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NZ Visitor Visa or NZeTA: How the Two Differ, Fees and the NZD 100 Levy

A Visitor Visa costs from NZD 441 and an NZeTA NZD 117 (app) or NZD 123 (online form), each including the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. An NZeTA is not a visa: INZ says it lets visa-waiver travellers visit without applying for a visa first, and a visa is still granted at the border.

Most travellers to New Zealand need one of two things before they board: a Visitor Visa or a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA). Immigration New Zealand (INZ) says: "Most travellers must have a visa or a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before travelling to New Zealand." The two cost very different amounts, last for different periods, and carry different rules. Both include a levy of NZD 100 that many travellers do not expect.

This guide explains how INZ describes each, what each costs as shown in INZ's fee finder on 9 October 2026, how long each stay can last and the other conditions INZ sets. It does not say which one any reader needs. INZ publishes a tool called "Check if you need a visa or an NZeTA", and that tool, not this page, is the place to find out for a given passport. A traveller who needs to know how the rules apply to their own immigration history should ask a licensed immigration adviser or lawyer.

What each one is

INZ describes the Visitor Visa as follows: "People travelling on a passport from some countries must apply for a Visitor Visa to visit New Zealand. You can stay for up to either 6 months or 9 months. You cannot work, but you can study for up to 3 months." It lets the holder holiday, visit family and friends, study for up to 3 months and include a partner and dependent children in the application. An applicant must have plans to leave New Zealand at the end of the stay, have enough money or an acceptable sponsor, and not plan to work, "unless you work remotely for a business overseas". Applications are made online; INZ notes that from 1 October 2026 applications for this visa must be made online.

The NZeTA is something different. INZ's page says: "Some people can use an NZeTA to travel to New Zealand without applying for a visa first." On its arrival page INZ is blunter: "An NZeTA is not a visa." A traveller with an NZeTA applies for a visa and entry permission at the border, and INZ's Visa Waiver Visitor Visa page says: "If given entry permission, we give you a Visa Waiver Visitor Visa when you arrive." That visa is granted at the border and costs NZD 0, but the NZeTA fee comes first and, INZ says, "There is no refund of the NZeTA fee if we do not give you a visa at the border."

So the order of events differs. With a Visitor Visa the decision happens before travel, after a processing wait. With an NZeTA the travel authority is quick, and the decision on the visa waiver visa happens at the border.

Who is on which path

INZ's NZeTA page says a person may be able to get an NZeTA if they are:

  • a citizen of a visa waiver country or territory;
  • a citizen of China or a Pacific Islands Forum country travelling to New Zealand from Australia with an eligible Australian visa;
  • arriving on a cruise ship or cargo ship as a passenger;
  • an Australian citizen or permanent resident; or
  • transiting through New Zealand to another country.

Visa waiver countries and territories are listed on a separate INZ page, which begins: "New Zealand has visa waiver agreements with countries and jurisdictions to recognise long-standing relationships. If you have a passport from a country or territory on the visa waiver list on this page, you can travel to New Zealand without a visa — but you need to get a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) first." The list includes, among others, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan and South Korea, with qualifiers for some passports (Hong Kong, for example, is limited to residents on HKSAR or British National (Overseas) passports). INZ's Visitor Visa page says that people travelling on a passport from some countries must apply for a Visitor Visa, which is why INZ publishes a tool to check.

Some travellers need neither. INZ lists people who "do not need an NZeTA", including anyone with a valid New Zealand visa (work, student, visitor, resident or permanent resident), anyone travelling on an Australian passport or New Zealand passport, and anyone on a foreign passport with a New Zealand citizen endorsement. Australian citizens need no visa or NZeTA to visit, and are normally given an Australian Resident Visa at the border; Australian permanent residents need an NZeTA. The guide for Australians covers these rules.

Fees: Visitor Visa and NZeTA

INZ's fee finder, queried on 9 October 2026 for passports from India, the United Kingdom and the Philippines, returned:

  • Visitor Visa: NZD 441, 80% of applications completed within 2 weeks. The same amount appeared for the Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa and the Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa, and NZD 341 for the Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa.
  • NZeTA through the mobile app: NZD 117, with INZ saying to allow 72 hours.
  • NZeTA through the online form: NZD 123.

The description INZ gives for the visitor fee says: "This is the charge for Immigration New Zealand to process your application. We do not refund application costs if we decline your application." and "A non-refundable immigration levy is charged and is included in the cost." Both fees include the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy: "Each person must pay an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) of NZD $100. This is included in the cost."

