WELLINGTON, New Zealand, April 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- New Zealand has launched the 5-year multiple-entry visa for Chinese citizens, and UnionPay International announced that the official website of Immigration New Zealand accepts UnionPay credit and debit cards (card number starting with 62) issued worldwide, offering secure and convenient payment services to tourists visiting New Zealand who apply for visa online.
Immigration New Zealand announced that Chinese citizens who want to go to New Zealand to travel, visit relatives or do business and who submit visa application after May 8, 2017, will be able to get a multi-entry visa for as long as 5 years. At present, besides the traditional way, Chinese tourists may apply for New Zealand visas on the official website of Immigration New Zealand. After filling in necessary visa application information online, tourists may choose UnionPay cards as the online payment method. Immigration New Zealand has said that it sees the addition of UnionPay cards as a significant step forward in its online service for Chinese visitors that includes online registration and application screens in the Chinese language, as well as eVisas and passport free applications.
Moreover, UnionPay platinum cards (platinum cards and diamond cards) cardholders may use UnionPay cards as substitute for bank statement, wage certificate and incumbency certificate when applying for an individual visa to New Zealand in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
According to the data of Tourism New Zealand, the number of Chinese tourists visiting New Zealand exceeds 400,000 in 2016. With more tourists visiting New Zealand, UnionPay International is expanding UnionPay cards online and offline acceptance scope. Now in New Zealand, 80% of ATMs and more than 30,000 POS terminals accept UnionPay cards, covering duty free shops, department stores, restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, tourist attractions and taxis. It is expected that 60% of the local POS terminals will be able to accept UnionPay cards within this year. Many department stores, restaurants and tourist attractions will support UnionPay mobile QuickPass too.
It is increasingly convenient to use UnionPay cards at New Zealand online merchants. Westpac Banking will enable about 2,000 of its online merchants to accept UnionPay cards. These merchants include ACE, G Force, Polynesian SPA, Maori Village and Victoria University of Wellington. Previously, students and their parents can already pay for tuition fees with UnionPay cards on the official website of University of Auckland.
