for a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, or NZeTA, allowing them to visit for up to three months. This new pathway won’t be available to those transiting through Australia without a valid Australian visa.
The countries eligible under these new rules include the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
These policy updates represent a significant step in deepening New Zealand’s relationship with its Pacific neighbors. More details will be shared as the rollout approaches, bringing clearer guidance on how these new pathways will operate in practice.
