New Zealand Visas & Residency for Europeans (2026)

Choosing the right visa is the single decision that shapes your whole move to New Zealand — it decides whether you can work, how long you can stay, and whether the move can ever become permanent. This guide maps the main 2026 pathways for Europeans: the employer-led Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), the fast-tracked Green List residence routes, the points-based Skilled Migrant Category resident visa, partner and family visas, the Working Holiday scheme, and short visits under the NZeTA. Flyto Relocation moves your belongings, not your paperwork — we are international movers, not licensed immigration advisers, so verify every rule and figure with Immigration New Zealand before you act. New Zealand’s immigration settings, wage thresholds and point values change often, so treat this as an orientation and confirm the current detail on the official site.

Key takeaways

• Most working Europeans arrive on the employer-sponsored Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) — you need a job offer from an accredited employer, an approved job check, and either two years’ relevant experience or a Level 4+ qualification.
• The immigration median wage is NZD $35.00 an hour from 9 March 2026, and while the AEWV no longer forces every role onto the median wage, that figure still drives many settings (partner support, residence income points). (Immigration NZ — median wage changes)
• The Green List offers the quickest route to residence: Tier 1 roles go Straight to Residence, while Tier 2 roles reach residence via Work to Residence after 24 months in the job.
• The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) resident visa uses a 6-point system: you must be 55 or younger, have an accredited-employer job, speak English, and reach 6 points from qualification, occupational registration, income or New Zealand work experience.
• If your partner is a New Zealand citizen or resident, the Partner of a New Zealander work and resident visas let you live and work anywhere in the country.
• Many EU nationals aged 18–30 (up to 35 for some countries) qualify for a Working Holiday visa, and short visits use the NZeTA (from NZD $17) rather than a full visa.

1. Do you need a visa?

Yes — every non-citizen needs authority to enter New Zealand, but the level of authority depends on why and how long you are going. For a holiday, a scouting trip or a short business visit of up to three months, most Europeans do not need a visitor visa. Almost all EU member states are visa-waiver countries, so you simply request an NZeTA online before you fly (covered in section 7).

To live, work or settle, that is not enough. You will need a work visa, a residence visa, or one of the partner or working-holiday visas below. New Zealand does not offer a general "move here and look for work" visa for Europeans — with few exceptions, the working and residence routes are built around a job offer from an accredited New Zealand employer. Getting that offer, or qualifying on points, is the real gateway; the physical move comes afterwards.

2. Working: the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)

The AEWV is the standard temporary work visa and the route most skilled Europeans take first. It has three moving parts, and all three must line up:

1. Employer accreditation — your employer must already be accredited by Immigration New Zealand, which shows they operate in good faith and comply with employment law.
2. The job check — the specific role must pass a job check confirming it is genuine, meets pay rules and, where required, was advertised to New Zealanders.
3. The migrant check (you) — you must show you are suitably skilled: generally two or more years of relevant work experience, or a qualification at Level 4 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (Immigration NZ).

On pay, the rules changed. Since 10 March 2025 the AEWV no longer forces every role onto the median wage — instead your employer must pay at least the New Zealand minimum wage and the genuine market rate for the job (Immigration NZ — median wage changes). The median wage still matters, though: it sits at NZD $35.00 an hour from 9 March 2026 and continues to govern related settings, such as the pay level you need to support a partner or to claim residence income points. The visa is granted for up to five years for most roles, or three years for lower-skilled (ANZSCO/NOL level 4–5) occupations, and you must work at least 30 hours a week (Immigration NZ).

3. The Green List: the fast lane to residence

If your occupation is in serious shortage, New Zealand wants you enough to shorten the path. The Green List is a list of 200+ in-demand roles — many medical specialists, senior nurses, midwives, engineers, ICT professionals, secondary teachers and skilled trades — split into two tiers:

• Tier 1 — Straight to Residence. For the most critical shortages, you apply directly for residence with a Green List Tier 1 job offer from an accredited employer. You must be 55 or younger, meet health, character and English requirements, and the role must be permanent or fixed-term for at least 12 months. Immigration NZ aims to process 80% within three months, and the visa fee starts from NZD $6,450 (Immigration NZ).
• Tier 2 — Work to Residence. For these roles you first work in New Zealand for 24 months in a Green List Tier 2 job (within the preceding 30 months), then apply for residence. The same age, health, character and English standards apply (Immigration NZ).

