(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychellois nationals travelling to New Zealand for less than three months will no longer require visas as of November 21, a top immigration official of New Zealand says.

The agreement recognises the growing relationship New Zealand has with Seychelles, and the change will create tourism and business opportunities, the general manager of Immigration New Zealand (INZ), Peter Elms, said in a statement this week. Mauritius is also part of the new visa rules.

“This visa waiver will make it easier for Mauritius and Seychelles nationals to visit New Zealand,” Elms said.

The Seychelles Minister of Foreign Affairs and Transport, Joel Morgan, said, “This waiver will increase connectivity, boost business and leisure possibilities but more importantly establish greater people-to-people links between our two states.”

With this visa-waiver, nationals of Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, will be able to spend their holiday or visit friends and family in New Zealand up to three months at a time.

Visitors from New Zealand travelling to Seychelles do not need visas as Seychelles is a visa-free country. However, any nationals entering the country need to have in their possession a valid passport or travel documents for the period of the intended period of stay until back in the holder’s country of origin.

The Immigration New Zealand said that health and character requirements still apply to all non-New Zealand visitors and people from visa waiver countries are still required to provide travel tickets or evidence of onward travel arrangements and evidence of funds to support themselves while in New Zealand.

Seychellois nationals can visit 133 countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival. Seychelles is ranked 31st on the global visa restriction index 2016, which ranks nations on how freely they can explore the planet.