What New Zealand Residence Actually Costs
Skilled residence costs NZ$6,450 — a NZ$2,880 application fee plus a NZ$3,570 immigration levy. Family Category is NZ$5,360, Dependent Child NZ$3,230, and Active Investor Plus NZ$27,470. The levy is charged per application, not per person, and the International Visitor Levy does not apply to residence.
Quick Facts
| Skilled Residence total | NZ$6,450 = NZ$2,880 fee + NZ$3,570 immigration levy (Band A/C) |
| Skilled Residence, Pacific band | NZ$1,860 fee + NZ$3,570 levy |
| Family Category (incl. partner) | NZ$5,360 = NZ$1,940 + NZ$3,420 levy |
| Dependent Child | NZ$3,230 = NZ$1,830 + NZ$1,400 levy |
| Residence from Work Category | NZ$6,490 = NZ$2,920 + NZ$3,570 levy |
| Parent Retirement Category | NZ$9,430 + NZ$3,570 levy |
| Active Investor Plus | NZ$27,470 = NZ$12,070 + NZ$15,400 levy |
| Permanent Resident Visa | NZ$315 |
| Second or subsequent resident visa | NZ$275 |
| Variation of travel conditions | NZ$320 |
| Levy charged | Per application, not per person |
| International Visitor Levy | Does not apply to residence class visas |
| Refunds if declined | None |
| Source | INZ Fees Guide (INZ 1028), May 2026 edition |
Why "the fee" is never one number
A New Zealand residence price is built from two separate charges, and knowing which is which saves a lot of confusion.
The application fee pays for the decision. It varies by fee band — which band you fall into depends on where you are and what passport you hold, not on the visa.
The immigration levy funds migrant settlement programmes, immigration research, system infrastructure and the Immigration Advisers Authority. It is charged per application, not per person.
That second point is the most useful thing on this page. A family of four included in one residence application pays one application fee and one immigration levy. Not four. On a Skilled Residence application, that is NZ$6,450 for the household rather than NZ$25,800.
A third charge — the International Visitor Levy, currently NZ$100 — appears on most temporary visas but does not apply to residence class visas at all. If a site quotes you an IVL on a residence application, it has confused the products. See what the immigration levy is and visa fees, levies and fee bands explained.
The three fee bands
| Band | Who pays it |
|---|---|
| Band A | Applicants who are in New Zealand when they apply |
| Band B | Applicants outside New Zealand who are citizens of specified Pacific countries |
| Band C | Applicants outside New Zealand, rest of world |
Band B countries include Australia, American Samoa, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, plus citizens of the Cook Islands and Niue not travelling on a New Zealand passport.
Dual citizens pay the band that applies to the passport used in the application. If you pay in a currency other than New Zealand dollars, the amount can vary slightly with exchange rates.
Always state the band. A flat "residence costs NZ$X" is frequently wrong for a given reader, because on several lines Band B is dramatically cheaper — Skilled Residence is NZ$1,860 at Band B against NZ$2,880 at Bands A and C.
Residence fees in full
All figures NZD, from the INZ Fees Guide (INZ 1028), May 2026 edition. "Levy" is the immigration levy, added to the fee.
| Application type | Band A (in NZ) | Band B (Pacific) | Band C (rest of world) | Levy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Residence | 2,880 | 1,860 | 2,880 | 3,570 |
| Residence from Work Category | 2,920 | — | — | 3,570 |
| Family Category (incl. Partner of a New Zealander) | 1,940 | 1,390 | 1,940 | 3,420 |
| Dependent Child | 1,830 | 1,360 | 1,830 | 1,400 |
| Parent Retirement Category | 9,430 | 5,140 | 9,430 | 3,420 |
| Active Investor Plus | 12,070 | 6,190 | 12,070 | 15,400 |
| Business Investor Category | 11,320 | 5,610 | 11,320 | 3,570 |
| Entrepreneur Residence Category | 11,320 | 5,610 | 11,320 | 3,570 |
| Employees of Relocating Business | 1,940 | 1,390 | 1,940 | 3,570 |
| Samoan Quota Scheme | 820 | 800 | — | — |
| Pacific Access Category | 1,300 | 1,280 | — | — |
| Pitcairn Islanders | 1,940 | 1,390 | 1,940 | — |
| Any other residence category | 1,940 | 1,390 | 1,940 | Varies |
| Permanent Resident Visa | 315 | 260 | 315 | — |
| Second or subsequent resident visa | 275 | 250 | 275 | — |
| Variation of travel conditions | 320 | 260 | 320 | — |
The headline totals
| Route | Fee + levy | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled Residence (SMC, Straight to Residence, Work to Residence) | 2,880 + 3,570 | NZ$6,450 |
| Residence from Work Category | 2,920 + 3,570 | NZ$6,490 |
| Family Category / Partner of a New Zealander | 1,940 + 3,420 | NZ$5,360 |
| Dependent Child | 1,830 + 1,400 | NZ$3,230 |
| Active Investor Plus | 12,070 + 15,400 | NZ$27,470 |
Note what happens on the last line. The levy is larger than the fee. Active Investor Plus is the most expensive product in the New Zealand immigration system, and it is the only one where the levy exceeds the application fee.
Who does not pay the immigration levy
Several categories are exempt from the levy entirely. On a residence application that is a saving of NZ$1,400 to NZ$3,570 depending on the line.
You are exempt from the immigration levy if you:
- are a citizen of Samoa applying for a resident visa
- are a claimant for refugee or protection status applying for a visa
- are applying for a resident visa as a refugee or protected person
- are applying for a resident visa on the basis of your relationship with a refugee or protected person
- are applying under the Refugee Family Support Category
- are applying under the Special Category for Victims of Family Violence
- are applying under the Special Category for Victims of People Trafficking
- are applying under the Skilled Migrant Category Job Search
- are applying for a Migrant Exploitation Protection work visa, or as the partner or dependent child of a holder or applicant
The Pacific Access Category and Samoan Quota residence lines carry no immigration levy at all — which is why a Samoan Quota resident visa comes in at NZ$820 and a Pacific Access Category resident visa at NZ$1,300.
New Zealand also has bilateral fee-waiver agreements with a number of countries covering specified application types. Citizens of Finland and Iceland, for instance, pay no fee and no levy for any type of visa, endorsement or variation of travel conditions, and several other countries have narrower waivers that include the Permanent Resident Visa and variation of travel conditions on a resident visa. Fee waivers never cover the International Visitor Levy or the cost of transferring a visa label to a new passport.
What the fee does not cover
The application fee and levy are the visible cost. They are rarely the whole cost.
| Cost | Paid to | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Medical examination | A panel physician | Required for residence |
| Chest x-ray | A panel radiology provider | Required for residence |
| Police certificates | Each country's police authority | From your country of citizenship and any country lived in for a qualifying period. Must be less than 6 months old when you lodge |
| English test | The test provider | Where a test is required and cannot be avoided |
| Qualification assessment | NZQA | Usually needed for overseas qualifications |
| Document translation | A translator | Non-English documents |
| Licensed adviser or lawyer | The adviser | Optional, and unregulated in price |
None of these are INZ charges and none appear in the Fees Guide. For a family assembling police certificates from three countries, sitting two English tests and paying for four medicals, they can rival the visa fee itself.
Related: the NZ visa medical examination guide, police certificates for NZ visa applications, document translation requirements and what an NZQA IQA is.
The costs after residence
Residence is not a single purchase. Two follow-on fees are near-universal.
The Permanent Resident Visa — NZ$315. A Resident Visa carries travel conditions, usually valid two years from first arrival. A Permanent Resident Visa removes them permanently and is a separate application, generally available after two years of meeting commitment requirements. See the Permanent Resident Visa explained.
Variation of travel conditions — NZ$320. If your travel conditions are about to expire and you are not yet eligible for permanent residence, this is how you extend the right to travel. See variation of travel conditions explained.
Second or subsequent resident visa — NZ$275. Used where a resident visa needs to be reissued. See second or subsequent resident visa explained.
Step 1: Identify your fee band
Inside New Zealand is Band A. Outside New Zealand with a specified Pacific citizenship is Band B. Outside New Zealand otherwise is Band C. Dual citizens use the passport in the application.
Step 2: Find your residence category's line
The fee follows the category, not the visa name. Skilled Migrant Category, Straight to Residence and Work to Residence all sit on the Skilled Residence line at NZ$2,880 plus the NZ$3,570 levy.
Step 3: Add the levy once, not once per person
One application, one levy. Include your partner and dependent children in the same application where the category allows it, and the levy is charged a single time.
Step 4: Budget the invisible costs
Medicals, chest x-rays, police certificates, translations, qualification assessments and any English test. These are paid to third parties and are not refundable either.
Step 5: Plan for the second-stage fees
NZ$315 for the Permanent Resident Visa, or NZ$320 for a variation of travel conditions if you need more time.
Refunds, and the thing to understand about them
INZ does not refund the fee or the levy if an application is declined. The money pays for the decision, and a decline is a decision.
Refunds exist only in limited special circumstances, and those grounds are narrow. Assume the fee is spent the moment you lodge. See NZ visa fee refunds explained and how to pay NZ visa fees.
One thing you cannot buy at any price: speed. New Zealand has no priority processing. Nobody can move a residence application forward, and any service claiming otherwise is not selling an official product. Published times as at 20 August 2026 were 3 months for Straight to Residence, 3.5 months for Work to Residence, 4 months for the Skilled Migrant Category and 7 months for Partner of a New Zealander, all at the 80% mark — see residence application processing times.
Where these figures come from, and when to re-check
Every fee on this page comes from INZ 1028, the Fees Guide, May 2026 edition, cross-checked against the "from NZ$" totals published on individual INZ visa pages. Where the two agree — and on the main residence lines they do — the figure is well supported.
Two cautions. First, an INZ news-centre page still describes fee rates "as of 1 October 2024"; it is stale and the May 2026 Fees Guide supersedes it. Second, legislation passed in November 2025 provided for a broader levy base, so a future levy repricing is plausible. Check the current Fees Guide before you pay.
Fees change by regulation, not by announcement schedule, and a page that has not been re-checked since the last change is a liability. This one is accurate as at August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does New Zealand residency cost?
NZ$6,450 for skilled residence as at August 2026 — a NZ$2,880 application fee plus a NZ$3,570 immigration levy, at Band A and Band C rates. Family Category, including Partner of a New Zealander, is NZ$5,360. Dependent Child is NZ$3,230. Active Investor Plus is NZ$27,470.
Why is the immigration levy separate from the fee?
They pay for different things. The application fee covers the cost of deciding the application. The immigration levy funds settlement programmes, immigration research, system infrastructure and the Immigration Advisers Authority. The levy is charged per application, while the fee band depends on where you are and which passport you use.
Do I pay the levy for each family member?
No. The immigration levy is charged per application, not per person. A partner and dependent children included in a single residence application do not each trigger another levy.
Is the International Visitor Levy charged on residence applications?
No. The IVL applies to most temporary visas and NZeTAs. It does not apply to residence class visas.
What is the Skilled Migrant Category fee?
NZ$2,880 plus the NZ$3,570 immigration levy, giving NZ$6,450, at Band A and Band C. Applicants from Pacific fee-band countries applying from outside New Zealand pay NZ$1,860 plus the same levy.
Do I get my money back if my residence application is declined?
No. INZ does not refund the fee or the levy on a declined application. Refunds exist only in limited special circumstances.
How much is the Permanent Resident Visa?
NZ$315 at Band A and Band C, and NZ$260 at Band B. There is no immigration levy on it.
Are there any residence applications with no levy?
Yes. Samoan citizens applying for a resident visa are exempt, as are several refugee, protection and special categories, the Skilled Migrant Category Job Search, and Migrant Exploitation Protection applications. The Pacific Access Category and Samoan Quota residence lines carry no levy at all.
What else should I budget for beyond the visa fee?
Medical examinations, chest x-rays, police certificates from every relevant country, document translations, any required English test, an NZQA assessment of overseas qualifications, and — if you use one — a licensed immigration adviser or lawyer. None of these are INZ charges and none are refundable.
Is there a way to speed up a residence application?
No. New Zealand offers no priority processing at any price, and nothing moves an application up the queue.
