There’s something special about seeing someone you love walk in after a long-haul flight to watch you get married. For the guests travelling furthest, the planning starts well before the wedding does. A little guidance from you can make the whole trip feel easier.

Sending save-the-dates early gives everyone time to sort passports, visas and flights. Paperlust, an Australian stationery company, suggests sending them 10 to 12 months ahead for international destinations. A short travel note on your wedding website, or tucked in with the invitation, can cover the rest.

The NZeTA, visas and passports

Guests from visa waiver countries, such as the United Kingdom, can usually travel on a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) instead of a visa. As of October 2026, Immigration New Zealand lists the NZeTA from NZD $17 through its official app, which is cheaper than the website. Many guests also pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) of NZD $100 when they request it, and the levy isn’t refunded if a request is declined.

Immigration NZ says to allow 72 hours for a decision, so it’s worth requesting the NZeTA well before flying. It lasts two years and covers visits of up to three months, or six months for UK citizens. The app can handle requests for up to 10 people at once, which suits a family travelling together.

Point guests to the official NZeTA app or immigration.govt.nz only. Immigration NZ has warned that some third-party sites aren’t legitimate, can overcharge and can’t fast-track a request.

Customs warns that sites charging a fee for the New Zealand Traveller Declaration aren’t affiliated with the Government. The declaration is free on travellerdeclaration.govt.nz or its official app.

Australian citizens travelling on an Australian passport don’t need a visa or an NZeTA. Australian permanent residents still need an NZeTA.

Guests from countries outside the visa waiver list need a visitor visa. Immigration NZ lists it from NZD $441, with 80% of applications decided within two weeks. It’s busiest between September and March, and it recommends not booking non-refundable travel until the visa is approved.

Whichever applies, passports need to be valid for at least three months after the date a guest plans to leave New Zealand. The NZeTA must also be requested on the same passport they’ll travel with.

Food gifts, favours and biosecurity

Guests often like to bring a taste of home, whether it’s sweets for the dessert table, a carved wooden gift or dried flowers for a bouquet. Everyone arriving in New Zealand completes a traveller declaration, and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) asks travellers to declare food, plants and wooden products. That includes even the smallest amounts of food and ingredients for cooking.

Dried flowers and wooden items such as carvings can be allowed in if they’re clean and identifiable, but they still need to be declared. Declared items may be inspected, and some may need treatment or can’t come in at all.

MPI says failing to declare risk goods can mean a $400 instant fine, so if guests are unsure, it’s easiest to declare. MPI’s online tool can check an item before they pack, and there are amnesty bins on arrival.

Driving and making a trip of it

For guests hiring a car, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says visitors can drive on a current, valid overseas licence. If it isn’t in English, they’ll also need an accurate English translation or an international driving permit, and they must carry their licence with them.

Traffic keeps left in New Zealand, and NZTA notes that hilly, narrow or winding roads can make a journey take longer than expected. That’s worth knowing if guests are driving to a rural venue straight from the airport.

If guests want to stay on after the wedding, Tourism New Zealand’s newzealand.com has itineraries for anything from a weekend to a month, plus a travel time and distance calculator. It says most of the country’s highlights can be seen in two weeks. Sharing a few ideas near your venue is a lovely way to welcome them.

Fees and rules can change, so links to the official sites will serve your guests better than any exact figures. After that, the paperwork is theirs. Your part is the welcome, and seeing their faces among the crowd will be worth every long-haul hour.