Various news outlets including the BBC in New Zealand eases visa rules for ‘digital nomads’ to boost tourism (January 27, 2025) announced the changes.
Under the new visa rules, visitors can continue working for a foreign employer for up to 90 days without paying resident’s tax.
Here is the official statement from Immigration New Zealand:
“New visa conditions will now allow visitors to work remotely for an overseas employer or client. The change applies to applications received from 27 January 2025 for all visitors, including tourists and people visiting family, and partners and guardians on longer-term visitor visas.
These new conditions mean that tourists can stay in New Zealand as a digital nomad and keep in touch with work back home, without breaching their visa conditions.
Both visitor visa recipients and people who enter with an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) will receive these conditions.
Visitor visa holders must not:
- work for a New Zealand employer
- provide goods or services to people or businesses in New Zealand
- do work that requires them to be physically present at a workplace in New Zealand.
People who are intending to work remotely from New Zealand for more than 92 days in a 12-month period should ensure they are aware of any tax implications.”
The New Zealand official government Beehive site tells more about these new rules in Going for Growth.
Remote work down under for Monday Work Etiquette #153
(*Wellington South Coast Photo by Francoise Padellec –FP Ceramique– excerpted from Otari Wilton’s Bush Walk, Coffee at Fidel’s, Fergs Kayak Outing, Wellington, NZ, 10 Do’s and Don’ts published January 19, 2014)