A Brazilian passport holder can immigrate to New Zealand from Brazil following the applicable immigration rules available here. The immigration procedures Brazilians have to follow will vary based on the duration of stay.
Here, one has 2 main situations: 1) short-stay arrivals, of maximum 90 days, and 2) long-term arrivals, of minimum 90 days. Where the latter applies, procedures for residency in New Zealand must be conducted. Therefore, if you need in-depth information concerning the immigration rules you must follow as a Brazilian citizen, our immigration lawyer in New Zealand remains at your service.
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How can Brazilians migrate to New Zealand for short stays?
If a Brazilian citizen arrives here for short-term stays, visa formalities will not apply. This is given by the fact that Brazil is one of the countries included in the visa waiver system, which exempts certain nationalities from applying for visas for short-term stays.
However, Brazilians have the obligations to apply for New Zealand electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), a requirement imposed to visa waiver nationalities starting with 1st of October 2019.
The NZeTA is a simplified version of a visa, which can be obtained very fast, by applying online. Therefore, when arriving from Brazil to New Zealand for short-term stays that have as a main purpose visiting the country, friends or family, this will be the only procedure required.
Do Brazilians benefit from the New Zealand work holiday program?
Yes, Brazilians can immigrate to New Zealand as part of the work holiday program, a scheme created for young persons who can work and travel in this country for a limited period of time. According to the New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade Department, the work holiday program for Brazilians has the following characteristics:
- the program grants the right to residency in New Zealand for a period of 12 months;
- one can immigrate to New Zealand from Brazil as long as the applicant has an age of minimum 18 years old and maximum 30;
- there are only 300 visas awarded per year for Brazilian nationals;
- in general, the visa can be processed in a period of 57 days;
- the applicant is also required to pay a processing fee, which starts from minimum NZD $770.
You must know that the law on immigration in New Zealandstates that the person can stay here for 12 months, out of which 6 can be used for study or training classes, while in respect to working contracts, one can’t spend more than 3 months working for the same employer.
Since this is a visa that grants residency to New Zealand on a temporary basis, it doesn’t provide more rights, as it can be the case of other visas. For instance, this visa program can’t be used as a way to relocate to New Zealand with close family members, such as children, or partners.
Provided that a Brazilian is in this situation and wants to participate in this program, the family members will have to apply separately for adequate visas. Our immigration lawyer in New Zealandcan provide assistance on the most suitable visa options for your family members.
Besides the conditions mentioned above, successful applications will take into consideration other matters, such as:
- have sufficient financial funds to live in this country;
- have a valid medical insurance;
- have a return ticket or provide evidence on the available financial resources to purchase one.
There are many other requirements to abide by if you are interested in moving from Brazil to New Zealand under this visa.
What are the visa options for family reunification in New Zealand?
As mentioned above, the legislation on immigration to New Zealanddoes not allow the right of arriving here with family members, to the holders of work holiday visas, because they are temporary documents and, in general, temporary visas do not prescribe this possibility.
Bringing family members is usually possible for those who apply for long-term or permanent visas, such as in the case of skilled employment or investment visas. However, there are immigration programs specifically designed for family reunification purposes, which can be accessed in certain conditions.
A foreigner can bring his/her family members to live in New Zealand in cases such as:
- the foreigner holds a work visa;
- the person is the holder of a student visa (in such cases, family members can access visitor visas only);
- the person has parents who can qualify for the Resident Parent visa;
- the individual has a partner/spouse living overseas;
- the person has minor or dependent children.
In such circumstances, the family members can immigrate to New Zealand from Brazil. Our immigration lawyer in New Zealand can present the available visa categories (there are many options for the situations presented above, so we recommend you request tailored advice).
What are the mains reasons for which individuals opt to immigrate to New Zealand from Brazil?
The immigration numbers concerning Brazilians who arrive here are not significant compared to other foreigners relocating here (on a yearly basis, less than 2,000 Brazilians migrate to New Zealand from Brazil). However, according to the statistical data provided by the Immigration New Zealand for 2025, the main reasons of arriving here:
- skilled work (516 visas);
- family reunification – partner visas (507);
- working holiday (300);
- humanitarian purposes (18);
- seasonal employment (15), etc.
Apply for a skilled work visa in New Zealand
Considering that the primary reason for which Brazilians immigrate to New Zealand from Brazil is for skilled employment, in this section we will present the main options available in this sense. There are 3 main options foreigners have, represented by the following programs:
- the skilled migrant visa category;
- the Green list category;
- the care workforce and transport sector agreements pathway.
For the 1st visa category, Brazilians can apply for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa; in this case, it is necessary to have tertiary education (bachelor’s degree) and a skilled occupation. Our lawyers can present the conditions imposed for the 2nd and 3rd pathways.
You are invited to contact our immigration lawyer in New Zealandfor details about other visa programs open for Brazilians. If you plan to relocate from another country, you can also rely on us – we provide assistance to those who immigrate to USA from New Zealand and any other region (Europe, Asia, Australia, etc.).
