James Wolfe
Most visitors to New Zealand now pay two charges in a single transaction before they fly: the NZeTA request fee and the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, the IVL, which stands at NZ$100 per person. The NZeTA itself costs NZ$17 in the official app or NZ$23 on the Immigration New Zealand website, so the usual total is NZ$117 or NZ$123 per person. The IVL rose to NZ$100 in October 2024, and it is charged again each time a traveller requests a new NZeTA. This updated rules piece sets out who needs an NZeTA, who pays the levy, who is exempt, and how cruise and transit passengers are treated. Prices checked against Immigration New Zealand on November 14, 2026.
Quick Facts
- IVL amount: NZ$100 per person, paid with the NZeTA or most visitor visas, not refunded if an application is declined.
- NZeTA fee: NZ$17 via the official app, NZ$23 via the official website.
- Typical total: NZ$117 by app or NZ$123 online, per person.
- NZeTA validity: 2 years, multiple visits, normally up to 3 months per visit, 6 months for United Kingdom citizens.
- Processing advice: Request the NZeTA at least 72 hours before travel, per Immigration New Zealand guidance.
- Transit rule: Transit passengers through Auckland International Airport do not pay the IVL.
- Cruise rule: Cruise passengers need an NZeTA and pay the IVL.
- Biggest exemption: Australian citizens need neither an NZeTA nor the IVL.
What is the difference between the NZeTA and the IVL?
The two charges buy different things and are set by different logic. The NZeTA, the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, is a travel authorisation: it is not a visa, it does not guarantee entry, and it lets Immigration New Zealand assess a traveller before boarding. It is required for citizens of the 60 visa waiver countries and territories travelling as visitors, for cruise passengers of most nationalities, and for Australian permanent residents. The IVL is a levy, not an application fee. It funds conservation and tourism infrastructure, and it is collected by Immigration New Zealand on behalf of the Crown at the same moment the NZeTA or visa is requested. Because the charges travel together, travellers often mistake the NZ$100 for an inflated application fee. It is not: NZ$17 or NZ$23 is the authority, and NZ$100 is the levy.
Who must pay the NZ$100 IVL?
Immigration New Zealand states that many tourists, people on working holidays, and some students and workers must pay the IVL. In practice it is charged for most visitor visas, excluding partner and dependent categories, and for most NZeTA requests. Each person pays individually, including children travelling on the request. The levy is payable every time a person requests an NZeTA or applies for a visa that carries it, so when an NZeTA expires after two years and is requested again, the IVL is charged again. There are no refunds, even when an application or request is declined, which is a further reason to use only the official app or website and to enter passport details exactly as printed.
Who does not pay the IVL?
The exemption list matters because several common traveller types sit inside it. You do not pay the IVL if you travel on an Australian or New Zealand passport, on a passport from many Pacific Island nations, as a transit passenger arriving at and leaving from Auckland International Airport, on a New Zealand resident visa, on an Australian Resident Visa, or on a Business Visitor Visa or an APEC business travel card. Australian permanent residents are a frequent source of confusion: they must hold an NZeTA before travelling, but they do not pay the IVL, so their total is just NZ$17 or NZ$23. Other exemptions cover categories such as diplomatic staff, some medical travellers and certain visa classes, and Immigration New Zealand provides an online fees tool to confirm individual cases.
How do cruise and transit cases work?
Cruise passengers are treated as visitors, not as transit traffic. A traveller arriving in New Zealand on a cruise ship needs an NZeTA regardless of visa waiver nationality, and pays the IVL with it. The exception runs the other way for a passenger who flies in and then boards a cruise: that traveller may need a visa instead, so the ship’s boarding rules should be checked well in advance. Transit is narrower than many travellers assume. The IVL exemption covers passengers who arrive at and depart from Auckland International Airport in transit to another country without entering New Zealand; a transit NZeTA costs NZ$17 by app or NZ$23 online with no levy on top. A long layover during which you leave the airport and enter the country is a visit, not transit, and is charged as one.
How long does an NZeTA take, and how long does it last?
Immigration New Zealand advises allowing 72 hours for an NZeTA request to be processed, even though many requests resolve much faster. The authority is valid for two years from issue and covers multiple visits. Visa waiver visitors can normally stay up to three months in any visit, with United Kingdom citizens allowed up to six months. Working for a New Zealand employer is not permitted on an NZeTA visit. Travellers who are not from a visa waiver country need a visitor visa instead, and the IVL is included in that application for most applicants.
How does this relate to earlier Always Packed coverage?
Always Packed first explained this system in November 2025 coverage of the levy, and this article is the board’s updated rules piece for the 2026 season, consolidating the current NZ$100 rate, the app and website fee split, and the cruise and transit treatment in one place. Travellers building a trip around the paperwork can pair it with our Nelson and Abel Tasman base guide, our 2 days in Christchurch itinerary and the earlier New Zealand visitor levy explainer, which this piece supersedes on fees.
What should travellers do before booking?
Request the NZeTA before paying for anything non refundable that depends on boarding, and request it from the official app or website only, because lookalike services add their own charges on top of the government fee and levy and some never file the request at all. Keep the passport used for the request consistent through the trip, since the authority is linked to that passport, and recheck the total charged: NZ$117 by app or NZ$123 online is the complete official figure for a standard visitor, and anything materially higher signals a third party margin rather than a government charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an NZeTA cost in total?
For most visitors, NZ$117 through the official app or NZ$123 through the official website. That total is the NZeTA fee of NZ$17 or NZ$23 plus the NZ$100 IVL.
Do cruise passengers pay the IVL?
Yes. Cruise passengers need an NZeTA before the ship sails for New Zealand and pay the NZ$100 IVL with the request, unless an individual exemption applies.
Do transit passengers pay the IVL?
No. Passengers transiting through Auckland International Airport without entering New Zealand do not pay the IVL. Their transit NZeTA costs NZ$17 by app or NZ$23 online.
Are Australians exempt?
Australian citizens need no NZeTA and pay no IVL. Australian permanent residents need an NZeTA but do not pay the IVL.
Is the IVL refunded if my request is declined?
No. Immigration New Zealand does not refund the IVL, even when an application or request is declined.
How early should I request an NZeTA?
Allow at least 72 hours before departure, and use only the official NZeTA app or the Immigration New Zealand website. Third party sites charge more for the same authority.
