Visiting Australia and New Zealand in one trip: separate visas, biosecurity, routes and an eSIM that covers both

A trip combining Australia and New Zealand works well, but you need two visas: the Australian Visitor visa (subclass 600) and a New Zealand Visitor Visa. Each country has its own border checks and biosecurity rules. Flights between Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane and Auckland take roughly 3 hours.

Which visas do you need for both countries?

Immigration New Zealand says the NZeTA is only for passport holders from visa-waiver countries. Thailand is not one of them, so Thais need a New Zealand Visitor Visa. New visitor applications moved fully online from late September or 1 October 2026.

For Australian visa steps in detail, see our Australia visa guide, and wait for both decisions before booking non-refundable tickets.

Are the biosecurity checks the same in both countries?

Both countries are equally strict, and the systems are separate. Declare all food at each country's border, even if you declared it in the other country moments before.

• Australia: complete the paper card in English and declare all food, plant and animal products, or use an amnesty bin
• New Zealand: everyone completes the New Zealand Traveller Declaration and declares all food; fines apply for not declaring
• Do not carry food from country to country; fruit bought in Australia and carried to New Zealand must be declared too

How should you plan the route between the two countries?

The simplest pattern is to fly into Australia, cross to New Zealand and fly home from there, or the reverse, so you never backtrack. A multi-city ticket is often the easiest way to book it.

Remember the seasons: both countries are in the southern hemisphere, so summer is December to February, autumn March to May, winter June to August and spring September to November (Tourism Australia).

What changes on the day you cross, and are plugs and driving the same?

Australia and New Zealand share Type I plugs and 230 V, 50 Hz supply, so Thai devices rated 220 to 240 V need only one adapter for the whole trip. Wall sockets often have their own switch, which must be turned on. Both countries drive on the left, as Thailand does.

1. 1Prepare documents on your phoneKeep tickets, bookings and each country's visa status offline.
2. 2Finish or bin all foodBefore landing or before each country's screening point.
3. 3Declare under that country's systemAustralia uses the IPC card; New Zealand uses the New Zealand Traveller Declaration.
4. 4Switch your data planIf you use two plans, install ahead and activate on arrival.

Choose different arrival and departure cities to save time, and allow at least two to three hours for connections if you join an international flight from Thailand. Check airline options and flight times directly with the airlines, because schedules change by season. Booking the first night in each country before you fly also helps at immigration, where officers may ask where you are staying.

Should you use one eSIM for both countries, or two plans?

One plan that covers both countries is the most convenient, but open the plan's country list before buying. Plans labelled Asia often exclude Australia. If no plan covers both, buy two and switch before you cross.

• Check your phone model supports VoLTE and 000 calls in Australia; unsupported handsets can be blocked whatever SIM is used
• Outback and mountain areas have no coverage, so download offline maps before driving
• Data-only eSIMs have no local number, so apps sending SMS codes may need another number, such as your Thai SIM with data roaming off for OTPs

For a broader comparison, see “Internet for Australia: How to Choose an Australia eSIM” and “Best eSIM for New Zealand 2026: which brand and how many days”.

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