Cook Islands

Visa Cook Islands

Océanie · Polynésie

In the Cook Islands, entry and stay fall to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration. Its web pages again refused to be read on 2026-09-18, but two official documents hosted on its domain could be read: the 2023 immigration regulations and the visitor visa and permit application form. They distinguish the visa, which authorizes travel and entry, from the permit, which authorizes the stay, and detail the visitor categories, the documents required and the conditions of the permit.

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 18 September 2026

At a glance

Authority: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration — Government of the Cook Islands; the Cook Islands Immigration Department and the principal immigration officer examine applications
Submission channel: Form approved by the principal immigration officer. The visitor permit is applied for on the spot, on arrival, from a designated officer; the long-term visitor visa and permit are applied for from abroad or on the spot, but never at the border
Electronic visa: Not stated on the portal consulted; the official form provides for the visa letter to be sent by email when the visa and the permit are granted
Legal basis: Cook Islands Immigration Act 2021 and Cook Islands Immigration Regulations 2023, administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration
Visa / permit distinction: The visa authorizes travel to and entry into the Cook Islands; the permit authorizes the stay and the carrying out of a purpose — visit, work, study or residence
Length of the long-term visitor permit: Six months at most; the corresponding visa is valid for a single journey, to be made within the six months following its issue
Fees: The schedule appears in schedule 11 of the 2023 regulations, in dollars, value added tax included; it states that no fee is charged for the visitor permit issued on first arrival at the airport
Portal language: English; documents drawn up in another language must be accompanied by certified translations into English

Do you need a visa?

Your nationality

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

"New Zealand Visitor Visa and Permit": A visitor permit category provided for by schedule 5 of the regulations. The permit is applied for on the spot, on arrival, from a designated officer. Its conditions of access and its duration depend on nationality and fall under the nationality selector on this page. Official page (new tab)
"International Visitor Permit": A visitor permit category provided for by schedule 5 of the regulations. The permit is applied for on the spot, on arrival, from a designated officer. Its conditions of access and its duration depend on nationality and fall under the nationality selector on this page. Official page (new tab)
"Long-term Visitor Visa and Permit": For a stay of six months at most, as a bona fide visitor seeking an extended stay or as a volunteer with the government of the Cook Islands or a community organization. The application is made from abroad or on the spot, never at the border, and assumes health insurance. Official page (new tab)
Residence visas and permits (schedule 2 of the regulations): The regulations refer to schedule 2 for the criteria, the conditions and the types of residence visa and permit. The detail of that schedule was not gone through. Official page (new tab)
Work and investor visas and permits (schedule 3 of the regulations): The regulations refer to schedule 3 for the criteria, the conditions and the types of work and investor visa and permit. The detail of that schedule was not gone through. Official page (new tab)
Study, research and internship visas and permits (schedule 4): The regulations cover the international child, the adult student, research and internships, and refer to schedule 4 for the criteria and the conditions. The detail of that schedule was not gone through. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

The web pages of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration again refused automated reading on 2026-09-18 (HTTP 403). Two official documents hosted on the same domain could, on the other hand, be read: the Cook Islands Immigration Regulations 2023 and the visitor visa and permit application form, approved by the principal immigration officer.

The regulations distinguish the visa, which authorizes travel to and entry into the Cook Islands, from the permit, which authorizes the stay and the carrying out of a purpose — visit, work, study or residence. They organize the categories into schedules: residence, work and investor, study, research and internship, visitor, special and interim categories.

The visitor permit is applied for on the spot: the person presents themselves on arrival at a designated place or to a designated officer, fills in an arrival card and is issued the permit. The long-term visitor visa and permit may be applied for from abroad or on the spot, but no application may be made at the border.

A single application may cover one person or a family — principal applicant, spouse and dependent children under 18 — with fees owed for each person included. The visa letter is sent by email when the visa and the permit are granted.

Steps in the procedure

Determine the category: visitor permit issued on arrival, long-term visitor visa and permit, or one of the residence, work, investor, study, research or internship categories provided for by the regulations.
Check the general requirements: original and unaltered documents or certified copies, certified translations into English, an acceptable identity document, not being a prohibited person, acceptable health, sufficient funds or sponsorship.
Complete the form approved by the principal immigration officer, for oneself or for the family.
Gather the proof of funds: evidence of sufficient funds for oneself and for dependent children, or a completed sponsorship form.
Provide evidence of onward travel arrangements out of the Cook Islands, or pay a bond.
Provide the police certificates required, less than six months old, where the stay is to reach six months or more.
Undergo a full medical examination by an approved doctor for stays of six months or more, and take out health insurance for the duration of the long-term visitor permit.
Sign the declaration provided for by schedule 9 of the regulations, then file the application; the visa letter is sent by email if it is granted.

