# New Zealand Student Visa Fee for Indians (2026): NZD Cost Breakdown > The Fee Paying Student Visa costs Indian applicants NZD 850. Here is how INZ builds that total, what VFS charges in rupees and which costs sit outside it. _Published: 2026-10-24 · Reading time: 6 min · Words: 1363_ ## TL;DR An Indian applying from India pays NZD 850 for a New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa: NZD 485 application fee, NZD 265 immigration levy and NZD 100 IVL. INZ publishes no rupee price, VFS fees apply only if you need a centre, and living funds of NZD 20,000 a year are separate from the fee. ## Key takeaways - Total visa cost: NZD 850 = NZD 485 application fee + NZD 265 immigration levy + NZD 100 IVL. - MFAT-scholarship students are not charged the NZD 100 IVL. - INZ publishes fees only in NZD; VFS passport handling (INR 1,460.00) applies only if INZ asks for your passport. - Living funds are separate: NZD 20,000 for each year of tertiary study of 1 year or more. - Partners cannot be included; a Partner of a Student Work Visa is a separate application from NZD 1,630. **According to Immigration New Zealand, an Indian student applying from India pays NZD 850 for a Fee Paying Student Visa in 2026: an NZD 485 application fee, an NZD 265 immigration levy and the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. INZ publishes no rupee price, and VFS passport handling is charged separately in INR.** ## Article NZD 850 is the figure INZ shows as the starting cost on its Fee Paying Student Visa page, and it matches the fee schedule in New Zealand's immigration regulations. Every amount below is as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For visitor, work and residence costs, see our New Zealand visa guide for Indian passport holders. ### What exactly makes up the NZD 850? The total is three separate charges set by the Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010, in the version in force from 1 June 2026. Indian citizens applying from outside New Zealand fall in the regulations' "Rest of world" fee column. ComponentAmountSource in the regulationsApplication feeNZD 485Schedule 4Immigration levyNZD 265Schedule 6International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL)NZD 100Regulation 26AADTotal for a Fee Paying Student VisaNZD 850Also shown as the starting cost on the INZ visa pageThe IVL is charged on temporary entry visa applications, and student visas are included. The one exception relevant to students: if you hold a New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) scholarship, the IVL is not charged, so you pay only the application fee and the immigration levy. Every other fee-paying Indian student pays the full NZD 850. ### Is there an official price in rupees? No. INZ publishes its visa fees in New Zealand dollars only, and no official INR amount for the student visa fee exists on the sources we checked. The rupee cost is whatever your card issuer or bank charges for NZD 850 on the day you pay. The only official rupee figures in the New Zealand student process are VFS Global's service fees. If you are budgeting an education-loan disbursement or loading a forex card, keep a margin for currency movement rather than relying on a fixed rupee figure quoted elsewhere. ### What does VFS Global charge, and when? Student visas are applied for online with INZ. VFS Global is INZ's official partner in India and runs Visa Application Centres in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai. You need a centre only if INZ asks for your passport or if you are making a paper application, and appointments are required. VFS serviceFeeWhen it appliesPassport handling for online applicationsINR 1,460.00 (USD 24.00)Only if your INZ "Thank You" page or application PDF tells you to send the passportPhysical (paper) applicationINR 2,085.00 (USD 34.00)Paper or postal applications onlyBoth VFS fees include courier to the lodging country and are non-refundable. The passport handling fee is paid by demand draft in favour of VFS GLOBAL SERVICES PVT LTD. Since 18 August 2026, VFS returns passports by courier with a maximum of two passports per courier bag, and pre-paid self-addressed envelopes are not accepted. ### Which other costs come with a student application? INZ does not publish prices for the following, because outside providers set them. Budget for them anyway, because some are compulsory. - Chest X-ray: needed if you will stay in New Zealand more than 6 months, because India is not a low-TB country. A medical certificate is not normally needed for stays under 12 months. - Insurance: travel and health insurance acceptable to your education provider, for the whole visa. This is a visa condition, not a suggestion. - Police certificates: only if you are aged 17 or older and your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer. - English test: IELTS or similar results are not mandatory for the visa but can help your application. ### How much money must you show besides the fee? The visa fee is small next to the funds INZ expects you to show. If you are paying for yourself, these are the living-cost figures from the Fee Paying Student Visa requirements: Type of studyLiving funds INZ asks forTertiary, English-language or other non-compulsory study of 1 year or moreNZD 20,000 for each yearShorter studyNZD 1,667 a monthSchool, Years 1-13NZD 17,000 a year (NZD 1,417 a month)You also need tuition fees paid for 1 course or 1 year of study, whichever is shorter. Applicants