The New Zealand Labour Party has announced it would expand visa-waiver travel to citizens of Pacific Islands Forum countries, including Samoa, if it forms the next government.
Labour Deputy Leader and Pacific Peoples spokesperson Carmel Sepuloni announced the policy on Thursday, saying the change was aimed at making it easier and cheaper for Pacific families to visit relatives in New Zealand.
Under the proposal, eligible Pacific visitors would be able to travel to New Zealand using a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, or NZeTA, rather than having to apply for a visitor visa before travelling.
Labour says the system would be introduced in stages and developed with Pacific governments if the party forms the next government following New Zealand’s 7 November election. Detailed eligibility requirements and how the wider visa-waiver system would operate have not yet been released.
Sepuloni said visa costs and delays can make it difficult for Pacific families to be together for important occasions such as weddings and funerals.
“We’re making it easier and more affordable for Pacific whānau to reconnect,” she said in Labour’s announcement.
For Samoan citizens, the proposal would represent a significant expansion of the current travel arrangements with New Zealand.
At present, Samoan passport holders generally need a visitor visa before travelling directly from Samoa to New Zealand. Immigration New Zealand lists Samoa among the Pacific Islands Forum countries whose visitor visa applications are made online.
There is already a more limited visa-waiver arrangement for Pacific travellers coming through Australia. Since November 2025, Samoan and other eligible Pacific passport holders with a valid Australian visa have been able to travel from Australia to New Zealand using an NZeTA and stay for up to three months. The arrangement was introduced as a 12-month trial.
Other changes introduced under the current Government include a default two-year multiple-entry visitor visa for many Pacific visitors and temporary reductions in visitor visa fees for eligible Pacific nationals from June 2026.
The push for wider visa-free access has also been the subject of a Pacific community campaign. Earlier this year, a petition carrying almost 50,000 signatures was presented to Parliament calling for easier visa access for Pacific people. Campaigner Anae Arthur Anae welcomed Labour’s announcement but said the focus would now be on whether the policy is delivered.
