New Zealand PM, Christopher Luxon (left), Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka [Source: New Zealand High Commission, Suva, Fiji/ Facebook]

Fijians will soon not need transit visa while travelling through New Zealand.

This has been announced after a meeting between New Zealand PM, Christopher Luxon and his Fijian counterpart, Sitiveni Rabuka.

Luxon on his first official visit to Fiji since his appointment as PM, says this is a tangible demonstration of New Zealand’s commitment to Fiji, and the value they place on the bilateral relationship.

He says many Fijian nationals travel through New Zealand to reach other destinations in the Pacific and around the world.

Luxon says they expect this will have a positive economic impact for the region.

The NZ PM says this change will mean that Fijian nationals will be able to transit New Zealand with a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), like many other Pacific countries.

“New Zealand Cabinet has agreed to lift transit visa requirement for Fijians travelling through NZ and instead Fijian nationals will be able to transit via NZ with our standard eTA. NZ as you know is a significant transit hub for Pacific travelers including Fijians and the removal of those requirements will significantly reduce the barriers for regional travel facilitating regional integration and reducing the barriers for businesses and other Pacific countries many of whom rely on Fijian labour and connections.”

Work to implement this change is still underway, including changes to immigration regulations and it is expected to be completed in the coming months.

In the meantime, Fiji nationals transiting New Zealand will still need a Transit Visa.

Once the transit visa waiver is implemented Fiji nationals will need to apply for a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) to transit New Zealand.

Fiji nationals intending to visit, study, or work in New Zealand will still need to apply for the appropriate visa.

The fee for an NZeTA is NZ$23 for online applications, or NZ$17 if using the free app. NZeTA requests are processed within 72 hours and are valid for two years.