A visa lets you travel to and enter the Cook Islands. A permit lets you stay, for the period approved in your visa. Without continuing rights in the Cook Islands you need both, and you must show your visa when an airline or an immigration officer asks for it.
What it costs
All fees are in New Zealand dollars.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Printing charges, per page | $2.00 |
| Printing or providing forms or records, plus per page charge | $25.00 |
| Call out fee outside office hours, per hour | $50.00 |
| Endorsing a new passport with a visa or permit | $55.00 |
| Processing a bond or transfer | $55.00 |
| Cook Islands Status endorsement | $30.00 |
| Endorsing a passport with permanent residence | $55.00 |
| Processing a sponsorship application or transfer | $470.00 |
| Resident | |
| Resident Spouse | $470.00 |
| Resident Child | $470.00 |
| Work | |
| International Worker | $960.00 |
| Government Worker | $960.00 |
| Resident Investor | $960.00 |
| Specialist Worker | $260.00 |
| Considering work rights for an international student or special spouse | $330.00 |
| Study | |
| International Child | $470.00 |
| International Adult Student | $470.00 |
| International Research | $470.00 |
| International Intern | $960.00 |
| Registering a child born in the Cook Islands to parents without continuing rights, within 90 days of birth | $470.00 |
| Visitor | |
| New Zealand Visitor extension | $470.00 |
| International Visitor extension | $470.00 |
| Long Term Visitor | $470.00 |
| Special | |
| Special Spouse | $470.00 |
| Special Entrant | $960.00 |
A New Zealand Visitor Permit or an International Visitor Permit issued at the border carries no fee. The fees above apply when you extend one.
Further fees are in Schedule 11 of the Cook Islands Immigration Regulations 2023.
How long you can stay
| Permit | Limits |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Visitor | Less than 3 months. Can be extended once by a further 3 months, and cannot extend beyond 6 months. Visitor stay cannot exceed 12 months at any one time. |
| International Visitor | Less than 31 days. Can be extended once by a further 31 days, and cannot extend beyond 2 months. Visitor stay cannot exceed 8 months at any one time. |
| Long Term Visitor | New Zealanders beyond 12 months at any one time. Other foreign nationals beyond 8 months. A stay longer than 6 months requires good character and acceptable health, and health insurance for the duration of the permit. |
| International Worker | A maximum of 2 prior permits without a one year absence, so a stay cannot exceed 6 years without a break. You must leave for at least 1 month out of every 36 month permit. |
| International Adult Student | Not more than 5 prior permits, so not more than 6 years continuously. Work is limited to 20 hours a week. |
| International Child | Work is limited to 20 hours a week. |
| International Research | A maximum of 3 years continuously, then a break of 6 months. |
| International Intern | No prior Intern visa or permit within the past 5 years. The qualification must have been completed within the past 12 months. |
| Special Spouse | Not more than one prior Spouse Permit without departing for longer than one year, so it cannot extend to 6 years or more. |
How to apply
Apply through ASYPX, the online visa and permit system.
Questions
Email [email protected] or call +682 29 347, option 1.