# Which New Zealand Visa Should Indians Apply For? > Match your reason for travel to the right New Zealand visa: visitor, business, group, transit, student, work and residence options for Indians, with INZ fees and timelines. _Published: 2026-11-06 · Reading time: 6 min · Words: 1385_ ## TL;DR Indians always need a New Zealand visa before travel, and the purpose of the trip decides which one. Tourists and family visitors use the Visitor Visa (NZD 441), business travellers the Business Visitor Visa (NZD 341), students the Fee Paying Student Visa (NZD 850) and workers the Accredited Employer Work Visa (NZD 1,540). Working holiday visas are not yet open to Indians. ## Key takeaways - India has no visa waiver for New Zealand; every trip needs a visa before travel, except for Australian PR holders, who use an NZeTA. - Visitor Visa: NZD 441, 80% decided within 2 weeks, up to 9 months in an 18-month period. - Business Visitor Visa: NZD 341, 80% within 4 days, for meetings and negotiations of up to 3 months in 1 year. - Changing planes at Auckland needs a Transit Visa (NZD 235) unless an exemption applies. - Working holiday visas are not open to Indians yet; the FTA promises up to 1,000 places a year with no published criteria. **Your purpose decides the visa. According to Immigration New Zealand, Indian tourists and family visitors need a Visitor Visa (NZD 441, 80% decided within 2 weeks), business travellers a Business Visitor Visa (NZD 341), students a Fee Paying Student Visa (NZD 850) and workers with an accredited employer's job offer an Accredited Employer Work Visa (NZD 1,540).** ## Article India is not on New Zealand's visa-waiver list, so every Indian passport holder needs a visa before travelling; the only question is which one. Fees and timelines below are Immigration New Zealand (INZ) figures for Indian citizens applying from outside New Zealand, shown as 'From' costs where INZ gives only those, as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. Several were read from archived copies of INZ pages because immigration.govt.nz was returning errors in mid-October. Our New Zealand visa hub for Indians has the full application walkthrough. ### Which visa matches your reason for going? Your purposeVisaFee80% decided withinStay allowedHoliday, visiting family or friendsVisitor VisaNZD 4412 weeksUp to 9 months in an 18-month periodMeetings, exploring business, negotiating contractsBusiness Visitor VisaNZD 3414 daysUp to 3 months in 1 yearTravelling as a group for one purposeGroup Visitor VisaNZD 271 per person2 weeksNormally up to 1 monthLonger parent visits (check INZ eligibility)Parent Boost Visitor VisaNZD 3,100Expected around 4 monthsSee INZChanging planes at AucklandTransit VisaNZD 2354 daysUp to 24 hours in the transit areaFull-time studyFee Paying Student VisaNZD 8508 weeksUp to 4 yearsA job with an accredited employerAccredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)NZD 1,5405.5 weeksUp to 5 years, depending on the jobWorking after a New Zealand qualificationPost-Study Work VisaNZD 1,6705.5 weeksUp to 3 yearsJoining a partner on a work or student visaPartner of a Worker / Partner of a Student Work VisaNZD 1,6306 weeks / 5 weeksSame as the partner's visaSettling permanentlySkilled Migrant Category or Straight to ResidenceNZD 6,450Straight to Residence: 3.5 monthsResidence ### Tourist or business visitor: does the difference matter? Yes, for cost and for what you may do. The Business Visitor Visa costs NZD 100 less because it is exempt from the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) that is built into the NZD 441 Visitor Visa fee. It covers short visits for specific business reasons, such as meetings, exploring business opportunities or negotiating contracts, for up to 3 months in 1 year. You need a letter from your employer or the New Zealand company confirming your employment and the business reasons for the trip. INZ notes that working, training, performing or taking part in events may need a work visa or a general Visitor Visa instead. Both visitor types require funds of at least NZD 1,000 a month (NZD 400 a month if accommodation is prepaid) or a sponsor, plus a ticket out of New Zealand or money to buy one. On a Visitor Visa, INZ issues either a multiple-entry visa allowing up to 6 months in each 12-month period or a single-entry visa for one stay of up to 9 months. Details are on the INZ Visitor Visa page. ### Do you need a visa just to change planes in Auckland? Usually, yes. India is not on New Zealand's transit visa waiver list. Indian passport holders need a Transit Visa (NZD 235) to pass through Auckland Airport unless they hold a valid New Zealand visa, are an Australian permanent resident, or are travelling to or from Australia, in which case an NZeTA is used instead. - Transit is possible only at Auckland, not at other New Zealand airports. - You may stay in the airport transit area for up to 24 hours. - You need an itinerary with arrival and departure times, a statement explaining why you are travelling to your destination, and tickets onward to a country you have the right to enter. - A partner and dependent children aged 19 or younger can be included. Holders of a current Australian permanent resident visa or resident return visa also visit New Zealand on an NZeTA rather than a visa, and are normally given a visa at the border. ### Planning to study, work or settle? - Study: the Fee Paying Student Visa needs an offer of place from an approved provider, tuition paid for 1 course or 1 year, and living funds of NZD 20,000 for each year of tertiary study (NZD 1,667 a month for shorter study). Apply at least 3 months before travel. - Work: the AEWV needs a job offer of at least 30 hours a week from an accredited employer with an approved job check, paid at least the market rate. INZ warns that job offer scams are common in India and South Asia; employers and agents cannot charge you for a job. - After study: the Post-Study Work Visa can be held only once and needs at least NZD 5,000 for living expenses. - Residence: the Skilled Migrant Category is points-based and by invitation after an expression of interest; Straight to Residence is for full-time Tier 1 Green List jobs with an accredited employer. Both have an age limit of 55. - Investors: the Active Investor Plus Visa (fee from NZD 27,470) needs at least NZD 5 million in the Growth category or NZD 10 million in the Balanced category. ### Which New Zealand visas can Indians not get yet? - Working holiday visa. India is not on INZ's list of working holiday countries as at October 2026. The New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement commits to a scheme of up to 1,000 places a year, but INZ had not published an opening date or criteria. - India Skilled Work and India Iconic Work visas. These were created under the FTA signed in New Delhi on 27 April 2026, which enters into force on 20 October 2026. Regulations exempt them from the IVL from that date, but INZ had not published how to apply. - Reconsideration of a decline from India. Reconsideration (NZD 220) is only for applicants who applied while in New Zealand and are still there. If you are refused while in India, you make a new application. ### How do you apply from India once you've chosen? - Apply online through INZ's Immigration Online system. From 1 October 2026, selected visitor and transit visa applications must be made this way. - Upload one acceptable photo: a JPG/JPEG of 512 KB to 3.14 MB, 3:4 portrait, with your face covering 70-80% of the image. - Pay the INZ fee online by Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay; INZ publishes no rupee amount. - Send your passport to a VFS Global centre in New Delhi, Chandigarh or Mumbai only if INZ asks. The passport handling fee is INR 1,460, and a paper application costs INR 2,085 at VFS; appointments are required. The New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi does not assist with visa enquiries. INZ says Visitor Visa processing is busiest between September and March, especially before Christmas, so apply early for a December trip. A Visitor Visa file needs proof of your plans and proof you can leave, and INZ's India checklist lists a cover letter and day-to-day itinerary as optional extras. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters for visa files, from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for the full set. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us. ### Frequently asked questions #### Can Indians get a New Zealand visa on arrival? No. India is not on New Zealand's visa-waiver list in Schedule 2 of the immigration regulations, so Indian passport holders must get a visa before travelling. There is no visa on arrival. #### I hold Australian permanent residence. Do I need a New Zealand visa? No visa application is needed in that case. Holders of a current Australian permanent resident visa or resident return visa travel on an NZeTA and are normally given a visa at the border. #### Is travel insurance mandatory for a New Zealand visitor visa? No. Insurance is not mandatory for visitors, but INZ recommends full medical insurance because you or your sponsor must pay for any health care. Student visa holders are different: acceptable insurance is a condition of their visa. #### How early should Indians apply for a New Zealand visitor visa? INZ decides 80% of Visitor Visa applications within 2 weeks but says processing is busiest between September and March, with high volumes over summer and especially before Christmas. Applying well ahead of a peak-season trip reduces the risk of delays. ## FAQ ### Can Indians get a New Zealand visa on arrival? No. India is not on New Zealand's visa-waiver list in Schedule 2 of the immigration regulations, so Indian passport holders must get a visa before travelling. There is no visa on arrival. ### I hold Australian permanent residence. Do I need a New Zealand visa? No visa application is needed in that case. Holders of a current Australian permanent resident visa or resident return visa travel on an NZeTA and are normally given a visa at the border. ### Is travel insurance mandatory for a New Zealand visitor visa? No. Insurance is not mandatory for visitors, but INZ recommends full medical insurance because you or your sponsor must pay for any health care. Student visa holders are different: acceptable insurance is a condition of their visa. ### How early should Indians apply for a New Zealand visitor visa? INZ decides 80% of Visitor Visa applications within 2 weeks but says processing is busiest between September and March, with high volumes over summer and especially before Christmas. Applying well ahead of a peak-season trip reduces the risk of delays. ## Sources 1. [Immigration New Zealand - Visitor Visa](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/visitor-visa/) — Immigration New Zealand 2. [Immigration New Zealand - Business Visitor Visa](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/business-visitor-visa/) — Immigration New Zealand 3. [Immigration New Zealand - Transit Visa](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/transit-visa/) — Immigration New Zealand 4. [Upcoming changes to visitor and transit visas (28 Sep 2026)](https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/nzl/news/upcoming-changes) — VFS Global for Immigration New Zealand