The Green List is reviewed regularly and occupations move on and off it, so confirm your exact role is currently listed before you build a plan around it.

4. Residence: the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC)

If you do not have a Green List role, the Skilled Migrant Category resident visa is the main points-based route to permanent residence. New Zealand simplified it into a 6-point system. To qualify you must be aged 55 or younger, speak and understand English, hold a skilled job or job offer from an accredited employer (permanent or fixed-term for at least 12 months, or contracts totalling at least 6 months), and reach 6 skilled resident points (Immigration NZ).

You earn your points from a single primary category, then top up if needed with New Zealand work experience:

• Qualification — 4 to 6 points depending on the level and whether it is a New Zealand or overseas qualification.
• Occupational registration — 3 to 6 points, based on the years of training or experience your registration requires (useful for regulated professions such as medicine, nursing and engineering).
• Income — 3 to 6 points, scaled to how far your pay sits above the SMC wage threshold (anchored to the NZD $35.00/hour median wage).
• Skilled work experience in New Zealand — up to 3 extra points (1 point for one year, 2 for 18 months, 3 for two years) to bridge any gap to 6.

The elegance of the model is that you do not juggle a dozen factors — you find the one category where you are strongest and, if it is short of 6, make up the difference with time worked in New Zealand. Note: Immigration NZ announced further SMC changes in September 2025 (new Skilled Work Experience and Trades pathways) taking effect during 2026, so verify the current point values and pathways on the official SMC page before you apply.

5. Partner and family visas

Not every move is about work. If your partner is a New Zealand citizen or resident, you have a direct route:

• Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa — lets you do any work, in any job, anywhere in New Zealand, and travel in and out freely while it is valid. You must prove you are living together in a genuine and stable relationship.
• Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa — for couples who have been living together for at least 12 months, this grants the right to live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely, with a pathway to permanent residence after two years. The fee starts from NZD $5,360 and Immigration NZ aims to process 80% within eight months (Immigration NZ).

Both are built on the same foundation: documented, genuine partnership — shared tenancy or ownership, joint finances, photos, correspondence and a completed Partnership Support Form from your New Zealand partner. Dependent children (generally aged 24 or younger) can usually be included. Other family streams — for dependent children and parents — exist with their own criteria; check each listing on immigration.govt.nz.

6. Working Holiday visas

For younger Europeans, the Working Holiday scheme is the easiest way to test-drive life in New Zealand. It lets you live, travel and work for a year or more, and it is scheme-by-scheme, agreed country by country. Most eligible applicants are aged 18 to 30, but several European nationalities — including France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Finland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia — can apply up to age 35, and some schemes allow longer or extended stays. Each country has its own annual cap, conditions and application window (Immigration NZ — example: Germany Working Holiday Visa).

Because eligibility, ages and quotas differ for every nationality, always open your own country’s working-holiday page on immigration.govt.nz rather than relying on a general summary. For many people this visa is also a practical on-ramp: arrive, find an accredited employer, and transition to an AEWV or a residence pathway from inside the country.

7. Short visits and the NZeTA

For a holiday, a house-hunting trip or a short business visit, you almost certainly do not need a full visa. Citizens of the visa-waiver countries — which include most of the EU — travel on the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) instead. You request it online before you fly; at the border you are granted a visitor visa on arrival.

The essentials (Immigration NZ):

• Cost: from NZD $17, plus the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) of NZD $100 paid at the same time (Immigration NZ — IVL).
• Valid for two years, for multiple visits.
• Stay up to three months per visit (six months for UK citizens), but no more than six months in any 12-month period.

An NZeTA is for visiting only — it does not let you take up employment. If your scouting trip turns into a job offer, you switch to a work visa; you cannot simply keep extending visitor stays.

