MANILA, Philippines—Starting November 30, Filipinos transiting through New Zealand en route to other destinations have been exempt for securing transit visas, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The said the information was relayed by the embassy of New Zealand in Santiago to the embassy of the Philippines in Santiago.

Up until then, Filipinos transiting New Zealand (for instance changing planes) needed to hold a transit visa.

This requirement did not apply from 30 November.

From that date, Filipinos won’t need a visa to transit New Zealand if they remain in the airport and their travel bookings show a stopover of no more than 24 hours.

However, if they plan to stop over for more than 24 hours or plan to leave the airport, they must apply for a visitor visa.

This one is from the News and Notices of the Embassy of New Zealand here in Chile. You can follow this link if you want to check it out yourself: http://www.nzembassy.com/home.cfm?c=16&l=100&CFID=30312325&CFTOKEN=70844910

About Transit Visas

Saturday, 28/11/09

New countries have been added to the list of exempted of holding Transit visas.
You do not need a visitor's visa if you are stopping off at a New Zealand airport on your way to another country, staying in New Zealand for less than 24 hours, and not leaving the transit area of the airport. However, you may require a transit visa.

Most people will not need a transit visa. You will not need one if:

* you are from a visa-free country:

(Andorra - Bahrain - Brunei - Chile - Denmark - France - Hong Kong** - Ireland - Japan - Latvia* - Luxembourg - Mexico - Norway - Portugal*** - San Marino - Slovak Republic - Spain - Arab Emirates - Vatican City - Argentina - Belgium - Bulgaria - Cyprus - Estonia* - Germany - Hungary - Israel - Korea (South) -Liechtenstein - Malaysia - Monaco - Oman - Qatar - Saudi Arabia - Slovenia - Sweden - United States of America**** - Austria -Brazil - Canada - Czech Republic - Finland - Greece***** - Iceland - Italy - Kuwait - Lithuania* - Malta - The Netherlands - Poland - Romania - Singapore - South Africa - Switzerland - Uruguay).

* Visa waiver does not apply to people travelling on alien's (non-citizen's) passports issued by these countries.

** Residents of Hong Kong travelling on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or British National (Overseas) passports.

*** Portuguese passport holders must also have the right to live permanently in Portugal.

**** Including nationals of the USA.

***** Greek passport holders whose passports were issued on and after 1 January 2006. (Greek passports issued before 1 January 2006 are not acceptable for travel

* your next legal destination (immediate or final) is Australia
* you have a current visa allowing you to travel to New Zealand
* you are a citizen of one of the following countries, which are exempt from transit visa requirements:

# Bahamas
# Bermuda
# Bolivia
# Colombia
# Costa Rica
# Ecuador
# Federated States of Micronesia Islands
# Indonesia
# Kiribati
# Nauru
# Palau Panama
# Papua New Guinea
# Paraguay
# Peru
# Philippines
# Republic of Marshall Islands
# Samoa
# Solomon
# Thailand
# Tonga
# Tuvalu
# Vanuatu
# Venezuela