New Zealand Tourist Visa Refused? Fee Refund Rules for Indians

A decline is frustrating, and losing the money makes it worse. The useful questions are what exactly you have lost, whether you can challenge the decision from India, and what to change before paying again. Everything below is as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For all New Zealand visa routes from India, see our New Zealand visa guide for Indian citizens.

Which charges do you lose when INZ declines a visitor visa?

INZ takes the visa fee online by Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay when you apply. Its fee note is plain: the levy is non-refundable and the fee is not refunded if the visa is declined. The two VFS charges include courier of your passport to the lodging country and are also non-refundable.

Paper applications were paid with two demand drafts in INR: the visa fee to the 'Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment' and the VAC service fee to VFS GLOBAL SERVICES PVT LTD. Neither draft is returned after a decline. If INZ never asked for your passport, you will not have paid the VFS handling fee at all. For online applications, the passport goes to a VFS centre only if the INZ "Thank You" page or application PDF tells you to send it.

Can you ask INZ to reconsider a refusal from India?

No. INZ offers reconsideration of a declined temporary visa only if all of these apply:

• You applied while in New Zealand.
• You are still in New Zealand on a valid or interim visa.
• You ask within 14 calendar days of the decline.

The reconsideration fee is NZD 220 and INZ decides 80% of requests within 5 weeks. You cannot ask for a second reconsideration. INZ states that applicants refused from India must make a new application instead.

The New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi will not step in either: the diplomatic mission does not assist with visa enquiries.

What does a fresh application cost, and how fast is it?

A new Visitor Visa application is charged in full again: NZD 441, with the NZD 100 levy inside it. If INZ asks for your passport, the VFS handling fee applies again too.

INZ's headline timeframe for Indian Visitor Visa applications is 80% within 2 weeks. INZ says it is busiest between September and March, with a high number of applications over summer and especially for Christmas, so a second attempt in that season needs extra margin.

Since 1 October 2026, selected visitor and transit visa applications must be submitted through INZ's Immigration Online system, so a paper application is no longer the default route for a tourist visa from India. Applications are usually allocated in the order received. An escalation request is considered only for a compelling reason, such as compelling personal or business circumstances or humanitarian factors, and it affects only when your file is picked up.

What should your second application do better?

INZ's Visitor Visa checklist for India (INZ 11223) is the best map of what the officer looks for. Go through it line by line against your first file.

• Money for the stay. At least NZD 1,000 a month, or NZD 400 a month if your accommodation is prepaid, or a sponsor using the Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025). Evidence can include bank statements or payslips for the previous 3 months showing salary credits, credit card statements and limits, bank deposit books with a saving history, and income tax returns for the last two years.
• A way out of New Zealand. An onward ticket, or funds to buy one on top of your living funds, or a sponsor's agreement.
• Reasons to return to India. An employer letter approving leave and confirming your return, business registration and business tax returns, a school or education ID card, close relatives in India, and assets such as a home or business, or retirement and pension evidence.
• A sponsor, if you have one. If family or friends in New Zealand are supporting your trip, include the Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025) and the sponsor's sharing ID, and make sure the sponsor's details match your cover letter.
• A believable plan. INZ lists a cover letter on when and why you are travelling and with whom, a day-to-day itinerary, visas from countries you have visited and your Aadhaar card as useful extras.
• Health and character. A chest X-ray if you will stay more than 6 months, and police certificates if your total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer.

How do you avoid paying twice?

• Hold off on non-refundable bookings. Use a verifiable flight reservation in the file and buy tickets after the decision.
• Do not send your passport unless asked. It avoids the VFS fee and keeps your passport with you.
• Match the evidence to the story. Travel dates, leave letter, funds and itinerary should describe the same trip.
• Apply well before peak season. September to March is INZ's busiest period for visitor visas.
• Check your photo. Online applications need one acceptable JPG photo of 512 KB to 3.14 MB with a 3:4 portrait ratio, taken within the last 6 months.

If you want help with the travel side of a fresh application, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters for visa files. Packages range from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for a reservation, hotel booking, itinerary and cover letter. You can reach us on WhatsApp at +91 95230 91018 or through our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay the NZD 100 tourism levy again when I reapply?

Yes. The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is charged on each visitor visa application and is already included in the NZD 441 fee. Some applicants are exempt, for example business visitors, people visiting for medical treatment and holders of a current Australian permanent residence visa.

Does INZ publish visitor visa refusal rates for Indians?

No visitor visa figures were found. INZ publishes decision data by nationality only for offshore student visas: in 2025, 39% of decided applications from Indian nationals were declined (2,838 of 7,235). That figure is about student visas, not tourist visas.

How much bank balance should I show for a New Zealand tourist visa?

INZ asks for at least NZD 1,000 for each month of your stay, or NZD 400 a month if your accommodation is prepaid. You also need an onward ticket or extra funds to buy one, or a sponsor using form INZ 1025.

Is travel insurance compulsory for a New Zealand visitor visa?

No. INZ does not make it mandatory, but it recommends full medical insurance because you or your sponsor must pay for any health care in New Zealand.