8. Typical timelines and costs

Processing times vary by visa and by how complete your application is. As a rough guide, Immigration NZ targets around three months for a Straight to Residence application and eight months for a Partner Resident Visa (Immigration NZ). Work visas and SMC applications can run from a couple of months to well over half a year depending on volumes and checks. Fees are meaningful — residence visas start from around NZD $6,450 and the Partner Resident Visa from NZD $5,360 — and they change periodically, so price your specific case on the official fees pages before budgeting.

The practical lesson: your visa timeline drives your move timeline. Start the immigration process early, get your job offer or points in order, and only lock in shipping once your outcome and arrival date are clear.

How Flyto handles your move to New Zealand

Flyto Relocation runs a single, fully managed door-to-door PLATINUM service for moves between Europe and New Zealand — the only tier we offer on intercontinental routes, precisely because a move to the other side of the world leaves no room for gaps. We coordinate export packing at your European home, all documentation for your household goods, ocean or air freight, New Zealand biosecurity and customs clearance, and final delivery and unpacking at your new address.

What we do not do is give immigration advice or complete visa forms — New Zealand’s visa system is legal-adjacent, and for that you should use Immigration New Zealand directly or a licensed immigration adviser. Our job starts once your visa is sorted: we plan the physical move around your immigration timeline so your goods clear the border around your arrival, not weeks before or after. You handle the paperwork with the authorities; we make sure your life arrives intact.

Frequently asked questions

Do Europeans need a visa to move to New Zealand?
To live, work or settle, yes — you need a work, residence, partner or working-holiday visa. For short visits of up to three months, most Europeans travel visa-free on an NZeTA instead.

What is the easiest way for a European to work in New Zealand?
Usually the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV): secure a job offer from an accredited employer, then the visa follows. If your occupation is on the Green List, you may go straight to residence.

How many points do I need for the Skilled Migrant Category?
Six. You claim your primary points from qualification, occupational registration or income, and top up with New Zealand skilled work experience if needed. You must also be 55 or younger, speak English and have an accredited-employer job (Immigration NZ).

What is the Green List?
A list of 200+ in-demand occupations. Tier 1 roles qualify for Straight to Residence; Tier 2 roles reach residence via Work to Residence after 24 months in the job. Both need an accredited-employer offer.

Can I move to New Zealand if my partner is a New Zealander?
Yes. The Partner of a New Zealander work and resident visas let you live and work anywhere, provided you prove a genuine, stable relationship — 12 months of living together is required for the resident visa.

Am I too old for a Working Holiday visa?
Not necessarily. The general age range is 18–30, but several European nationalities (including France, Germany, Italy, the UK and Finland) can apply up to 35. Check your country’s own working-holiday page.

Can Flyto help me get a New Zealand visa?
No. Flyto is an international mover, not an immigration adviser. We handle the physical relocation door-to-door on our PLATINUM service; for visa advice, use Immigration New Zealand or a licensed adviser.

When should I ship my belongings relative to my visa?
Once your visa outcome and arrival date are known, so your goods clear New Zealand customs and biosecurity around the time you land. Talk to us early and we plan the shipping around your immigration timeline.

Freshness note: New Zealand’s immigration rules, wage thresholds, point values, fees and occupation lists change frequently — the median wage alone rose to NZD $35.00/hour in March 2026, and further SMC changes are rolling out through 2026. Every figure here should be re-checked against Immigration New Zealand before you rely on it. This guide is general information, not immigration advice.

Sources

• Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) — Immigration New Zealand
• Changes to the AEWV and median wage — Immigration New Zealand
• Straight to Residence Visa (Green List Tier 1) — Immigration New Zealand
• Work to Residence Visa (Green List Tier 2) — Immigration New Zealand
• Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa — Immigration New Zealand
• Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa — Immigration New Zealand
• Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa — Immigration New Zealand
• Working Holiday Visa (Germany example) — Immigration New Zealand
• New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) — Immigration New Zealand
• Visa waiver countries and territories — Immigration New Zealand
• Paying the International Visitor Levy (IVL) — Immigration New Zealand
• Immigration New Zealand — official site