River Callahan
Most visa waiver visitors to New Zealand pay two charges in one online transaction before they fly: the NZeTA, the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, at NZ$17 through the official app or NZ$23 through the website, plus the NZ$100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, the IVL, charged per person at the same time. Immigration New Zealand advises requesting the NZeTA at least 72 hours before departure. Once issued, an NZeTA is valid for 2 years and covers multiple visits of up to 3 months each, or up to 6 months for United Kingdom passport holders. Australian citizens are exempt from both the NZeTA and the IVL.
Quick Facts: What Do You Pay Before You Fly?
- NZeTA via the official app: NZ$17 per person
- NZeTA via the website: NZ$23 per person
- International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL): NZ$100 per person, paid with the NZeTA or visa application
- Total for most visitors: NZ$117 by app or NZ$123 by website
- Validity: 2 years, multiple visits, up to 3 months per visit and up to 6 months for UK passport holders
- Timing: Request at least 72 hours before you fly
- Exempt: Australian citizens need neither an NZeTA nor the IVL
- Prices checked / Last updated: November 2026, against Immigration New Zealand
What Is the NZeTA, and Who Needs One?
The NZeTA is a travel authority, not a visa. Citizens of visa waiver countries must hold one before boarding a flight or cruise to New Zealand, alongside travelers in some transit and Australian permanent resident situations. It is a pre-travel screening step: the airline checks it at check-in, and without an approved NZeTA on a matching passport, boarding can be refused even though no visa was ever required. If your passport is not from a visa waiver country, the NZeTA is not your route at all: you apply for a visitor visa instead, and the IVL is collected with that application.
The detail that catches families out is that the requirement is per person and per passport. Every traveler, including children, needs their own NZeTA, and if you renew your passport, the authority does not transfer: you request a new NZeTA for the new passport number. Request it through the official app or the Immigration New Zealand website only. Third-party sites charge extra for the same submission, and the saving from the app price is real money across a family group.
What Is the IVL, and Where Does the Money Go?
The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is a flat NZ$100 contribution collected from most visitors at the point they request an NZeTA or apply for a visa. It exists to channel visitor money into the conservation estate and tourism infrastructure that visitors use: the walking tracks, reserves and visitor facilities that sit at the center of most New Zealand itineraries. The levy is charged per person and is not refunded if a request is declined, which is one more reason to check your eligibility carefully before paying rather than after.
Travelers planning the country’s signature hiking will see the levy at work conceptually in the track network described in our guide to New Zealand’s Great Walks booking system, where hut and campsite reservations run on a separate seasonal calendar that also rewards early planning.
Why Does the 72-Hour Advice Matter?
Many NZeTA requests are decided quickly, but Immigration New Zealand’s advice to allow 72 hours exists because some requests need manual assessment. Requesting at the airport is the classic failure mode: check-in closes before an answer arrives, and the airline cannot board you on a pending request. Build the NZeTA into the booking sequence instead: flights, then NZeTA, then accommodation. The same discipline applies across the region, where pre-travel authorizations now sit alongside arrival cards: our explainer on planning a first trip to Tokyo shows how Japan’s very different entry steps reward the same book-early habit.
Who Is Exempt, and What Are the Common Mistakes?
Australian citizens travel under the trans-Tasman arrangement and need neither an NZeTA nor the IVL. Australian permanent residents sit in a different lane: they do need an NZeTA, though the IVL treatment differs, so check the official checker against your exact status rather than assuming a neighbor’s experience applies to you. The recurring mistakes are consistent: paying an inflated fee on a lookalike site, requesting too late, traveling on a renewed passport with an NZeTA attached to the old one, and assuming a partner’s or parent’s approval covers the whole group. Each traveler, each passport, each request: that is the safe rule.
How Do You Request an NZeTA, Step by Step?
The process is short but unforgiving of typos. Download the official NZeTA app or open the Immigration New Zealand request page, then scan or photograph your passport as prompted, answer the eligibility and character questions, and pay the combined charge: the NZeTA fee plus the NZ$100 IVL for most travelers. The details you submit are tied to your passport number, so check the number digit by digit before paying; an approval attached to a mistyped passport is useless at check-in. Keep the approval confirmation with your travel documents, and recheck your status in the official app or website if your trip is months away or your passport has been replaced since you applied.
What Does the NZeTA Not Let You Do?
An NZeTA is permission to travel to the border as a visitor, not a work right and not a guarantee of entry. It does not allow employment with a New Zealand employer, it does not cover study beyond short visitor-appropriate courses, and border officers can still ask about funds, onward tickets and the purpose of the visit on arrival. Stays run up to 3 months per visit for most nationalities and up to 6 months for United Kingdom passport holders, within the overall visitor rules. Travelers whose plans involve working holidays, longer study or business activity need the matching visa category instead, and the IVL is collected with those applications in the same way.
How Much Should a Family Budget for Entry Charges?
The per-person structure means entry charges scale with group size in a way first-time visitors often miss when budgeting. A couple pays twice the single total, and children each carry their own NZeTA and IVL, so a family of four entering on visa waiver passports should expect four combined payments before a single hotel night is booked. The app discount is worth taking seriously at that scale: requesting through the official app rather than the website saves NZ$6 per person, NZ$24 for four, for the identical approval. None of this is payable on arrival, so the full amount belongs in the pre-departure budget alongside flights and insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions About the NZeTA and IVL
How much does it cost in total?
For most visitors, NZ$117 per person through the official app or NZ$123 through the website, combining the NZeTA fee and the NZ$100 IVL.
How long is an NZeTA valid?
Two years from issue, covering multiple visits of up to 3 months each, or up to 6 months per visit for United Kingdom passport holders.
Can you request an NZeTA at the airport?
You can submit a request, but you cannot board until it is approved, and approval is not instant for everyone. Immigration New Zealand advises allowing 72 hours.
Do Australian citizens need an NZeTA?
No. Australian citizens are exempt from both the NZeTA and the IVL. Australian permanent residents do need an NZeTA.
Is the IVL refundable?
No. The levy is not refunded if your NZeTA request or visa application is declined, so confirm eligibility before you pay.
