Australia and New Zealand Both Cost More to Enter This Year

Both trans-Tasman destinations have raised what it costs to get in. The changes came at different times and work differently, but travellers planning a trip to either, or both, should budget above what older guidance suggests.

Australia
The Department of Home Affairs increased visa application charges with effect from 1 July 2026. The increase applies across a range of categories, including the Visitor visa subclass 600 used by most tourists.

Exact amounts are published in the Department's official pricing estimator, which is the only reliable source for a current figure. Visa pricing in Australia varies by subclass, by applicant circumstances and by whether additional applicants are included, so a single quoted number rarely applies to a specific case.

The practical point: any figure you find in an article, forum post or older guide predating July 2026 is out of date.

New Zealand
New Zealand's structure is different, and it catches people out.

Alongside the cost of the authorisation itself, New Zealand charges an International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. The levy was increased substantially on 1 October 2024 and remains at that higher rate.

It applies broadly: to most visitor visas, to the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, and to student, work and working-holiday categories.

Why the New Zealand levy surprises people
Because travellers research the cost of the authorisation and budget for that, then encounter the levy as a separate line.

It is not optional and it is not a service charge that can be avoided by applying directly. It is a mandatory levy attached to the authorisation, and the real cost of entering New Zealand is the two together.

Applying through the mobile application rather than the web route also produces a slightly different total.

What the levy funds
Conservation and tourism infrastructure. New Zealand's position is that visitor numbers impose costs on the natural environment and on the facilities that support tourism, and that visitors should contribute to them.

Whether that is a fair basis for the charge is a matter of opinion. That it is unavoidable is not.

Planning a trip to both?
Then you are budgeting two separate entry costs under two separate systems, and neither is trivial. Travellers combining Australia and New Zealand in one itinerary frequently budget for one and treat the other as a formality.

Both require authorisation in advance. Neither offers a meaningful on-arrival route for most nationalities.

What to do
Get current figures from the official pricing tools rather than from secondary sources, because both countries have changed their charges within the past two years.

For New Zealand, budget the authorisation and the levy together as a single cost of entry.

For Australia, check the specific subclass that applies to your trip, and remember that adding family members changes the total.

And apply early enough that a problem does not become an emergency. Both systems are generally fast, but "generally fast" is not a plan.

Verified against the Australian Department of Home Affairs visa pricing page, last updated 1 July 2026, and Immigration New Zealand levy guidance.