According to the law on immigration to New Zealand, foreigners who arrive from Portugal (as Portuguese passport holders) are required to apply for suitable visas, as there aren’t any visa exemptions for this nationality. This rule is not applicable only to those who immigrate to New Zealand from Portugal, but to the majority of foreigners arriving here.
Our immigration lawyer in New Zealand can assist Portuguese nationals in the process or relocating here (on a temporary or permanent basis). Our team will offer the necessary legal assistance regardless of the visa a foreigner may need.
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Arriving in New Zealand for short-term visits
Portuguese passport holders who arrive here for personal reasons, such as travelling or visiting family and friends, must apply for a visitor visa. The legislation on immigration in New Zealand provides for several types of visitor visas, including an electronic visa.
The latter is known as the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) and it can be obtained by the nationals of several countries with which New Zealand has established an agreement in this sense. This document is not a traditional visa, as it can be issued following a simpler procedure compared to a standard visa, but it is a mandatory document that must be obtained prior to the arrival in New Zealand.
According to the law, short-term stays refer to stays with a duration of maximum 90 days (such visits do not require foreigners to conduct any other immigration formalities, such as applying for residency in New Zealand). For visit purposes, foreigners may apply for visas such as the ETA, the Visitor visa or the Group Visitor visa.
Migrate to New Zealand for medical treatment
Persons who need medical treatment can receive the medical services they require in certain circumstances. They can arrive here for a medical consultation or treatment. In all cases, foreigners must apply for a visa specifically designed for this purpose – known as the Medical Treatment Visitor visa.
Please mind that persons who will temporarily relocate to New Zealand from Portugal for medical reasons must apply for this document even if they are exempt from applying for a standard visitor visa. Successful applicants can live here for a period of 6 months at a time and receive the medical services they require.
However, it must be noted that all foreigners must pay for their medical services. When preparing the application file, it is required to submit English translations of the medical documents issued by doctors in the home country. Our lawyer can offer more details on the mandatory medical papers required in this case.
Immigrate to New Zealand from Portugal for the working holiday program
The working holiday program was created for temporary stays that allow the possibility of working while visiting the country. It was created taking into consideration the needs of young foreigners, thus it offers the right to work, study, train and travel.
An individual can move to New Zealand from Portugal under this program, as the New Zealand authorities have established a visa program for the nationals arriving from this jurisdiction. Some of its characteristics are:
- it provides the right to residency for a period of 12 months;
- it is addressed to Portuguese passport holders with an age of 18-30 years old;
- only a limited number of persons can move to New Zealand from Portugal, as the program is capped at only 50 visas per year;
- applicants must also pay a processing fee (NZD $420);
- most visa applications are processed in a short amount of time, of only 2 weeks.
Persons who want to move to New Zealand from Portugal are invited to address our lawyers. Our team can help clients immigrate to New Zealand for a variety of reasons, including for business or retirement. We can also assist foreigners from other countries – those moving from the USA to New Zealand, Europe or Asia can reach our lawyers at their earliest convenience.
