Renewing a passport or visa in New Zealand and what to do when it is declined

Last updated 20 June 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

Passports and visas are two of the most important documents you will deal with, and two of the easiest to leave too late. A passport that expires just before a trip, or a visa that lapses while you are still sorting the next one, can turn into a serious and expensive problem in a hurry. The good news is that renewing a New Zealand passport is now mostly a quick online job, and the visa system, while more complex, has clear deadlines and routes that you can use if you know them and act in time.

This guide covers renewing your passport, renewing or extending a visa, and what to do if a visa is declined, including the short and strict deadlines that catch people out. It is general information, not legal advice, and immigration in particular is complex, so get proper advice for anything that matters.

Renewing your passport

New Zealand passports are issued by the Department of Internal Affairs, and for most people renewing one is straightforward and done online through the passports website.

You can usually renew online if you are 16 or over, your name and date of birth have not changed, and you hold a current or recently expired New Zealand adult passport. You log in, upload a digital photo that meets the requirements, confirm your details and pay. An adult passport renewal costs $247 for the standard service. If you are short of time, the urgent service costs $494 and is processed within three working days.

Standard processing usually takes a couple of weeks, but the timeframe moves with demand and can be longer at busy times, so check the current processing time on the passports website and do not book non-refundable travel until your new passport is in your hand. If your circumstances are not simple, for example your name has changed, the passport was lost, stolen or damaged, or you are applying for a child, you may not be able to use the straight online renewal and will need to follow the specific process for your situation.

Passport travel tips and delays

An adult New Zealand passport is valid for 10 years, and a child’s passport for 5 years. The trap is that the expiry date is not the date that matters for travel. Many countries will not let you in unless your passport has at least six months of validity left beyond your travel dates, and some airlines will not board you without it.

So the practical rule is to renew early. If your passport has less than about six months to run and you have any travel coming up, renew now rather than later. Check the entry requirements of the country you are visiting, because the six-month rule and other conditions vary. And if a trip is close and your passport is not sorted, use the urgent service rather than risk missing it, because no amount of explaining at the airport fixes an invalid passport on the day.

Renewing or extending a visa

Visas are handled by Immigration New Zealand, and unlike passports they are not a simple renewal. There is no automatic right to extend, and a further visa is a fresh application that has to meet the requirements for the visa you are applying for, whether that is a visitor, work, student or resident visa. Most applications are made online through Immigration New Zealand’s system.

The single most important thing is timing. Apply for your next visa well before your current one expires, not after. A complete application, with all the documents and evidence the visa requires, is far more likely to be approved and processed smoothly than a rushed or incomplete one. If Immigration New Zealand sends you a letter raising concerns about your application, often called a potentially prejudicial information letter, take it seriously and respond fully within the time given, because that is your chance to fix a problem before a decision is made rather than after.

Do not let your visa lapse

This is the point that matters more than any other, because it changes everything that follows. As long as you apply for a further temporary visa before your current one expires, you can usually be granted an interim visa, which lets you stay in New Zealand lawfully while your new application is being decided. Apply in time and you keep your lawful status and your options.

If you let your visa expire without having applied in time, you become unlawfully in New Zealand, and that is a serious situation. An unlawful person is liable for deportation, loses the straightforward pathways to a new visa, and is left with far fewer and harder options. The difference between applying the day before your visa expires and the day after is the difference between staying lawful and becoming unlawful, so diarise your expiry date and act well ahead of it.

If your visa is declined

If your visa application is declined, Immigration New Zealand must tell you why, in a decline letter that sets out the reasons. Read it carefully, because the reasons determine which of the options below fits, and the clock starts running from the date of that decision. The deadlines here are short and they are strict, so the worst thing you can do is sit on a decline letter while you think about it.

Which route is open to you depends mainly on whether the declined visa was a temporary one or a residence application, and on whether you are still in New Zealand lawfully.

Reconsideration, appeal and section 61

There are three main avenues after a decline, and they are not interchangeable.

