New Zealand Visa Fee Bands A, B and C Explained
New Zealand charges three different prices for the same visa. Band A applies to people already in New Zealand, Band B to citizens of specified Pacific countries applying from outside, and Band C to everyone else offshore. A Visitor Visa is NZ$300 in Bands A and C but NZ$120 in Band B — and Band B citizens are usually IVL-exempt too.
Quick Facts
| Number of bands | Three: A, B and C |
| Band A | Applicant is in New Zealand when applying. GST inclusive |
| Band B | Applicant is outside New Zealand and is a citizen of a specified Pacific country |
| Band C | Applicant is outside New Zealand, rest of the world |
| What decides your band | Where you are, plus the passport you apply on — not which visa you want |
| Dual citizens | You pay the band for the passport used in the application |
| Biggest single gap | Visitor Visa: $120 Band B against $300 Bands A and C |
| Does the band change the IVL? | No — but most Band B nationalities are IVL-exempt anyway |
| Source | Fees Guide INZ 1028, May 2026 edition |
What the three bands are
The fee band is the first thing that decides your price, and it is set by circumstances rather than by choice.
| Band | Who it applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Band A | Applicants who are in New Zealand when they apply | Figures are GST inclusive |
| Band B | Applicants outside New Zealand who are citizens of specified Pacific countries | Consistently the cheapest band |
| Band C | Applicants outside New Zealand, from the rest of the world | The default for most of the world |
Band A and Band C are the same price for many products, including the Visitor Visa at $300. Where they differ, Band A is usually the same or lower. Band B is lower for almost everything.
The band applies to the application fee only. The immigration levy is the same in every band. The International Visitor Levy is the same in every band as well — $100 per person — but the exemption list overlaps heavily with the Band B country list, which is why Band B applicants so often pay far less in total. See the full New Zealand visa fee list for the fee, levy and IVL split on every product.
The Band B countries
Band B applies to applicants outside New Zealand who are citizens of the following:
Australia · American Samoa · Fiji · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Federated States of Micronesia · Nauru · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Pitcairn Islands · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Tuvalu · Vanuatu
Plus citizens of the Cook Islands and Niue who are not travelling on a New Zealand passport. Cook Islanders and Niueans who hold New Zealand citizenship and travel on a New Zealand passport do not need a visa at all, so the band question never arises for them.
Four territories are not resolved by a published rule. For citizens of French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia and Norfolk Island, the applicable band differs by application type, and INZ directs applicants to its fee finder rather than publishing which band applies to what. If you hold one of those passports, do not assume Band B — check the fee finder for the specific visa.
What the difference is worth
| Product | Band A | Band B | Band C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa | 300 | 120 | 300 |
| Student visa | 485 | 270 | 485 |
| Post-study work visa | 320 | 270 | 320 |
| Transit visa | 235 | 195 | 235 |
| Skilled Residence | 2,880 | 1,860 | 2,880 |
| Family Category | 1,940 | 1,390 | 1,940 |
| Dependent Child | 1,830 | 1,360 | 1,830 |
| Parent Boost | 1,940 | 1,390 | 1,940 |
| Permanent Resident Visa | 315 | 260 | 315 |
| Second or subsequent resident visa | 275 | 250 | 275 |
| Variation of travel conditions (resident visa) | 320 | 260 | 320 |
| Active Investor Plus | 12,070 | 6,190 | 12,070 |
| Business Investor Category | 11,320 | 5,610 | 11,320 |
| Accredited Employer Work Visa | 480 | 480 | 480 |
| Partnership work visa | 570 | 570 | 570 |
| Working Holiday Scheme | 215 | — | 215 |
Two patterns are worth reading off that table.
Band B is roughly half price on residence and investor products. Skilled Residence falls from $2,880 to $1,860. Active Investor Plus falls from $12,070 to $6,190 — a saving of $5,880 on the application fee alone, although the $15,400 immigration levy is unchanged.
Some products have no band difference at all. The Accredited Employer Work Visa is $480 in every band. So is the partnership work visa at $570. Where a product is priced identically across bands, your location changes nothing about the fee.
Working Holiday Schemes show a dash in Band B because no Pacific country in the Band B list has a Working Holiday Scheme with New Zealand. The fee simply never arises.
