New Zealand Student Visa Cost: The NZD 850 Charge and What Else You Pay
TL;DR: The New Zealand student visa cost for most applicants applying from outside New Zealand, including from Sri Lanka, is NZD 850: an NZD 485 application fee, an NZD 265 immigration levy and the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy. On top of that you pay for medical checks if you need them and for insurance. The NZD 20,000 a year you show for living costs is money you keep, not a fee.
New Zealand's visa charge is smaller than the UK's or Australia's, which makes it easy to overlook the costs around it. Those costs are not large on their own. Together they are worth planning before you lodge.
This guide sets out what you pay to Immigration New Zealand, what you pay to others, and what you only show.
Planning a New Zealand degree and want to know what your budget needs to cover? Check your eligibility with Prosper.
The Fee Paying Student Visa charge
Immigration New Zealand's Fee Paying Student Visa page lists the cost "from NZD 850" for an application made outside New Zealand. Its fees guide, current from May, shows how that total is built for applicants in the rest-of-world fee band:
| Part of the charge | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | NZD 485 | Immigration New Zealand |
| Immigration levy | NZD 265 | Immigration New Zealand |
| International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) | NZD 100 | Collected with your application |
| Total | NZD 850 |
Applicants from Pacific countries are in lower fee bands. Most other international students pay the full amount. The charge is paid online when you submit, and Immigration New Zealand does not usually refund it once your application has been processed.
Want a view on whether your budget covers the fees you pay and the funds you must show?
The full cost picture
| Cost | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Student visa charge | NZD 850 | When you apply |
| Chest X-ray or medical, if required | Set by the panel clinic | Before you apply |
| Medical and travel insurance | Set by the insurer | Before you travel |
| Tuition | Set by your university | Usually before your visa is approved, as your offer requires |
| Funds for living costs | NZD 20,000 a year, shown not spent | Shown when you apply |
Medical checks
Immigration New Zealand says students staying less than six months usually do not need a chest X-ray, and full fee-paying students do not usually need a medical certificate. If you are staying longer, you may need a chest X-ray depending on where you come from and how long you have lived there. The X-ray is done by an approved panel physician, and the clinic sets the fee.
Insurance
You need acceptable medical and travel insurance for your time in New Zealand. Your university will tell you which policies it accepts, and many arrange a policy for you. Get the price for your full course length, not one year, so the budget matches the visa.
What you pay versus what you show
The visa charge, insurance, medical fees and tuition are money you spend. The living costs you show are different: Immigration New Zealand sets NZD 20,000 for each year of tertiary study, or NZD 1,667 for each month if your course is shorter than a year. You keep that money. Our guide to New Zealand student visa funds explains how to show it.
Timing and the cost of delay
Immigration New Zealand processes 80% of Fee Paying Student Visa applications within eight weeks. Rushing a late application can mean paying higher airfares or missing the start of your course. Apply as soon as your offer and documents are ready. Our guide to New Zealand student visa processing time sets out how to plan it.
Applying from Sri Lanka
Applicants applying from Sri Lanka pay the standard NZD 850 charge, so budget it in New Zealand dollars and allow for the exchange rate on the day you pay. Some Sri Lankan documents may need verification through IOM in Colombo, which carries its own fee. Our guide to IOM document verification for a New Zealand student visa explains the step.
FAQ
How much is the New Zealand student visa cost from Sri Lanka? NZD 850 for an application made outside New Zealand: NZD 485 fee, NZD 265 immigration levy and NZD 100 IVL.
Is the NZD 20,000 a fee? No. It is the living cost you must show for each year of study. You keep it.
Do I need a chest X-ray for a New Zealand student visa? It depends on how long you will stay and where you come from. Short stays under six months usually do not need one.
Is insurance included in the visa charge? No. You buy medical and travel insurance separately.
Is the visa charge refunded if my visa is declined? Immigration New Zealand does not usually refund the charge once your application is processed.
How long does a New Zealand student visa take? Immigration New Zealand processes 80% of applications within eight weeks.
PS: The visa charge is the easy part of a New Zealand budget once you know it. If you want help building a full cost plan from offer to arrival, check your eligibility with Prosper.
Team Prosper
References
Fee Paying Student Visa, Immigration New Zealand. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/visas/fee-paying-student-visa/ (accessed 4 October 2026)
Fees Guide INZ 1028, May 2026, Immigration New Zealand. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/assets/inz/documents/forms-and-guides/Fees-Guide-INZ-1028.pdf (accessed 4 October 2026)
Fees and levies, Immigration New Zealand. https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/news-centre/fees-and-levies/ (accessed 4 October 2026)