The NZeTA page headline reads "From NZD $17". That matches what the finder returned when queried with an Australian passport: NZD 17 for the app and NZD 23 for the online form, which is NZD 100 lower than the amounts returned for the other passports queried. INZ's NZeTA fee description says the IVL "is not charged to travellers passing through Auckland International Airport as transit passengers", and its Australian Resident Visa page says Australian permanent residents who need an NZeTA "do not need to pay the International Visitor Levy". Which amount appears for a given traveller therefore depends on the passport and the purpose, and the amount shown when the request is made is the one to rely on.

A family can request separately: INZ says the online form needs a separate NZeTA for each member of a family or group, while the app can request NZeTAs for up to 10 people at the same time.

The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy

The NZD 100 levy is not a separate payment for most travellers. INZ describes it as "included in the cost" of the Visitor Visa, NZeTA, Fee Paying Student Visa, Parent Boost Visitor Visa and working holiday visas it lists. The levy is charged per person. It is not charged for transit passengers through Auckland, and INZ says Australian citizens and permanent residents do not pay it. INZ's Australian Resident Visa page says the same for that visa, which costs NZD 0.

The INZ pages read do not state what the levy funds or when its amount last changed; INZ's visa pages are the place to check the current position. The practical point is that INZ's headline numbers already contain it. A traveller comparing the NZD 441 Visitor Visa and the NZD 123 NZeTA is comparing amounts that each include NZD 100.

How long a stay can be

The two have different stay limits and INZ sets them out separately.

For the NZeTA, INZ says it lets a traveller "visit for up to 3 months at a time, or up to 6 months at a time if you are from the United Kingdom". The NZeTA itself is valid for 2 years for travellers (5 years for airline crew), and can be used for multiple visits, but a traveller can be in New Zealand for up to 6 months in any 12-month period, counted back from the intended departure date. INZ's worked example shows a Canadian passport holder making two 3-month visits in a year and then being unable to make a third.

For the Visitor Visa, INZ says a stay can be up to 6 or 9 months. A multiple-entry visa allows visits as many times as wanted while the visa is valid and a stay of up to a total of 6 months in each 12-month period, and a person must have been out of New Zealand for at least 9 months in the 18-month period before applying to be eligible for it. A single-entry visa allows one entry and up to 9 months in an 18-month period, and the visa expires if the holder leaves. INZ says the maximum is 9 months in an 18-month period. Pacific passport holders may be eligible for a 24-month multiple-entry visa.

These are the published limits. How they apply to a traveller who plans repeat or long visits is a question about their own dates.

Conditions that apply to both

Several requirements are common to both. A visitor must be in good health, be of good character, have a genuine reason for coming and plans to leave at the end of the stay. For money, INZ's NZeTA page says: "If you are visiting New Zealand, you must have at least NZD $1,000 a month, or NZD $400 a month if you have already paid for your accommodation." The Visitor Visa page gives the same amounts and also allows an acceptable sponsor. An NZeTA does not allow that: "You will not meet the requirements for an NZeTA if you need a sponsor to cover your costs in New Zealand. If you need sponsorship you must apply for a visa and have it before you travel."

Other points:

  • Work: INZ says visitors cannot work, other than remotely for a business overseas. Study is allowed for up to 3 months.
  • Medical treatment: a traveller coming for medical treatment or consultation must apply for a Medical Treatment Visitor Visa, not an NZeTA.
  • Health evidence: for a Visitor Visa INZ may ask for a chest X-ray, a medical examination or both. It says that a stay under 6 months does not normally need a chest X-ray and a stay under 12 months does not normally need a medical certificate, and that INZ may still ask later.
  • Police certificates: a Visitor Visa applicant aged 17 or older whose total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer must provide police certificates less than 6 months old.
  • Character: both ask character questions. INZ says that if a traveller is not sure they will meet the character requirements, they "should apply for a visa and have one before you travel".
  • Passport: it must be valid for at least 3 months after the planned departure date for a Visitor Visa, and INZ warns a traveller may not be allowed to check in if the passport is close to expiring.
  • Entry permission: even with a visa or NZeTA, everyone applies for entry permission on arrival and completes the New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD), which can be submitted from 24 hours before an air journey begins. INZ says officers may ask for a ticket out of New Zealand or evidence of funds, and a traveller on an NZeTA may need a ticket out of New Zealand to a country they have the right to enter.

A refusal is possible with either. INZ's NZeTA page says that if it believes a traveller does not meet the character requirements, no NZeTA is issued and INZ can stop the traveller at check-in or refuse entry permission on arrival.

