International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL)
The IVL is a NZD $100 levy charged to most people visiting New Zealand. It is not a visa fee. It is charged per person rather than per application, it is paid when you request an NZeTA or apply for a visa, and it is never refunded — not even if the application is declined.
Quick Facts
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Amount | NZD $100 |
| Charged | Per person included in an application, not per application |
| Paid when | You request an NZeTA or apply for a visa. Bundled into the total when applying online |
| Refundable | Never, even if the application is declined |
| Funds | Conservation, tourism infrastructure and other tourism initiatives |
| Policy owner | MBIE |
| Transit NZeTA | No IVL |
As at 20 August 2026. There has been no general fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026 — INZ's fee schedule still runs from 1 October 2024.
Why it matters
The IVL is the component of a New Zealand visa price that behaves least like the rest of it, and that is precisely why it is worth understanding.
INZ publishes a single combined figure — "from NZD $441" for a visitor visa, for example. That number is actually three separate charges: a $300 application fee, a $41 immigration levy, and the $100 IVL. The three behave differently. The application fee is per application. The immigration levy is per application too, with one exception. The IVL is per person.
For a family, that arithmetic is the difference between a manageable cost and an unexpected one. Four people on one visitor visa application pay one $300 fee, one $41 immigration levy, and four IVLs — $400. The IVL becomes the largest single line on the bill.
It also matters because it is the one charge that is never coming back. INZ does not refund fees or levies where an application is processed and declined, and the IVL is never refunded in any circumstance.
Who pays and who does not
Generally pays the IVL: most people on visitor visas and NZeTAs, working holiday visas, student visas, Work Exchange schemes, Student and Trainee Work visas, and Specific Purpose Work visas. Cruise passengers pay it with their NZeTA.
Exempt from the IVL:
- Australian and New Zealand passport holders
- Passport holders from 16 Pacific nations — INZ's Pacific fee band countries — and Australian permanent residents
- Transit passengers at Auckland International Airport
- New Zealand resident visa holders
- Australian Resident Visa holders
- Business Visitor Visa holders
- APEC Business Travel Card holders
The exemptions are the reason the fee split matters. A Fijian traveller and a British traveller do not pay the same total, and the difference is entirely in the IVL. Fuller treatment is at the International Visitor Levy explained.
Where it shows up in the visa price
| Product | Application fee | Immigration levy | IVL | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa (offshore) | $300 | $41 | $100 | $441 |
| Fee Paying Student Visa | $485 | $265 | $100 | from $850 |
| Working holiday visa | $215 | $455 | $100 | $770 |
| Traveller NZeTA (app) | $17 | — | $100 | $117 |
| Traveller NZeTA (website) | $23 | — | $100 | $123 |
| Transit NZeTA | $17 / $23 | — | none | $17 / $23 |
| Transit Visa | $235 | — | none | $235 |
From the INZ Fees Guide, May 2026, reconciled against INZ's own published "from" totals.
What people get wrong about the IVL
Quoting the old amount. The IVL is $100. A very large volume of published material still carries the pre-October-2024 figure, and travel sites are among the worst offenders. If a page gives you a different number, it has not been updated in two years.
Thinking it is a visa fee. It is not. It funds conservation and tourism infrastructure, and its policy owner is MBIE, not INZ. It is collected alongside visa fees for convenience.
Assuming it is per application. It is per person. This is the single most expensive misunderstanding for families.
Assuming a decline gets it back. It does not. The IVL is never refunded, in any circumstance. Refunds elsewhere in the fee system are available in narrow situations — where you paid a fee you did not need to pay, paid the wrong fee, or your application was not accepted and was returned. None of those extend to the IVL.
Paying it twice on a transit route. A transit NZeTA carries no IVL. If you are transiting through Auckland and being charged $100 on top, you are on the wrong product or the wrong website.
Paying a reseller. The IVL is collected by INZ when you request your NZeTA or apply for your visa. Third-party sites that add a "service fee" on top are resellers, not the government. See NZeTA scam websites and resellers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the International Visitor Levy for New Zealand?
NZD $100 per person, as at August 2026. It is charged in addition to any visa or NZeTA fee.
Who is exempt from the IVL?
Australian and New Zealand passport holders, passport holders from 16 Pacific nations, Australian permanent residents, transit passengers at Auckland International Airport, New Zealand resident visa holders, Australian Resident Visa holders, Business Visitor Visa holders and APEC Business Travel Card holders.
Is the IVL refunded if my visa is declined?
No. The IVL is never refunded, even where the application is declined. This is different from the narrow refund grounds that apply to some application fees.
Is the IVL charged per person or per application?
Per person included in the application. The immigration levy, by contrast, is charged per application — except on group visitor visas, where it too is per person.
Do I pay the IVL for a transit through Auckland?
No. A transit NZeTA carries no IVL, and transit passengers at Auckland International Airport are listed among those exempt. See transiting through New Zealand.
When do I pay the IVL?
At the point you request an NZeTA or submit a visa application. If you apply online it is bundled into the total you are charged, which is why many travellers never see it as a separate line.
What does the IVL pay for?
Conservation, tourism infrastructure and other tourism initiatives. The policy sits with MBIE rather than with Immigration New Zealand.
