kate54

Hi, I'm Kate ...

I'm just curious as to how easy it is to come over to NZ on an 'extended visit'. I will have enough money to support myself so wont be a drain on the economy. I thought of renting somewhere and fulfilling a dream I've always had........for however long.

Any help on this would be much appreciated.

BEVS

Welcome to this little NZ forum Kate.


If you are coming from the UK you can have a 6 month visitor visa.

I'll move this to a thread of it's own. That way you get your own personal moment to settle on in.

MnB

Hi Kate, welcome from us too.

Can only reiterate what Bev's has said re 6mth visitors visa and add that we have just returned to UK after 4 months in NZ, luckily for us OH has NZ passport & I have RRV. We went to NZ with a 'suck it & see' attitude ....may be for ever?! but that unexpected emotion loosely called 'home sickness' hit me so we have returned home, thankfully we didn't burn too many bridges!! so ended up having an extended visit

Renting property is relatively straight forward, most are rented for 6 or 12 month periods but you can find some that are rented on a month by month basis if you're lucky, especially in holiday locations.

Happy to help with more info if you need it, as are all the members of this forum....just post away or pm me (when you've posted 3 times...or maybe 5...can't remember you will be able to send private messages) with specific ???'s

B x

kate54

Thanks for your help and your welcome. I am in the UK and right now, I cant ever imagine feeling homesick for this place but who knows eh.....

I feel if I don't give it a try, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. I know a couple of people over there, so I wont be jumping into the unknown totally alone.

Got a house to sell and then.....

Where do I apply for this visa? Do I do it when I book the flights....oh, and do I have to book a return flight at the same time?

Lots of questions ......it's definitely a mixed bag of opinions on here, which is good eh.

Thanks again

j19fmm

You don't need to apply for the 6month visa, it's just something you get when you go thru passport control in NZ
Yes you'll need an onward flight so that NZ don't think you'll overstay!
When they ask you what purpose of visit is I'd say visiting friends and travelling

londonescapee

Hi Kate,

If you live anywhere near London it is also worth going down to New Zealand House where you can have an informal chat with a very helpful immigration officer there to find out what your options would be beyond the tourist visa. You get a ticket and then wait for them to call your number out - apparently Monday mornings are rather busy so avoid that!

When I went to hand my forms in there were several people down there discussing all sorts of options for travelling and living in NZ for various lengths of time.

Otherwise the Immigration NZ website is very good as well. But as others have said, a six month tourist visa is very straightforward

Enjoy!

Persephone

As the others have said, if you are a British citizen then you will get a 6m visitor's permit on arrival in NZ. You do not need to apply for a visa. You will need a return ticket or a ticket out of NZ or you will not get on the plane at Heathrow. They have always checked whenever I've come over as a visitor.
Have a look at the NZIS website which can be a bit of a maze but it is all there or go into NZ House as Londonescapee has said. They are very helpful there. I'm not sure whether you can apply for a visa if you are planning on staying longer than 6m or whether you have to get a visitor permit on entry and extend once here

Extending visitor's permits

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/

j19fmm

How jolly helpful, I never knew you could extend a visitor visa, will pop that bit of info under my hat

kate54

Thank you all for your help.....much appreciated