Timing and applying early

The two differ sharply in processing. INZ's wait-time page, read on 9 October 2026, shows a Visitor Visa average of 1 week and most completed within 2 weeks, and an NZeTA average of 24 hours with "allow for" 3 days. The fee finder says to allow 72 hours for an NZeTA. INZ recommends that travellers do not book non-refundable travel until the Visitor Visa is approved, and says that processing is busiest between September and March, urging an early application. The processing times guide explains how these figures are measured.

An NZeTA request is made on the NZeTA app or online form. A Visitor Visa is applied for online with documents such as proof of funds, proof of the means to leave, and relationship documents if a partner or children are included. INZ adds that a visitor already in New Zealand whose temporary visa will expire during a pending application will normally be issued an interim visa.

Finding a licensed immigration adviser

Migratio lists licensed immigration advisers so you can compare them and contact one directly. Every listing shows the adviser's licence number, which you can check on the Immigration Advisers Authority's public register before you book. We don't assess cases and don't tell anyone which visa or pathway fits them; that is the adviser's job.

Questions people ask

How much does an NZeTA cost?

INZ's fee finder showed NZD 117 through the mobile app and NZD 123 through the online form on 9 October 2026, each including the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. When queried with an Australian passport it returned NZD 17 and NZD 23.

Is an NZeTA the same as a visa?

No. INZ says an NZeTA is not a visa. It lets visa-waiver travellers travel without applying for a visa first, and INZ may then grant a Visa Waiver Visitor Visa at the border, for NZD 0, if the traveller is given entry permission.

How much is a New Zealand visitor visa?

INZ's fee finder showed NZD 441, including the NZD 100 IVL, for a Visitor Visa on 9 October 2026, with 80% of applications completed within 2 weeks. Applications for the visa must be made online from 1 October 2026.

What is the International Visitor Levy for New Zealand?

INZ's fee descriptions state that each person must pay an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy of NZD 100, included in the cost of the Visitor Visa and the NZeTA. It is not charged to transit passengers through Auckland or to people granted an Australian Resident Visa.

How long can a visitor stay in New Zealand?

With an NZeTA, INZ says up to 3 months at a time, or 6 months for United Kingdom citizens, and up to 6 months in any 12-month period. A Visitor Visa can allow up to 6 or 9 months, with a maximum of 9 months in an 18-month period.

Can visitors work in New Zealand?

INZ says visitors cannot work, other than remotely for a business overseas. They can study for up to 3 months.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • NZ Visa Fees 2026: The Main Visa Costs in One List — Immigration New Zealand's fee finder showed these main application costs on 9 October 2026: visitor visa NZD 441, AEWV 1,540, Fee Paying Student 850, Post-Study Work 1,670, residence under the Skilled Migrant, Straight to Residence and Work to Residence visas 6,450, and Partner of a New Zealander Resident 5,360. Each is a stated amount for the passports and places queried.
  • NZ Visa Processing Times: What INZ Publishes and How to Read It — Immigration New Zealand publishes processing times in two forms: an average wait time (50% of applications) and a most-completed-within figure (80%), in working days, updated weekly for applications processed in the last 4 weeks; and a separate 80% figure in its fee finder. On 9 October 2026 the two sources gave different numbers for some visas, so the source and date matter.
  • Moving to NZ From Australia: How the Rules for Australians Work — Immigration New Zealand grants an Australian Resident Visa at the New Zealand border for NZD 0 to Australian citizens and to permanent residents who hold an NZeTA. It lets the holder live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely, but Australian temporary residents are not eligible.
  • NZ Interim Visas: When They Start and What They Allow — INZ normally grants an Interim Visa automatically, for no fee, if a temporary visa expires while a new temporary visa application is being assessed. It starts the day after the old visa expires, lasts up to 6 months, ends if the holder leaves New Zealand, and its work and study conditions depend on the old and new visa types.
  • Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa NZ: The Rules — The Culturally Arranged Marriage Visitor Visa lets a person come to New Zealand for up to 3 months to marry, or after marrying overseas, where the marriage was arranged by someone other than the couple within an identified cultural tradition. INZ showed NZD 441, including the NZD 100 levy, and 5 weeks (80%) on 9 October 2026.
  • Parent Boost Visitor Visa NZ: Income, Insurance and Fees — The Parent Boost Visitor Visa lets parents of New Zealand citizens or residents visit for up to 5 years, with a health and insurance check in year 3. INZ showed NZD 3,100 and an expected processing time of around 4 months on 9 October 2026; a person can hold only 2 of these visas and it does not lead to residence.