If you are a New Zealand citizen and you don’t have any criminal convictions or untreated tuberculosis, you will be automatically granted a Special Category visa when you enter Australia. This allows you to study, live and work in Australia indefinitely. This applies to all six states and the two internal territories.
If you don’t meet the criteria, you will need to apply for a Special Category visa to get permission from the Australian High Commission. You may be granted this visa if you hold a current passport, have correctly filled in your incoming passenger card and are not a ‘behaviour concern non-citizen’ or a ‘health concern non-citizen.
If you have any doubts, we recommend you get a pre-departure check before you leave New Zealand to offset the chance of running into problems at the gate and being turned back.