Why Band B exists, and the Pacific concession on top of it
Band B is one of several ways New Zealand prices Pacific access differently. Alongside the lower fee band, three other Pacific-specific features run in parallel:
- The Pacific Access Category and the Samoan Quota carry no immigration levy at all. PAC residence is $1,300 and the Samoan Quota is $820, flat.
- Sixteen Pacific nations are exempt from the IVL, along with Australia and New Zealand.
- A temporary Pacific visitor visa fee reduction took effect on 1 June 2026, cutting the offshore Pacific visitor total from $216 to $161 for citizens of thirteen Pacific nations. It runs for twelve months, so it is due to expire around 31 May 2027, and it excludes Parent Boost and Group Visitor Visas.
That $161 figure matches the Band B application fee of $120 plus the $41 immigration levy exactly. The reconciliation is ours, not a statement by INZ, and it holds only where the applicant is also IVL-exempt. See the Pacific visitor visa fee reduction.
The Band B list and the IVL exemption list are separate documents and are not identical. Australia appears on both. Some entries do not. Check your own passport against both lists rather than assuming one implies the other.
The rules that catch people out
Dual citizens pay the band for the passport used in the application. If you hold both a Samoan and a British passport and apply on the British one, you are Band C, and the fee is $300 rather than $120. The passport in the application decides it, not the passport you own.
Band A is about where you are, not where you are from. A citizen of any country who is lawfully in New Zealand and applies from inside the country pays Band A. This matters for onshore versus offshore applications, because it can shift the fee in either direction depending on the product.
Currency conversion moves the amount you actually pay. Where a fee is paid in a currency other than New Zealand dollars, INZ states that the amount payable may vary slightly with exchange rates. Budget a small margin.
A Visa Application Centre service fee sits outside the band system entirely. VAC service fees rose on 1 January 2026 across 26 countries. Those charges belong to the centre, not to INZ, and no fee band changes them.
Where to check your own band
INZ operates a fee finder that takes the visa type, your location and your nationality and returns the exact charge, including whether the immigration levy and IVL apply. For four items in the schedule — including the visitor visa and student visa IVL lines — INZ's own printed table carries an asterisk directing readers to that tool rather than stating a rule.
Use it before you pay. Fees paid in error are refundable only in narrow circumstances, and the IVL is never refunded at all. See NZ visa fee refunds explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the New Zealand visa fee bands?
Three price tiers for the same visa. Band A is for applicants inside New Zealand and is GST inclusive. Band B is for applicants outside New Zealand who are citizens of specified Pacific countries. Band C is for applicants outside New Zealand from the rest of the world.
Which countries are in the Pacific fee band?
Australia, American Samoa, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu — plus citizens of the Cook Islands and Niue who are not travelling on a New Zealand passport.
How much cheaper is Band B?
It varies by product. A visitor visa is $120 instead of $300. A student visa is $270 instead of $485. Skilled Residence is $1,860 instead of $2,880. Some products, including the Accredited Employer Work Visa, cost the same in every band.
Is a New Zealand visa cheaper if I apply from inside New Zealand?
Not usually. Band A and Band C are the same price for many products, including the visitor visa at $300. Applying onshore changes your band but often not your fee. It can change whether the IVL applies, which INZ resolves through its fee finder.
Which fee band applies if I have two passports?
The band that applies to the passport used in the application. Holding a Band B passport does not give you the Band B fee if you apply on a different one.
Does the fee band change the immigration levy?
No. The immigration levy is the same in every band — $41 on a visitor visa, $1,060 on an Accredited Employer Work Visa, $3,570 on skilled residence. Only the application fee changes with the band.
Does the fee band change the IVL?
No. The IVL is NZ$100 per person regardless of band. What differs is that most Band B nationalities appear on the IVL exemption list, so in practice Band B applicants often pay neither the higher fee nor the levy. See the International Visitor Levy explained.
What band applies to French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia and Norfolk Island?
INZ does not publish a single answer. For those four, the band differs by application type and INZ directs applicants to its fee finder. Check the specific visa rather than assuming.
Primary source: Immigration New Zealand, Fees Guide INZ 1028, May 2026 edition. All figures verified 20 August 2026 and stated in New Zealand dollars. INZ's fee finder is the only authoritative source for your own band, levy and IVL position.
This page is general information about published fees. It is not immigration advice and does not assess your circumstances.
