Visafar / Transit visas / United States / New Zealand
Do holders of a New Zealand passport need a transit visa for the United States?
No visa, but you need an ESTA. Holders of a New Zealand passport travel to the US under the Visa Waiver Program, and US law requires an approved ESTA before boarding a flight to the US, including one where you only change planes.
Only changing planes?
The US has no airside transit without documents. The rules that once allowed transit without a visa (8 CFR 212.1(f)) are now reserved, and every traveller needs a valid visa and passport unless an exemption applies (22 CFR 41.2(i)). So a connection in New York, Los Angeles or any other US airport needs the same documents as a trip to the US itself: a US visa such as the C-1 transit visa (up to 29 days), or an approved ESTA if your passport is in the Visa Waiver Program.
Sources: 22 CFR 41.2(i) (visa and passport required) · 8 CFR 212.1(f) (direct transits: reserved) · 8 CFR 214.2(c)(1) (C-1 transit) · 8 CFR 217.5 (ESTA). Checked 30 September 2026. Whether your passport needs a visa or an ESTA comes from the passport dataset Visafar uses for entry status.
Not travel advice. From the US Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), checked 30 September 2026. Your airline and US Customs and Border Protection decide. Page built 2026-09-30.