UK visa requirements for New Zealand citizens (September 2026)
I went through the Home Office's Electronic Travel Authorisation guidance and the current Youth Mobility Scheme rules, because the visa requirements for New Zealand citizens genuinely split into two separate stories depending on why you're going. For an ordinary holiday, New Zealanders still don't need a visa, just an ETA since January 2025. For the OE, the working holiday that a huge share of young Kiwis actually plan their UK trip around, that's a completely different visa with its own fee, quota, and age limit, and mixing the two up is an easy mistake to make.
The quick answer
New Zealand citizens don't need a visa to visit the UK for tourism, business, family visits, or short-term study, for stays of up to 6 months. What is required now is an approved Electronic Travel Authorisation, an ETA, before you travel. Applications opened on 27 November 2024, the requirement took effect for travel from 8 January 2025, and the current fee is £20 per person, including infants.
If your actual plan is an OE, working and living in the UK for an extended stretch rather than just visiting, the ETA doesn't cover that at all. You need the Youth Mobility Scheme visa instead, available to New Zealanders aged 18 to 35, valid for up to 3 years, with its own £340 fee and an annual quota that's genuinely worth knowing about before you plan around it.
These are two completely separate systems. A tourist ETA gets you in for a holiday. It doesn't convert into permission to work, and applying for the wrong one, or assuming one covers what the other is actually for, is where people trip up.
What people actually mean by these terms
UK entry content aimed at New Zealanders mixes up a few terms that mean genuinely different things, and the ETA/Youth Mobility split is the one that matters most.
Non-visa national
Someone who doesn't need a visa to visit the UK for short stays. New Zealand has held this status for years, and the ETA hasn't changed it.
ETA
Electronic Travel Authorisation. Not a visa, a mandatory pre-travel digital check, covering tourism and short visits only.
Youth Mobility Scheme (the OE visa)
A separate, genuine visa letting eligible New Zealanders aged 18 to 35 live and work in the UK for up to 3 years. Not a substitute for, or covered by, the ETA.
Skilled Worker visa
The longer-term route many people switch into once their Youth Mobility Scheme visa is nearing its end, tied to a job offer and a licensed sponsor.
The mix-up people actually make: assuming the ETA is basically the OE visa under a different name, since both are now digital, online processes. They're entirely separate. The ETA covers a holiday and nothing beyond it. Anyone planning to actually work in the UK for an extended stay needs the Youth Mobility Scheme visa, applied for well before travelling, with its own fee and annual quota.
Entry requirements at a glance
| Purpose | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Tourism, family visits, short business | No visa needed | ETA required, £20 per person, up to 6 months per visit |
| OE / working holiday | Youth Mobility Scheme visa | £340 fee, ages 18–35, up to 3 years, 8,000 places in 2026 |
| Skilled employment beyond the OE | Visa required | Skilled Worker visa, needs a licensed UK sponsor |
| Study beyond short-term, or stays over 6 months | Visa required | Student visa or other appropriate long-term route |
The OE isn't covered by your ETA
This is worth stating plainly because it's the single biggest source of confusion for New Zealanders looking at UK entry requirements. An ETA is built for visits: tourism, seeing family, short business trips. It does not permit employment of any kind, and travelling to the UK on an ETA with the actual intention of working there, even if you plan to sort out the "proper" visa later, risks being refused entry or having the ETA cancelled.
The OE runs on a completely different visa, the Youth Mobility Scheme, and it has to be arranged in advance like any other visa application, not picked up after you've already landed. If your plan involves working in the UK for a meaningful stretch, that's the application to sort out before you book flights, not something to figure out once you're there.
Don't fly on an ETA planning to "figure out" work once you arrive. If your actual purpose is an extended working stay, apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme visa in advance. Turning up on a tourist ETA with work as the real plan is the kind of mismatch immigration officers are specifically looking for.
How the Youth Mobility Scheme actually works for Kiwis
New Zealand has one of the more generous versions of this scheme among eligible countries. Since 29 June 2023, following a UK-New Zealand trade agreement, the age range for New Zealand applicants was extended from 18–30 to 18–35, and the maximum stay was extended from 2 years to 3, both wider than the standard terms most other Youth Mobility Scheme countries get. New Zealanders also don't need to enter a ballot the way applicants from some other eligible countries do, so you can apply directly once you're ready rather than waiting to be selected.
For 2026, the annual quota for New Zealand applicants is 8,000 places, down from a high of around 13,000 in earlier years, alongside a declining trend in actual uptake: Home Office figures show 3,185 New Zealand nationals were granted a Youth Mobility Scheme visa in the year to March 2026, down 26% on the year before, and well below the 2023 peak of over 5,300. The current application fee is £340, and applicants need to show at least £2,530 in savings held for a minimum period before applying. On the visa, you can work for almost any employer in almost any role, or be self-employed under certain conditions, for the full length of your stay.
Before you fly
- Work out which visa actually matches your plan first. An ordinary holiday needs an ETA. An OE needs the Youth Mobility Scheme visa, applied for in advance.
- Apply for your ETA through GOV.UK or the official app only, never through a third-party site charging more than the £20 government fee.
- Don't leave a Youth Mobility Scheme application until the last minute, since it needs its own separate process, evidence of savings, and the current £340 fee well before you travel.
- Check the current year's quota early if you're planning an OE, since places are limited annually and have been trending down in recent years.
- Apply for an ETA for every traveller, including infants, if you're travelling as a family for an ordinary visit.
FAQ
What are the visa requirements for New Zealand citizens visiting the UK?
None, for an ordinary visit. New Zealand is a non-visa national, so no Standard Visitor visa is needed for tourism, business, family visits, or short-term study up to 6 months. You do need an approved ETA before you travel, which is a digital check rather than a visa.
Can I do my OE on a UK ETA?
No. The ETA only covers visit-type activities and doesn't permit any employment. An OE, working and living in the UK for an extended period, needs the Youth Mobility Scheme visa instead, applied for separately and in advance.
How old can I be to apply for the Youth Mobility Scheme as a New Zealander?
18 to 35, a wider range than most other eligible countries get, following a 2023 extension from the previous 18 to 30 limit as part of a UK-New Zealand trade agreement.
Do I need to enter a ballot for the Youth Mobility Scheme as a New Zealander?
No. New Zealand applicants can apply directly once places are available for the year, unlike nationals of some other eligible countries who have to be selected through a ballot first.
How much does the Youth Mobility Scheme visa cost?
£340 as of the current fee, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge and proof of at least £2,530 in savings held for a set period before applying.
How long can I stay on a Youth Mobility Scheme visa?
Up to 3 years for New Zealand nationals, longer than the standard 2-year term most other eligible countries receive.
Final verdict
For most people asking about visa requirements for New Zealand citizens, an ordinary holiday really is as simple as an ETA, £20, sorted online in a few minutes. The part worth getting right is recognising that the OE runs on an entirely different visa, one with its own fee, age limit, and a shrinking annual quota worth checking early, and applying for whichever one actually matches what you're planning to do once you land.
Sources: UK government, Electronic Travel Authorisation guidance · UK government, Youth Mobility Scheme visa guidance · UK government, announcement on expanded Youth Mobility terms for New Zealand. Rules change without much warning, so confirm current requirements before flying.