Documents mentioned by the authority

Application form approved by the principal immigration officer, completed and signed.
Original and unaltered documents, or certified copies; certified translations into English where they are not drawn up in English.
Acceptable identity document: passport, with its number, its country of issue and its expiry date.
Evidence of sufficient funds for oneself and, where applicable, for dependent children, or a completed sponsorship form.
Evidence of onward travel arrangements out of the Cook Islands, or of funds allowing departure; failing that, payment of a bond.
Police certificates from the country of nationality and from any country of residence of five years or more since the age of 18, less than six months old, for a stay of six months or more.
Full medical examination carried out by an approved doctor, for stays of six months or more.
Health insurance covering the duration of the permit, for the long-term visitor permit.
Details and evidence of any medical condition requiring hospital care during the stay, including major surgery in the last twelve months.
Signed declaration in accordance with schedule 9 of the 2023 regulations.
For dependent children under 18 included in the application: civil status details and passport data for each one.
For a spouse traveling with the applicant: civil status details and passport data.

The exact list depends on the category and on the situation; only the authority's official documents are authoritative.

Stated fees and processing times

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: the schedule of fees appears in schedule 11 of the 2023 regulations, in dollars, value added tax included. The schedule states that no fee is charged for the visitor permit issued on first arrival at the airport.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: fees are owed for each person included in an application, according to the official form.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: no examination time is published in the documents read. The regulations do, however, set procedural time limits, in particular ten working days to complete an incomplete application, failing which the application lapses.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: the long-term visitor visa is valid for a single journey, to be made within the six months following its issue, and the corresponding permit opens a stay of six months at most.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: the form recalls that it is an offense, for the person who helped the applicant, to alter the form or the documents after signature without reporting it; the maximum fine is 10,000 New Zealand dollars and the term of imprisonment seven years at most.

After the decision

The visa letter is sent by email when the visa and the permit are granted, according to the official documents read.

The holder of a visitor permit must hold a valid identity document at all times, comply with the law of the Cook Islands, report any material change of circumstances to the principal immigration officer, retain sufficient funds and maintain onward travel arrangements.

The visitor permit authorizes the exploration of an investment or a business activity without gain or reward, as well as attending — and not delivering — short training courses or certifications that do not amount to study.

The regulations provide for a review of a decision by Cook Islands Immigration and a ministerial review, as well as for the issue of a brief summary of the reasons for a decision; each of these acts gives rise to fees set by schedule 11.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for Cook Islands to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Is a visa required for the Cook Islands?

It depends on nationality and on the purpose of travel; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. The 2023 immigration regulations provide for visa and permit exemptions whose conditions and durations vary by nationality. Always check with the authority.

What is the difference between a visa and a permit?

According to the official documents read: the visa authorizes travel to the Cook Islands and entry into the territory, while the permit authorizes the stay and the carrying out of a purpose — visit, work, study or residence.

Which visitor categories exist?

Schedule 5 of the 2023 regulations provides for the New Zealand visitor permit, the international visitor permit and the long-term visitor visa and permit, the last of which opens a stay of six months at most for a bona fide visitor seeking an extended stay or for a volunteer.

Where is the application filed?

The visitor permit is applied for on the spot, on arrival, at a designated place or from a designated officer, after filling in an arrival card. The long-term visitor visa and permit are applied for from abroad or on the spot, but never at the border.

Which documents must be provided?

The completed and signed form, original and unaltered documents or certified copies, certified translations into English if necessary, an acceptable identity document, evidence of sufficient funds or a sponsorship, onward travel arrangements, and, for a stay of six months or more, police certificates less than six months old and a full medical examination.

How much does the procedure cost?

The schedule of fees appears in schedule 11 of the 2023 regulations, in dollars and value added tax included; fees are owed for each person included in an application. The schedule states that no fee is charged for the visitor permit issued on first arrival at the airport. The amounts by act could not be read reliably.

Official sources

Immigration — Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (îles Cook) (new tab) Authority

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

Cook Islands Immigration Regulations 2023 (new tab) read on 18 September 2026
Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration — Visitor Visa and Permit Application Form (new tab) read on 18 September 2026
Accès refusé (HTTP 403) — aucun contenu lu ; titre non observé (new tab) read on 18 September 2026

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

The pages of the ministry's site (mfai.gov.ck) again returned HTTP 403 on 2026-09-18: only two PDF documents hosted on that domain could be read.
The schedule in schedule 11 of the regulations was read, but its columns turned out to be misaligned on extraction: the amounts could not be reliably attached to each act and are therefore not reproduced here. A reviewer must transcribe them from the document.
The conditions of access and the durations of the New Zealand and international visitor permits depend on nationality: they fall under the rules by nationality reviewed separately.
No examination time is published in the documents read; only procedural time limits appear in the regulations.
Schedules 2, 3, 4 and 6 of the regulations — residence, work and investor, study, research and internship, special and interim categories — were not gone through.
The regulations read carry the wording "These regulations were made on the day of 2023" without a full date: the version in force must be checked.
The form read was created in April 2023: how current it is must be checked before publication.
The ministry's site publishes a criteria page, a visa selector and an online fee schedule, proposed in source_candidates, which could not be read.

Prepare my case

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