Australia vs New Zealand Visitor Visa for Indian Parents

Both are visitor visas applied for before travel, and neither makes health insurance a visa condition by default. The real differences lie in what each government publishes up front: both give a fixed fee, but New Zealand adds a processing benchmark for Indian applicants, while Australia points you to its online processing time guide. Fees and processing times as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-10. For other destinations, see our visa guides for Indian passport holders.

Side by side: what each country publishes

Country-level detail lives in our guides for Australia and New Zealand.

What the visa costs for a parent couple

New Zealand. The listed fee for a Visitor Visa for an Indian national applying from India is NZD 441 online. It includes the non-refundable immigration levy and the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL), and it is not refunded if the application is declined. Payment is by Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay card. If both parents are travelling, confirm on the official fee information what each of them pays. The VFS New Zealand apply page also sets out its own service fees.

Australia. The base application charge is AUD 250 for each applicant applying from outside Australia (from 1 July 2026); family members cannot be included in one application, so each parent applies and pays separately. The Visa Pricing Estimator linked from the Department's subclass 600 page confirms the current amount. The Department also lists other possible costs: health checks, police certificates and biometrics. Budget for them even if they end up not applying to your parents.

Health cover: the question that matters most for parents

Neither country requires insurance by default, but the official wording should settle the matter for any family planning a long visit by older parents.

• Australia: visitors are liable for all their healthcare costs while in Australia, and the Department strongly recommends adequate health insurance. In some circumstances the visa may be granted with Condition 8501, which requires the holder to maintain adequate health insurance.
• New Zealand: insurance is not mandatory, but INZ recommends full medical insurance for the stay, because you or your sponsor must pay for any health care.

If you are the son or daughter hosting your parents, “sponsor” may well mean you. Buy cover that runs for the whole stay, and read the policy's age limits and pre-existing condition terms before you pay, since those terms matter most for older travellers.

Timing the trip around a birth, graduation or festival

Family visits are often tied to a fixed date. New Zealand's published benchmark, 80% of Indian visitor applications within 2 weeks, gives you something to plan around, though it also means up to one in five takes longer. Leave a margin beyond those 2 weeks.

Australia does not publish a fixed time. Its processing time guide is based on recently decided applications and is a guide only, so check it close to when you apply and build in extra time. For both countries, avoid buying non-refundable flights for your parents until the visa is granted.

One more New Zealand detail: VFS has posted a notice on upcoming changes to visitor and transit visas, dated 28 Sep 2026. Read it before you apply, in case it affects your parents' dates.

Which suits your parents' trip

• You need cost certainty now: both fees are published figures: NZD 441 for New Zealand and AUD 250 per applicant for Australia (from 1 July 2026).
• Your parents prefer an in-person contact point: New Zealand has VFS centres in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai. Australia's application is made through the official online portal, and its visa pages checked do not list centres in India.
• The trip is long or your parents have health conditions: both countries leave healthcare costs with the visitor, so insurance is the deciding cost either way. Factor in Australia's possible health checks.
• They want to see both countries: each country issues its own visitor visa, so apply for both separately and allow for each one's timeline.

Before you apply for either country

• Open Australia's Visa Pricing Estimator and processing time guide on the day you apply, not weeks earlier, because both reflect current figures.
• Confirm the New Zealand fee and any VFS service fee for each parent who is travelling.
• Get health insurance quotes for the full stay, and check the age limits before choosing a policy.
• Read the VFS notice on upcoming New Zealand visitor visa changes.
• Keep a Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay card ready for the New Zealand payment.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, including parents' visits, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us.

Frequently asked questions

Is health insurance mandatory for Indian parents visiting Australia?

Not by default. Visitors are liable for all their healthcare costs and the Department of Home Affairs strongly recommends adequate health insurance. In some circumstances the visa is granted with Condition 8501, which requires adequate health insurance to be maintained.

Is the New Zealand visitor visa fee refunded if the visa is declined?

No. The NZD 441 fee, which includes the immigration levy and the NZD 100 IVL, is not refunded if the application is declined.

How can I pay the New Zealand visitor visa fee from India?

The listed payment methods for the online application are Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay cards. Check the VFS apply page separately for any VFS service fees.

Where are the New Zealand visa centres in India?

VFS Global lists New Zealand visa application centres in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai.