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NZ

New Zealand

Usually admitted, but questioning or secondary inspection is common.

This rating rests on little or old data, so treat it as a rough guide.

Based on 2 reports. Score 0.40 on a scale from −1 (always refused) to +1 (always admitted), with recent reports counting most. The newest report is more than three years old, so conditions may have changed. How scoring works

What to expect

There is only one report on file, from February 2023, so the picture for New Zealand is thin.1 In that firsthand account, a traveler on the registry was admitted without reported issues.1 The report does not say how they arrived, which port was used, or whether officers asked any questions.1

Written by an AI model from the reports below on September 19, 2026. The numbers link to the reports each sentence is based on. Read those before you decide.

Law restricts entry for people with criminal records

New Zealand law bars a visa, entry permission or visa waiver for people sentenced to 5 years or more ever, or 12 months or more within the last 10 years, or previously deported from any country. Sex offences are not named in the statute, but immigration instructions treat any sexual-offence conviction as normally disqualifying.

Does this apply to you?

It applies if any of these is true:

  • a sentence of imprisonment of 5 years or more (or an indeterminate sentence capable of running 5 years or more), at any time
  • a sentence of imprisonment of 12 months or more, for a conviction in the preceding 10 years
  • having been removed, excluded or deported from New Zealand or from any other country, at any time
  • policy level: applicants convicted at any time of an offence of a sexual nature, or ever imprisoned, are not normally granted a visa absent a character waiver

Read the law itself before relying on this. Sentence length usually means the sentence imposed, not the time served, and a suspended sentence often counts.

Immigration Act 2009 (NZ), No 51, ss 15, 16, 17 · mandatory · waiver available

We haven't confirmed this citation against the official text yet.

Last checked against official sources on September 21, 2026.

Common questions

Can registered sex offenders enter New Zealand?

It's rated Caution, but there are no trips reported in the last two years, so treat that as a rough guide.

Do New Zealand's border officers know about US registrants in advance?

None of the reports on file describe officers appearing to know in advance.

Reports

Been to New Zealand? Share your trip
  1. 1Feb 2023 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues

    The traveler visited New Zealand while on the registry and was admitted.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  2. 2By 2022

    Refused entry

    Row from the RTAG Travel Matrix, an undated summary last maintained around 2021.

    Registrants turned away
    Yes
    Law bars sex offenders
    Yes
    Law bars people with felonies
    Yes
    Has its own offender registry
    Yes

    Registrant Travel Action Group (RTAG) · Legacy matrix · Summary