• Reconsideration of a temporary visa, within 14 days. If a temporary visa, such as a work, student or visitor visa, is declined while you are in New Zealand lawfully, you can ask Immigration New Zealand to reconsider the decision, but only within 14 days of the decline. The reconsideration is done by a different immigration officer of equal or more senior grade, or the Minister, and the result is final. An interim visa still counts as being here lawfully for this purpose. Fourteen days is not long, so this is the deadline people most often miss.
• Appeal of a residence decline to the Tribunal, within 42 days. If a residence application is declined, you can usually appeal to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal, an independent body, within 42 days of the decision. This is a different and more formal process than a reconsideration, and it is the route for residence rather than temporary visas.
• A section 61 request, if you are already unlawful. If your visa has expired and you are unlawfully in New Zealand, a request under section 61 of the Immigration Act asks for a visa to be granted as a matter of the Minister’s absolute discretion. There is no obligation to consider it, no reasons are given, and there is no appeal, so it is very much a last resort rather than a reliable option, which is exactly why staying lawful matters so much.

There can also be a humanitarian appeal against deportation in some circumstances, again within 42 days of becoming unlawful, though this is an area of immigration law that is under review. Because the right route turns on the details of your case and the deadlines are unforgiving, working out which one applies is something to do immediately on receiving a decline, not later.

Getting the right help

Immigration is one area where good advice genuinely pays for itself, because the rules are detailed, the consequences are large, and the deadlines do not bend. If your application is complex, or it has been declined, get help quickly from a licensed immigration adviser or an immigration lawyer.

In New Zealand it is an offence for someone to give immigration advice unless they are a licensed immigration adviser or are exempt, such as a lawyer, so check that anyone you pay is licensed on the register of immigration advisers, and be wary of unlicensed people promising guaranteed results. Free or low-cost help is also available from Community Law Centres and Citizens Advice Bureaux for those who cannot afford a private adviser, and acting early, while you still have a deadline to meet, is what gives any adviser the most to work with.

The takeaway

For a passport, the message is simple. Renew online early, allow for the six-month rule before you travel, and pay for the urgent service rather than risk a trip. For a visa, it is timing above all. Apply before your current visa expires so you stay lawful on an interim visa, respond fully to any concerns raised, and if you are declined, act on the decline letter immediately, because a temporary visa reconsideration must be lodged within 14 days and a residence appeal within 42. Letting a visa lapse is the mistake that closes doors, so the single best thing you can do is never let the clock run out.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to renew a passport in New Zealand

An adult passport renewal costs $247 for the standard service. The urgent service costs $494 and is processed within three working days. Most adults can renew online if their name and date of birth are unchanged and they hold a current or recently expired New Zealand adult passport.

How long does a New Zealand passport take

The standard service usually takes a couple of weeks, but processing times vary with demand and can be longer at busy times, so check the current timeframe on the passports website. The urgent service is processed within three working days. Do not book non-refundable travel until your new passport has arrived.

How long is a New Zealand passport valid

An adult passport is valid for 10 years and a child’s passport for 5 years. Many countries require at least six months of validity left beyond your travel dates, so the practical advice is to renew once your passport has less than about six months to run if you have any travel planned.

What happens if my visa expires before I get a new one

If you applied for a further temporary visa before your current one expired, you can usually stay lawfully on an interim visa while it is decided. If you did not, and your visa lapses, you become unlawfully in New Zealand, which is serious. You are liable for deportation and your options narrow sharply. Always apply before your visa expires, not after.

My visa was declined, what can I do

It depends on the visa and your status. If a temporary visa is declined while you are here lawfully, you can ask for a reconsideration within 14 days. A declined residence application can be appealed to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal within 42 days. If you are already unlawful, a section 61 request is a last resort at the Minister’s discretion. Read your decline letter and act immediately, because the deadlines are strict.

How long do I have to ask for a reconsideration

14 days from the date a temporary visa is declined, provided you are in New Zealand lawfully, including on an interim visa. The reconsideration is carried out by a different, equal or more senior immigration officer, or the Minister, and the result is final. It is a short deadline that is easy to miss, so act as soon as you receive the decline.

Do I need a licensed immigration adviser

You do not have to use one, but for a complex or declined case it is wise. In New Zealand only a licensed immigration adviser or an exempt person such as a lawyer can lawfully give immigration advice, so check anyone you pay is on the register of licensed immigration advisers, and avoid unlicensed people promising guaranteed outcomes. Community Law and Citizens Advice can help if you cannot afford a private adviser.

Have you renewed a passport or dealt with a visa decision in New Zealand? Tell us how it went in the comments below.