Can You Work Remotely in New Zealand on a Visitor Visa?

New Zealand confirmed in early 2025 that visitors holding a standard visitor visa or NZeTA can work remotely for their overseas employer while in the country.

This is a meaningful shift. It opens the door for skilled professionals, remote workers, and digital nomads to spend extended time in New Zealand without needing to change their visa category.

What you can do

If you are in New Zealand on a visitor visa or NZeTA, you may:

• Work for your overseas employer remotely, using digital tools
• Attend online meetings, complete project work, and perform your usual job functions for a company based outside New Zealand

What you cannot do

The rules are specific about what is not permitted:

• You cannot work for a New Zealand employer
• You cannot provide goods or services to New Zealand people or businesses
• You cannot perform work that requires you to be physically present at a New Zealand workplace

The key distinction is where your employer is and who benefits from your work. If your work is for an offshore employer and the output goes back to them, the visitor visa framework permits it.

Tax considerations

Your tax position depends on your individual circumstances, including how long you stay and whether your home country has a tax treaty with New Zealand. Generally, short stays under 92 days in a 12-month period mean your income is not taxable in New Zealand. Longer stays may attract different treatment.

We do not provide tax advice. If you plan to work remotely in New Zealand for an extended period, we recommend consulting a New Zealand tax adviser alongside any immigration planning.

What this does not change

A visitor visa remains a visitor visa. The remote work permission does not extend your entitlement to stay, does not allow you to work for New Zealand businesses, and does not affect your visa conditions in any other way.

If you want to work in New Zealand — for a New Zealand employer, or in a way that goes beyond remote work for an overseas company — you will need a work visa.

Thinking about spending time in New Zealand? Contact us to understand your visa options.

This content is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute immigration advice under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007. Immigration policies are subject to change. For advice specific to your circumstances, contact a Licensed Immigration Adviser.