outside New Zealand can apply with a conditional offer, get approval in principle, and pay tuition after that approval. When the application is made in South Asia, only immediate family (partner, parents, siblings, grandparents or parents-in-law) can act as your sponsor or sign the Financial Undertaking for a Student (INZ 1014). Indian citizens may be able to use the Funds Transfer Scheme to show they can access their money in New Zealand. If an education loan is part of your funding, include the loan sanction letter and explain how the loan will be repaid. ### What will a partner's visa or post-study work visa cost later? Your partner and dependent children cannot be included on your student visa; each applies for their own visa. These are separate fees that families often forget to count: - Partner of a Student Work Visa: from NZD 1,630. It is available only if the student partner is studying a level 9-10 qualification, or a level 7-8 qualification on the Green List or the post-study-work eligible list, and the partner needs at least NZD 4,200 for the stay. - Post-Study Work Visa: NZD 1,670 (application fee NZD 320 plus immigration levy NZD 1,350; no IVL). You also need at least NZD 5,000 for living expenses when you apply after your course. ### When should you pay, and how long is the wait? INZ asks students to apply at least 3 months before travel. Its headline timeframe for the Fee Paying Student Visa is 80% of applications decided within 8 weeks, and it says student visa processing is busiest between October and March. Paying the fee early in that window gives you room if INZ asks for more documents. The fee buys a decision, not a visa. INZ data for calendar year 2025 shows 39% of decided student visa applications from Indian nationals applying outside New Zealand were declined (2,838 of 7,235). If you are declined while in India, reconsideration is not available; you would need a new application with a new fee. ### Mistakes that waste the student visa fee - Lodging without an offer of place from a provider that has signed the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021. - Naming a sponsor who is not immediate family when applying from India. - Showing an education loan without the sanction letter or a repayment explanation. - Sending your passport to VFS before INZ asks for it, and paying a handling fee you did not need. - Lodging in the October-March rush with a travel date less than 3 months away. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram can prepare the travel paperwork that goes alongside a visa file: flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters, with packages from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter. Ask on WhatsApp at +91 95230 91018 or through our contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Do Indian students pay the NZD 100 tourism levy on a New Zealand student visa? Yes. The NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is part of the NZD 850 Fee Paying Student Visa total. The only student exemption in the fee rules is for MFAT-scholarship students. #### Can I pay my New Zealand tuition fees after the visa is approved? Applicants outside New Zealand can apply with a conditional offer and receive approval in principle first. You then pay tuition for 1 course or 1 year of study, whichever is shorter, before the visa is issued. #### How long can a New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa be issued for? INZ can issue the Fee Paying Student Visa for up to 4 years. The length depends on your course and the evidence you provide. #### Can I work in New Zealand to cover my costs? Depending on your visa conditions, students can work up to 25 hours a week during study and full-time in scheduled holidays. Students aged 16-17 need written permission from a parent and the provider, and students aged 15 or younger cannot work. ## FAQ ### Do Indian students pay the NZD 100 tourism levy on a New Zealand student visa? Yes. The NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is part of the NZD 850 Fee Paying Student Visa total. The only student exemption in the fee rules is for MFAT-scholarship students. ### Can I pay my New Zealand tuition fees after the visa is approved? Applicants outside New Zealand can apply with a conditional offer and receive approval in principle first. You then pay tuition for 1 course or 1 year of study, whichever is shorter, before the visa is issued. ### How long can a New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa be issued for? INZ can issue the Fee Paying Student Visa for up to 4 years. The length depends on your course and the evidence you provide. ### Can I work in New Zealand to cover my costs? Depending on your visa conditions, students can work up to 25 hours a week during study and full-time in scheduled holidays. Students aged 16-17 need written permission from a parent and the provider, and students aged 15 or younger cannot work. ## Sources 1. [Immigration New Zealand - Fee Paying Student Visa](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/fee-paying-student-visa/) — Immigration New Zealand 2. [Immigration (Visa, Entry Permission, and Related Matters) Regulations 2010](https://www.legislation.govt.nz/secondary-legislation/pco-drafted/2010/241/en/latest/) — New Zealand Parliamentary Counsel Office 3. [VFS Global - NZ Apply for a visa (service fees)](https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/nzl/apply-visa) — VFS Global