The APEC Business Travel Card and New Zealand
The APEC Business Travel Card is issued by a traveller's own economy, not by New Zealand, and gives nationals of the 21 APEC member economies streamlined travel for trade and investment activities. New Zealand recognises it as a visitor-class travel product, and cardholders are exempt from the NZD $100 International Visitor Levy.
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail (as at August 2026) |
|---|---|
| What it is | A travel card for trade and investment activities across APEC economies |
| Who issues it | The cardholder's home economy — not Immigration New Zealand |
| Who can hold one | Nationals of an APEC member economy |
| Participating economies | 21, listed below |
| International Visitor Levy | Exempt |
| Cost | Set by the issuing economy, not by INZ |
| Validity | Not published by INZ — see below |
| Leads to residence | No |
What the card is
APEC — Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation — is a regional economic forum. The APEC Business Travel Card, usually shortened to ABTC, is one of its practical outputs: a scheme under which participating economies pre-clear business travellers so they do not have to apply for a separate visa for each trip.
INZ describes it as being for nationals of an APEC economy travelling for trade and investment activities, and says it provides streamlined travel processes.
The important structural point is that the card is not a New Zealand product. New Zealand participates in the scheme; the card is applied for, assessed and issued by the traveller's own economy. INZ's role is to recognise the card at the New Zealand border, and to list it among its visitor-class products so travellers can find the New Zealand-facing rules.
The 21 APEC member economies
These are the members as listed by INZ:
Australia · Brunei Darussalam · Canada · Chile · People's Republic of China · Chinese Taipei · Hong Kong China · Indonesia · Japan · Malaysia · Mexico · New Zealand · Papua New Guinea · Peru · The Philippines · Republic of Korea · Russia · Singapore · Thailand · The United States · Viet Nam
APEC uses the term "economy" rather than "country" deliberately, which is why Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong China appear under those names.
Why the levy exemption matters
Every ordinary visitor to New Zealand pays the International Visitor Levy — NZD $100 per person, charged with the visa application or NZeTA request, and never refunded.
APEC Business Travel Card holders are exempt. So are Business Visitor Visa holders, Australian and New Zealand passport holders, citizens of 16 Pacific nations, and New Zealand and Australian resident visa holders.
For a business traveller making several trips a year, that exemption compounds. It is one of a small set of genuine cost advantages in the New Zealand system, and it sits alongside the streamlined border processing that is the card's main purpose.
Who the card is aimed at
The scheme is built around trade and investment activities. That is the purpose test, and it is set by APEC rather than by New Zealand.
New Zealand's own definition of acceptable business activity, used for the Business Visitor Visa, gives a useful sense of what business travel means in the New Zealand context:
- an official trade mission recognised by the New Zealand government
- selling goods or services in New Zealand
- buying New Zealand goods or services
- consultations or negotiations with authorised representatives about setting up, expanding or winding up a business in New Zealand
That list is the Business Visitor Visa's criteria, not the ABTC's. It is included here because it shows where New Zealand draws the line between visiting on business and working — a line that matters whichever product you travel on.
What we are not publishing, and why
INZ does not publish an ABTC validity period. We looked for one on 20 August 2026 and did not find it on any INZ page.
Validity is set by the issuing economy and by APEC scheme rules, not by New Zealand, so INZ is arguably the wrong place to look. But that is precisely the problem: a great many third-party sites state a validity period as though it were a New Zealand rule. We are not going to add to that. Check the terms of your own card with the authority in your home economy that issued it.
The same applies to the card's cost. Application fees are set by each issuing economy and vary widely. INZ does not publish a New Zealand-side figure because there is no New Zealand-side fee for a foreign national's card.
Two different APEC products
INZ's visa catalogue lists two separate APEC entries, and they point in opposite directions.
| Product | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| APEC Business Travel Card to visit New Zealand | Foreign nationals of APEC economies travelling to New Zealand |
| APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) and Virtual ABTC for New Zealanders | New Zealanders travelling to other APEC economies |
If you are a New Zealand citizen looking to travel more easily through Asia and the Americas for business, the second product is the one you want, and it includes a virtual card option. If you are travelling to New Zealand on a card issued elsewhere, the first is the relevant listing.
Both sit within the 40 visitor-class products in INZ's catalogue — see the full list of New Zealand visitor visas.
What to check with your issuing economy
Because New Zealand is not the issuer, the questions that decide whether the card is useful to you are answered at home, not here:
- Which economies you are pre-cleared for. Cards list the participating economies that have approved the holder. New Zealand's approval is not automatic simply because you hold a card.
- How long your card is valid, and how renewal works.
- What the card costs to apply for and to renew.
- What business activity it covers, and what evidence of trade or investment activity your economy requires.
- What happens if you change employer, since the card is usually tied to your business role.
INZ can tell you how New Zealand treats a valid card at the border. It cannot answer any of the above, because it did not issue the card.
What the card does not do
- It does not remove character or health requirements. Every traveller to New Zealand must meet them, and holding a card does not pre-empt a border officer's assessment.
- It does not authorise work. The card covers business travel — meetings, negotiations, trade activity. Taking up employment with a New Zealand employer requires a work visa, whatever card you hold.
- It is not a residence pathway. Nothing about the ABTC leads to a resident visa.
- It does not cover tourism or study. Travel for those purposes uses the ordinary products: an NZeTA if your passport is on the 60-country visa waiver list, or a Visitor Visa if it is not.
If you do not hold a card
Most business travellers to New Zealand do not, and the ordinary routes are straightforward.
| Your situation | Usual route |
|---|---|
| Passport on the 60-country visa waiver list | NZeTA — NZD $17 app / $23 website, plus NZD $100 levy |
| Passport not on the waiver list, travelling for acceptable business | Business Visitor Visa — from NZD $341, levy-exempt |
| Passport not on the waiver list, general visit | Visitor Visa — from NZD $441 |
| Coming to take a job | A work visa — see work visa options |
Note that the Business Visitor Visa is cheaper than the general Visitor Visa despite having the same NZD $300 application fee, because it is exempt from the NZD $100 levy. That is the same exemption ABTC holders get.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an APEC Business Travel Card?
A travel card issued by a traveller's own APEC member economy that provides streamlined travel processes across participating economies for trade and investment activities. New Zealand is one of the 21 APEC members and recognises the card at its border. It is not issued by Immigration New Zealand, and INZ lists it among its visitor-class travel products rather than as a visa it grants.
Which economies are in APEC?
Twenty-one, as listed by INZ: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, the People's Republic of China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Viet Nam.
Do APEC Business Travel Card holders pay the International Visitor Levy?
No. ABTC holders are exempt from the NZD $100 levy. Business Visitor Visa holders, Australian and New Zealand passport holders, citizens of 16 Pacific nations, and New Zealand and Australian resident visa holders are also exempt.
How long is an APEC Business Travel Card valid?
We are not publishing a figure. INZ does not state an ABTC validity period on the pages we checked on 20 August 2026, and validity is determined by the issuing economy and APEC scheme rules rather than by New Zealand. Confirm it with the authority in your home economy that issued your card.
How do I apply for an APEC Business Travel Card?
Through your own economy's issuing authority, not through Immigration New Zealand. Each APEC member runs its own application process, sets its own fee and applies its own eligibility criteria, usually requiring evidence of genuine business activity across APEC economies. INZ cannot issue a card to a foreign national.
Can New Zealanders get an APEC Business Travel Card?
Yes. INZ lists a separate product — the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) and Virtual ABTC for New Zealanders — covering New Zealand citizens travelling to other APEC economies, including a virtual card option. That is a different listing from the one covering foreign cardholders travelling to New Zealand.
Can I work in New Zealand on an APEC Business Travel Card?
No. The card covers trade and investment travel — meetings, negotiations, sales and purchasing activity. Taking up employment with a New Zealand employer requires a work visa. If a business trip is going to turn into work for a New Zealand-based employer, that is a different product entirely, and what applies to your situation is something to check with INZ or a licensed immigration adviser.
