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By Bec Milligan.
“Do I need a visa for Europe?” is one of the biggest travel questions Kiwis are asking right now – and for good reason! Europe’s entry rules have changed more in the past 12 months than they have in decades.
The short answer is that New Zealanders still don’t need a traditional visa for most of Europe, but there are some genuinely new requirements to understand before you book those flights.
Here’s exactly what’s happening and what it means for your trip.
Yes, for most of Europe you can. Kiwis can travel for short trips, without a visa, to the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
The Schengen Area covers 29 European countries, including France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Greece, Portugal, the Netherlands and more. So if your European dream involves croissants in Paris, pasta in Rome or island-hopping in Greece, you don’t need to apply for a visa in advance.
What has changed is what happens at the border when you arrive. The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which started a phased rollout in October 2025, became fully operational as of April 10, 2026.
The EES is a biometric border system that digitally records every non-EU traveller’s entry and exit at Schengen Area borders using fingerprints and facial scans, replacing passport stamps and automatically tracking how many of your 90 allowed days you have used.
When you enter the Schengen area on your first visit to Europe under the EES, you will be required to have your fingerprints and photograph taken at the border. This creates a digital record of your biometric details.
If you revisit within three years, only a quick biometric scan is needed on future trips.
The good news: you do not need to do anything before arriving at the border, and EES registration is free. Just be aware that first-time registrations are taking longer at busy airports, so build extra time into your arrival plans.
One thing to note if you hold dual citizenship: your digital record is attached to you as a person, rather than to your passport. This means that even if you enter the Schengen area using a different passport, you will still be restricted to the same 90 days in every 180 days.
To determine whether you need a visa or EES before visiting Europe, it’s important to first understand the Schengen Area.
The Schengen Area consists of 29 European countries that share border travel conditions. Within the Schengen Area, travellers are permitted to move between other member countries without having to go through border controls or obtain a visa for each country.
The countries that make up the Schengen Area include:
Like we mentioned earlier, travellers are permitted to visit these countries without a visa for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. However, your travel purposes must be for the following:
Business, visiting friends and family, tourism or a holiday, participating in a cultural or sports event, necessary transit, an official visit, medical reasons (such as surgery or another treatment), short-term study or research.
This means that if you are planning to visit any of the above-mentioned countries for more than 90 days within the 180-day period, you will need to obtain a visa. You will also be required to apply for a visa if your travel purposes change and you do not meet the above visa-free conditions.
To do this, you must apply at the embassy or consulate of the country where you will stay the longest. If you’re staying at every destination for the same length, apply at the embassy or consulate of the place you are visiting first.
If you are travelling to multiple destinations within the Schengen Area, it’s important to tally your travel days to ensure you meet the 90/180-day requirement. As this can be tricky for even the most seasoned traveller, the European Commission offers a free Short-Stay Visa Calculator to help you.
Additional things to keep in mind about the 90/180 days rule are:
Your 90 days are calculated from your first day at your destination within the 180 days.
If you leave and return within the 180-day timeframe, your last stay will count towards the 90-day threshold.
If you use up your 90 days, you must leave until you build more or apply for a visa.
If you go over your 90-day limit, you could be fined or banned from the Schengen Area.
Not yet, but you will later in 2026.
If you’re wondering what an ETIAS is, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) will be an electronic travel authorisation expected to start in the last quarter of 2026.
ETIAS and the EES are two completely different things. The EES is what happens at the border when you arrive in Europe; like we said above, it’s the biometric fingerprint and facial scan that replaced passport stamps, and it’s now live.
ETIAS is what you’ll complete at home before you even board your flight. It will cost €20, be valid for three years, and will take about 10 minutes to apply for online. Think of it as Europe’s equivalent of the US ESTA; it’s a pre-travel security screening, not a stamp in your passport or an embassy appointment.
There will be a six-month transition period during which ETIAS is available but not strictly mandatory. So, if you're travelling to Europe before the end of 2026, you won't need an ETIAS for your trip.
A few things worth knowing for when it does launch. Your ETIAS authorisation is valid for up to three years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. You can use the same ETIAS for multiple trips to Europe, as long as each stay doesn't exceed 90 days within a 180-day period.
One scam warning worth flagging: as of April 2026, the system is not yet accepting applications. Any website currently claiming to process ETIAS applications is not the official EU portal. Do NOT hand over your money or personal details to any site claiming to offer ETIAS right now.
But once ETIAS is up and running, you’ll need both: ETIAS before you fly, EES when you land.
So, to summarise what’s actually changed for New Zealanders heading to Europe in 2026:
The EES is live: As of April 10, 2026, the EES is fully operational. The system records travellers’ facial images, fingerprints and personal data from their travel document each time they enter or exit a Schengen country. Passport stamping is being phased out and replaced by this digital system. Your first crossing will take a little longer than you’re used to, so budget extra time at passport control.
The 90-day rule still applies: Nothing has changed here. Within 180 days, you get 90 days that are visa-free. Your 90 days start from your first day in the Schengen area. If you leave and return within the same 180-day period, your previous stay will count towards your 90-day maximum. The difference is that the EES now tracks this digitally and automatically, so overstaying is much harder to get away with, and the consequences are serious.
ETIAS is coming in Q4 2026: You don’t need it yet, but if you’re planning a trip to Europe in late 2026 or into 2027, keep an eye on the official EU portal for when applications open.
Your passport still needs to be valid: Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond your intended departure from the Schengen Area. Check the expiry date before you book.
England (and the UK more broadly) is a separate story. The UK is not part of the Schengen Area, so everything above about the EES and ETIAS doesn’t apply.
What does apply is the UK’s own new digital entry requirement. Since 2025, visitors to the UK from 85 nationalities, including New Zealand, have had to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling.
An ETA permits multiple journeys and is valid for two years or until the holder’s passport expires, whichever is sooner. An ETA currently costs £20 and it’s linked electronically to your passport, so there’s no document to print or carry.
To get an ETA, you can apply online through the official UK Government website or via the UK ETA app, and most applicants get an automatic decision within minutes. Just make sure you apply at least a few days before you travel in case additional checks are needed.
If you plan to visit the UK for less than six months as a tourist or to transit, you will need an ETA. Anything longer than six months, or if you’re travelling for reasons other than tourism, you will likely need a visa.
One important note for dual citizens: New Zealand-British or New Zealand-Irish dual citizens must enter the UK on their British or Irish passports. These dual citizens are unable to obtain an ETA. If this applies to you, check the SafeTravel website for the latest guidance before you travel.
Entry requirements can change. Always check the latest advice at SafeTravel and the European Commission before you travel.
From wandering down the steps of the Colosseum to sipping on a beachside cocktail in Dubrovnik, Europe has something for every traveller.
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