If you want to immigrate to Australia from New Zealand, you should know that, compared to other nationalities, the Australian authorities provide a more relaxed legal procedure. For instance, persons who relocate to Australia from New Zealand and who are New Zealand (NZ) citizens, holders of NZ passports, will not have to apply for a NZ to Australia visa.
The requirements to apply for a visa can be imposed in certain situations, but as a general rule, NZ citizens can enter the Australian territory with almost no restrictions. Still, one may have to apply for a NZ to Australia visa in the case in which the relocation in this country is done on a permanent basis.
Considering that there are multiple legal scenarios that can fall under the rules for immigration to Australia, we invite you to address our lawyer for in-depth legal advice. You must also be aware that there is a legal distinction between persons who are NZ citizens and those who are residents; the latter will have to apply for visa.
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Arriving in Australia is actually quite simple for persons leaving New Zealand, as long as they are citizens of the latter country. There aren’t any formalities that should be met if the following three conditions are fulfilled by the NZ citizen: is a NZ citizen and a NZ passport holder, does not have tuberculosis and does not have a criminal conviction.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Visas for short-term immigration to Australia from New Zealand | A person can immigrate to Australia from New Zealand without applying for a visa, as New Zealanders are exempt from visa obligations (unlike the majority of foreigners). However, they will be issued with a visa on arrival in Australia (the Special Category Visa, that is not applied on the passport). |
| Visas for long-term immigration to Australia from New Zealand | For long-term relocation, New Zealanders can use the same Special Category visa, as the document is valid for an undefinite period of time. |
| Visa exemptions | New Zealanders who immigrate to Australia from New Zealand do not have to complete any visa requirements prior to their arrival in Australia. |
| Electronic visas available | Not required for New Zealanders. |
| Main reasons to immigrate to Australia from New Zealand | New Zealanders opt to relocate to Australia as the country has a better economy, in which New Zealanders can enjoy better wages and quality of life, lower property prices and rent. |
| Institution in charge with the issuance of the visa | The Department of Home Affairs |
| Fee system available for the processing of the visa (yes/no) | No (New Zealanders are exempt from paying processing fees). |
| Fees charged for the issuance of short-term/long-term visas | Not applicable |
| Special rules for citizens of New Zealand | Visa exemption before arrival in the country, exemption on paying visa processing fees, simpler route to Australian citizenship. |
| The procedure for permanent residency in Australia | The Special Category Visa can be used as a way to permanent residency. |
| Documents required for permanent residency application | Identity documents, passport photos, documents that attest the applicants’ good character, medical reports, police certificates and other government-issued documents, documents attesting residency, employment, title deeds, etc., and any other papers demonstrating the continuous relationship with Australia. |
| Reasons for which permanent residency can be granted in Australia | Employment, investment, family reunification, study, special concessions granted by the government on a case-to-case basis. |
| Right to permanent residency for refugees/asylum seekers (yes/no) | Yes |
| Immigration pathways for highly skilled persons | Skilled Nominated visa, Skills in Demand visa, Employer Nomination Scheme visa, Skilled Independent visa, etc. |
| Legal pathways to citizenship | By descent, by birth or by conferral. |
If these are met, the person who will relocate to Australia from New Zealand will not have to take any previous measures prior to the arrival in the country. On site, the NZ passport holder will receive a Special Category Visa prescribed by Subclass 444, which will automatically grant specific rights. The NZ to Australia visa has the following characteristics:
This visa type has the advantage that it does not impose a time limit for staying in Australia for the visa holder. However, for citizenship other rules have to be observed. Our immigration lawyer in Australia can offer more details with regards to this special status, which is known as the protected SCV holder.
Please mind that the SCV visa opens the legal pathway to permanent residency in Australia or to citizenship, if this is of interest for the NZ national. Along with residence in Australia on a permanent basis, it provides many rights and benefits that are normally not granted to other new residents. Such rights can refer to:
The NZ to Australia visa can open the possibility of obtaining the permanent residency or citizenship, as prescribed by the Department of Home Affairs.
The legal procedure you should follow will depend based on the moment when you arrived in this country (starting with a new law enacted in 2023, the visa provides automatic permanent residency rights, unlike those issued prior). Here, our Australia migration lawyer can provide in-depth information.
New Zealand passport holders can benefit from a simpler access to Australian citizenship compared to most other nationalities. Starting with 1st of July 2023, individuals who are NZ citizens can directly apply for Australian citizenship provided that they have been living in Australia for minimum 4 years.
This special rule does not require NZ citizens to apply first for permanent residency in Australia, as it is the case of all other foreign nationals, who must first become permanent residents so that they can claim citizenship at a later date.
Instead, NZ nationals can simply skip this step and initiate the formalities for Australian citizenship, given that they are considered permanent residents under the new law. Starting with 1sf of July 2023, the following rules apply:
Please know that NZ citizens who have been issued with the SC visa on 1st of July 2022 can obtain further benefits for their children. Thus, SCV holders whose children were born in Australia have the right to apply for Australian citizenship for their children (right granted starting with 1st of July 2023).
NZ citizens who migrate to Australia for citizenship purposes must know that, outside of these special rights, they need to respect the other standard requirements for citizenship. These can refer to having proficiency in English, pass the citizenship interview, submit the necessary paperwork, pay processing fees.
The legislation of immigration in Australia stipulates that the processing of the documentation can take at least 6 months and up to 12 months. It must be noted that even though the process may be lengthy, since the new regulations were enforced, in 2023, and up until mid 2025, more than 90,000 NZ citizens applied for Australian citizenship.
New Zealand and Australia have very good relations, established on political levels, social and economic. This is why one can find numerous NZ citizens who move in Australia from New Zealand and vice versa, and this is also given by the country’s relatively close geographical location, as well as various signed treaties that grant the citizens and permanent residents of both countries the right to free movement.
Below, we present you a few important aspects:
In 2025, the number of NZ citizens living in Australia is of more than 700,000 persons, 2024 marking an influx to Australia of around 30,000 individuals (which represents the largest number of New Zealanders arriving here in a calendar year). We also mention that a significant proportion of those who opted to migrate to Australia in 2024 were foreign born New Zealanders (35% of them).
For more details on the NZ to Australia visa, please contact our lawyer. You can also refer to our attorney for advice on how to relocate here with your family members and what steps you should follow when applying for permanent residency.
We invite you to get in touch with our Australia migration lawyer for more information on how to relocate here as a New Zealander. We can assist in other matters concerning immigration – employment, business, study, etc.