New Zealand to increase visa prices this October

New Zealand visa price hike

Travellers to New Zealand will soon have to dig a little deeper into their pockets when it comes to paying for their visitor visa, as the country has announced they will soon be increasing visa prices.

According to Travel News, New Zealand is set to increase the cost of tourist visas by 60% this October.

The price of a visitor visa will now increase steeply from NZD211 (+/-R2 300) to NZD341 (+/-R3 700). 

The increase will apply from 1 October and will affect all visa categories, including temporary visas, residence visas, student visas and tourist visas.

Student visa fees, in particular, will see a substantial hike, doubling from NZ$375 to NZ$750.

Why the need for the change?

The increase was decided on by the government in order to create a more sustainable immigration system by shifting the financial burden from taxpayers to visa applicants.

The changes to these prices are expected to give back more than NZD563 million (R6,17 billion) to the New Zealand government over the next four years.  

“Until now, our immigration system has been heavily subsidised by taxpayers. The changes we are making are shifting the cost to those benefiting from the system. We’re ensuring it is self-funding and more efficient,” Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said in a statement, as per Travel News. 

“The charges remain competitive in comparison to countries like Australia and the United Kingdom, so we are confident New Zealand will continue to be an attractive destination,” Stanford added.