New Zealand will increase the price of the physical visa in various countries as of 1 January 2026. In this article, you can read which countries are affected by this measure and in which cases you need a physical visa.
Why are visa fees being increased?
According to New Zealand's immigration service, this price increase is necessary to compensate the general inflation and the immigration service's incresing operating costs.
Where will prices be increased?
The prices will not be increased in all countries. According to schedule, prices will be increased in the following 26 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Republic of Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Vanuatu and Vietnam. Prices will remain the same in the rest of the countries.
Moreover, the price increase only affects physical visa applications submitted via VFS Global, a service provider processing visa applications for New Zealand.
Physical visa not always required
Most European travellers do not need to apply for a physical visa if they travel for holiday or business. Instead, they can use an NZeTA, a digital travel authorisation allowing travellers to visit New Zealand an unlimited number of times within its 2-year validity period. Each stay may last up to 3 consecutive months. You can apply for the NZeTA online, you don't need to visit the embassy or consulate. The application only takes a few minutes to complete, since the form is quite short.
e-Visa.ie provides an application form with clear explanations. Once the application has been submitted, the NZeTA is usually issued within 5 days approved. If you submit an urgent application, the NZeTA will be issued within 24 hours on average. Find out more about the requirements and the validity. If your trip qualifies for an NZeTA, it is always better to apply for a NZeTA than to apply for a physical visa.
Who needs a physical visa?
There are several reasons why travellers might need to apply for a physical visa. If the traveller is not eligible for an electronic visa due to their nationality, if the purpose of the trip is not permitted with an NZeTA, if travellers wish to stay in New Zealand for more than three months, or if they cannot answer “no” to all security questions and are unable to apply for an NZeTA. If you want to apply for a physical visa for New Zealand, you can request prices via VFS Global.