What a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa Actually Costs
A New Zealand working holiday visa costs NZ$770. That is a NZ$215 application fee, a NZ$455 immigration levy and the NZ$100 International Visitor Levy. The levy is more than double the fee. The same NZ$770 applies on all 45 schemes, and none of it is refunded if you are declined.
Quick Facts
| Total | NZ$770 |
| Application fee | NZ$215 |
| Immigration levy | NZ$455 |
| International Visitor Levy | NZ$100 |
| Applies to | All 45 schemes, identically |
| When it is charged | On submission |
| Refundable if declined | No — none of the three components |
| Extension visa | NZ$800 = NZ$245 + NZ$455 + NZ$100 |
| Last general fee change | 1 October 2024. No general increase in 2025 or 2026 |
| Separate from | The NZ$4,200 you must show in funds — that is not a payment |
| Source | INZ 1028 Fees Guide (May 2026 edition), reconciled against the 45 scheme pages, read 20 August 2026 |
The split, and why it matters
INZ publishes a single "from NZ$770" figure on each scheme page. It does not show you what that figure is made of. Here it is:
| Component | Amount | What it pays for | Can it be waived? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | NZ$215 | The cost of deciding your application | Covered by some bilateral fee-waiver agreements |
| Immigration levy | NZ$455 | Settlement programmes, immigration research, system infrastructure and the Immigration Advisers Authority | Sometimes, under the same agreements |
| International Visitor Levy | NZ$100 | Conservation and tourism funding, policy owned by MBIE | Never waived by a fee agreement |
| Total | NZ$770 |
Two things are worth noticing.
The immigration levy is more than double the application fee. Most people assume the visa fee is the big number. It is not — NZ$455 of your NZ$770 has nothing to do with processing your application.
The International Visitor Levy is a separate charge with separate rules. New Zealand has bilateral fee-waiver agreements with a number of countries covering specified visa types, and Japan, Mexico and the USA all have one that touches offshore work visas. None of those agreements extends to the International Visitor Levy. See bilateral fee waiver countries.
The same price everywhere
The NZ$770 figure is stated identically on all 45 scheme pages. It does not vary by:
- your country
- whether your scheme is capped or uncapped
- how long the visa runs — a 36-month UK visa costs the same as a 6-month Malaysian one
- whether you apply on opening day or five months later
That last point is worth holding onto. There is no early-bird price and no surge price. There is also no premium tier: New Zealand sells no faster processing at any price, for this or any other visa.
No increase in 2025 or 2026
The current rates date from 1 October 2024, when INZ raised fees by an average of NZ$81 across the schedule. There has been no general fee or levy increase since. INZ's own fees page still describes its rates as being "as of 1 October 2024".
The International Visitor Levy was raised from NZ$35 to NZ$100 in that same 1 October 2024 change. The old NZ$35 figure is still widely republished across the web — it is out of date, and any page still quoting it has not been reviewed in two years.
One thing to watch: legislation passed on 21 November 2025 provided for a broader levy base, which makes a future levy repricing plausible. Check INZ's current fees page before you pay. See NZ visa fee changes history.
The extension costs NZ$800
The Working Holiday Extension Work Visa adds 3 months and is priced separately:
| Component | Working holiday visa | Extension visa |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | NZ$215 | NZ$245 |
| Immigration levy | NZ$455 | NZ$455 |
| International Visitor Levy | NZ$100 | NZ$100 |
| Total | NZ$770 | NZ$800 |
Only the application fee differs. See how to extend.
What the fee is not
It is not the money you must show. Confusing the two is common. You pay NZ$770. You separately have to prove you hold NZ$4,200 on most schemes — money that stays yours, sits in your own account and is spent on living in New Zealand.
| Amount | Where it goes | |
|---|---|---|
| Visa cost | NZ$770 | To INZ. Gone |
| Funds requirement | NZ$4,200 on most schemes | Stays yours. Proof only |
| Return ticket | Cost of a flight home | Yours, and required in addition to the funds |
Thailand and Turkey require NZ$7,000 in funds; Austria, Malaysia and Singapore NZ$2,250; the UK and Canada NZ$350 per month of stay. See the funds requirement.
The costs INZ does not charge you
The NZ$770 is the visible cost. It is rarely the whole cost.
| Cost | Paid to | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Medical insurance | An insurer | Always — mandatory on all 45 schemes, for the whole stay |
| Chest x-ray | A panel radiology provider | Over 12 months, applying onshore, or 3+ months in the last 5 years in a high-TB country |
| Full medical examination | A panel physician | Over 12 months in total, or applying onshore |
| English test | The test provider | China, the Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Peru |
| Qualification verification | CSSD (China), Peru's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and equivalents | Where the scheme requires it |
| Document translation | A translator | Any non-English document |
| Return flight | An airline | Required, or evidence you can buy one |
| Licensed adviser | The adviser | Optional, and unregulated in price |
For someone on a scheme requiring a degree verification and an English test, those extras can exceed the visa fee itself.
Refunds
INZ does not refund the fee or the levy if your application is declined. The money pays for the decision, and a decline is a decision. The International Visitor Levy is not refunded either — MBIE's own guidance says it is not returned even where an application fails.
Refunds exist only in narrow special circumstances. Treat the NZ$770 as spent the moment you submit. See NZ visa fee refunds explained.
The same applies if you never travel. A visa granted and then left unused because you did not enter New Zealand within 12 months buys you nothing back.
Step 1: Budget NZ$770 for the visa itself
Payable by card on submission. See how to pay NZ visa fees.
Step 2: Budget your scheme's funds figure separately
NZ$4,200 on most schemes. This is not a payment, but it must genuinely be available to you and evidenced.
Step 3: Add the return ticket
On top of the funds figure, not inside it.
Step 4: Price medical insurance for the whole stay
Not a two-week travel policy. Hospitalisation cover, for the full duration.
Step 5: Add any scheme-specific costs
An English test, a qualification verification, a chest x-ray, a full medical, translations. Check your scheme's page before assuming none apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a New Zealand working holiday visa?
NZ$770, made up of a NZ$215 application fee, a NZ$455 immigration levy and the NZ$100 International Visitor Levy. The same figure applies on all 45 schemes.
Why is the levy bigger than the visa fee?
They fund different things. The application fee covers the cost of deciding your application. The immigration levy funds migrant settlement programmes, immigration research, system infrastructure and the Immigration Advisers Authority. On this visa the levy happens to be more than double the fee.
Has the working holiday visa fee gone up in 2026?
No. The current rates date from 1 October 2024 and there has been no general INZ fee or levy increase in 2025 or 2026. INZ's fees page still describes its rates as being as of that date.
Do I get my money back if I am declined?
No. Neither the fee, the immigration levy nor the International Visitor Levy is refunded on a declined application. Refunds exist only in limited special circumstances.
Is the NZ$4,200 part of the fee?
No. The NZ$4,200 is money you must show you have — it stays in your own account and you spend it living in New Zealand. The NZ$770 is what you pay INZ.
How much does the 3-month extension cost?
NZ$800 — a NZ$245 application fee plus the same NZ$455 immigration levy and NZ$100 International Visitor Levy.
Can I pay more for a faster decision?
No. New Zealand has no paid fast-track service for any visa. Half of working holiday applications are decided in 4 days and 80% within 1.5 weeks regardless.
Are there cheaper schemes?
No. The visa costs NZ$770 on every one of the 45 schemes. What varies is the funds you must show and the extra costs your scheme triggers, such as an English test or a qualification verification.
What else should I budget for?
Medical insurance covering hospitalisation for your whole stay, a return flight, and — where your scheme requires them — an English test, a qualification verification, a chest x-ray or a full medical examination, plus translations of any non-English document.
