City view of Auckland, New Zealand Photo: Shan Jie/GT

Starting from Monday, November 3, Chinese tourists can visit New Zealand via Australia without applying for a separate visitor visa, following a policy change aimed at attracting tourists from China. Some Chinese industry observers hailed the new visa policy as a positive policy adjustment that brings more convenience to Chinese tourists, bringing more visitors to the country.

For China-New Zealand relations, this move sends a positive signal and reflects mutual confidence, demonstrating New Zealand's strong emphasis on the Chinese market and its willingness to deepen bilateral ties, they noted.

"From today, people with a Chinese passport do not need a visitor visa to visit New Zealand from Australia. Instead, they will be able to travel here with a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), and stay for up to 3 months, as long as they hold a valid eligible Australian visa," according to an announcement published on the website of the New Zealand Immigration on Monday.

This is a trial for 12 months, the announcement said.

China is New Zealand's third-largest tourism market, with nearly 250,000 arrivals in the year ending July 2025, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford was quoted as saying in a report by Radio New Zealand.

Stanford told the New Zealand media that they anticipate that as many as 50,000 additional visitors may now come each year on holiday via Australia through these changes.

In a change announced on Monday, Chinese tourists won't need to apply for a New Zealand visitor visa if they already hold an Australian one, the New Zealand Herald said.

Currently, those traveling from China to New Zealand must apply for a visitor visa which costs $441 and can take up to two weeks to process, according to the New Zealand media.

The New Zealand Herald also believed that "the country's tourism sector is forecast to see a boost."

"This is a highly positive and strategically forward-looking policy adjustment that brings great convenience to Chinese travelers, making the idea of 'Australia-New Zealand joint tours' a reality," Chen Hong, director of New Zealand Studies Centre from East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Monday.

Previously, Chinese citizens had to apply separately for Australian and New Zealand visas — a process that was time-consuming, costly, and cumbersome. Under the new policy, travelers can now plan an integrated itinerary covering both countries with just one visa, greatly enriching their travel experience and enhancing convenience, Chen said.

"This is particularly beneficial for independent travelers and the high-end customized tour market, and it is expected to attract a large number of Chinese visitors who will either transit through Australia or travel specifically to New Zealand," he added.

The Australia-New Zealand joint travel route is a popular destination among Chinese tourists in the Southern Hemisphere, and New Zealand's new entry policy will greatly facilitate travel for Chinese citizens visiting New Zealand and is expected to bring a 30-50 percent increase in international arrivals, Xu Xiaolei, marketing manager at CYTS Tours Holding Co, told the Global Times on Monday.

"At present, simplified or visa-free entry is a growing trend in global travel facilitation, and we look forward to more overseas destinations offering Chinese citizens easier and more convenient entry experiences," Xu said.

Some Chinese observers also noted that the new visa policy also reflects growing mutual trust and enhanced people-to-people exchanges between China and New Zealand.

For China, it serves as a positive signal of bilateral friendship; for New Zealand, it demonstrates the government's effort to boost economic growth and employment, Yu Lei, a professor of Shandong University's College of Northeast Asian Studies, told the Global Times on Monday.

"The move represents an important step by New Zealand to strike a balance between 'facilitation and control' in tourism development, regional competition, bilateral relations, and security regulation," Yu said, noting that it not only highlights New Zealand's recognition of the importance of the Chinese market but also shows its intention to leverage Australia's role as a key departure hub to attract more Chinese travelers, thereby stimulating its economy and job market.

Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Congxiao

Editor Ⅱ: Bao Gang

Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong