Swedish nationals can immigrate to New Zealand from Sweden provided that they meet all the immigration requirements imposed under the New Zealand legislation. This implies obtaining suitable visas for their arrival.
Please mind that there aren’t any visa exemptions for Swedish nationals, regardless of the purpose of the arrival or of its duration. Consequently, before the arrival, visa formalities must be concluded in order to have the right to enter the New Zealand territory.
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What are the rules for short arrivals in New Zealand?
A short arrival refers, as per the rules on immigration to New Zealand, to any stay in the country with a duration of maximum 90 days. This is the standard for a short stay that is regulated by most countries across the world, including in European states.
The 90 days rule implies that the foreigner does not need to conduct any other immigration formalities, outside of having a valid visa. If the stay is longer than 90 days, the foreigner must apply for residency in New Zealand.
With regards to short-term stays arrival, the legislation on immigration in New Zealand prescribes 2 types of visas, as follows:
- the standard visa, which is obtained by a foreigner following the traditional route, meaning, addressing to the country’s embassy operating in that country and obtaining the visa through the embassy;
- the electronic visa – the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), which is obtained by simply completing an online form without the standard embassy procedures.
For persons who immigrate to New Zealand from Sweden, the 2nd option applies and it must be noted that all Swedish nationals must have a valid NZeTA issued before the arrival in this country.
What are the visa options available for young Swedes arriving in New Zealand?
Young persons from across the world can migrate to New Zealand for the purpose of enrolling in various education institutions (secondary, tertiary, post-graduate, etc.), therefore they can apply for a student visa.
Of course, young foreigners, Swedes included, can arrive here for employment (there are many visa routes available in this case). New Zealand also offers a mixed visa program, where Swedes can combine work, study and travel, under the Sweden Working Holiday Visa.
The working holiday program is available only for certain nationalities and for Sweden, the program implies that the Swede can immigrate to New Zealand from Sweden if the following apply:
- the applicant who will immigrate to New Zealand is eligible if he/she has an age of 18 to 30 years old;
- it grants the right to residency for a period of 12 months;
- applicants must pay a processing fee of NZD $420;
- in the 12 months period, the visa holder is entitled to participate in study classes with a duration of maximum 6 months;
- most of the applications (90% of them, according to the New Zealand Immigration Office) are processed in a period of 23 weeks.
The conditions mentioned above can vary depending on the nationality of the applicant. For instance, for Swedes, the law doesn’t impose a quota, and these rules are the same for those who apply for this program when moving from USA to New Zealand. For other states, quotas are imposed.
Relocation for skilled employment in New Zealand
Sweden is a very well-developed state, with a workforce that is very well educated and has a wide range of skills, suitable for the current needs of the world’s developed countries. Thus, persons who immigrate to New Zealand from Sweden are, in general, well-educated individuals seeking skilled employment.
In order to arrive here for skilled employment, a person must have, in general, an age below 55 years old and have an occupation that is included in the New Zealand list for skilled employment, such as accountants, agricultural specialists, architects, programmers and so on.
Knowing English is also mandatory (at a conversational level at least) among many other requirements, which can be presented by our immigration lawyer in New Zealand. Please contact us now for additional information.
