Indian passport holders need a visa for New Zealand. There is no visa on arrival, and the NZeTA that covers many other nationalities does not apply to us.
Most people who come to us are heading to Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch to see family, or pairing New Zealand with Australia on one long trip. If that is your plan, apply for both early — they are separate applications with separate fees and separate timelines, and one being slow should not cost you the other.
We have handled New Zealand visitor visa files from Chennai for ten years: around 3,000 applications, a large share of them parents visiting children in New Zealand, and combined Australia–New Zealand trips. We know which parts of the online form cause queries, what Immigration New Zealand wants to see in a bank statement, and when a chest X-ray is going to be asked for.
We are a private visa consultancy in Chennai. We are not the New Zealand government and we do not decide visas.
New Zealand visa at a glance
- Visa needed
- Yes — Indian passport holders cannot use the NZeTA
- Visa format
- eVisa. No sticker, no passport submission
- Applied through
- Immigration New Zealand, online
- Centre visit
- Not needed in most cases — and there is no centre in Chennai
- Passport validity
- Must extend beyond your departure date — we confirm the current requirement for your travel dates
- Stay
- A capped number of months within a rolling period — we confirm the current limit at the assessment
- Processing
- Immigration New Zealand publishes a current processing time — we check it for you on the day you apply
- Apply by
- 8 weeks before travel
What a New Zealand visa actually costs
You will see wildly different numbers online. Here is the arithmetic.
| What you pay | Paid to |
|---|---|
| Visa application fee | Immigration New Zealand |
| International Visitor Levy — a separate charge, paid with the application | New Zealand government |
| Our service fee | Visa Agents in Chennai |
| Travel insurance (optional, recommended) | Insurer |
We give you the current amount against every line in writing before you commit to anything.
The levy catches people out. It is not a service charge and it is not optional — it is a separate government levy paid at the same time as the visa fee, and almost no competitor page lists it on its own line.
Both the fee and the levy are non-refundable if your visa is declined. If an agent quotes you one figure and says it includes the visa cost, ask them to break it down.
Which New Zealand visa do you need?
Visitor visa
Holidays, visiting family or friends, and short courses. No work.
Business visitor
Meetings, conferences and negotiations. You may attend and negotiate; you may not take up employment in New Zealand.
We do not handle student visas, work visas or residence applications. Those are regulated immigration matters and we are not licensed advisers for them.
Travelling to Australia on the same trip? See our Australia visa page — we can run both applications together.
How much money you need to show
This is the question we get most, and New Zealand answers it more clearly than most countries. Immigration New Zealand publishes a required amount per person for each month of your stay, with a lower figure if your accommodation is already paid for. We work out your exact number at the assessment.
A couple travelling for three weeks with hotels booked and paid is looking at a very different figure from a parent staying five months with family. Work out your number first, then check whether your statements support it comfortably. A balance that only just clears the line, or one that jumped last week, invites questions.
If a relative in New Zealand is funding the trip, their documents can carry that weight — but they need to be properly evidenced, and your own position still matters.
How to apply from Chennai
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Assessment. We confirm the right visa, work out your funds figure, and quote our fee in writing.
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Documents. A checklist for your situation, then we check everything you send.
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Online application. Lodged directly with Immigration New Zealand. There is no New Zealand visa centre in Chennai, and for most applicants no centre visit is needed at all.
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Fee and levy. Paid together at submission.
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Tracking. We monitor the application and help you respond if INZ asks for more — a chest X-ray is sometimes requested for longer stays.
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eVisa. Your approval arrives electronically. We go through the conditions and stay period before you fly.
Documents you need
- Everyone
- Passport valid beyond your departure date, photograph to New Zealand specification, bank statements for three to six months, ITR or Form 16, a cover letter explaining the trip, travel itinerary, flight plan and accommodation details.
- Employed
- Employment letter and approved leave on letterhead, plus recent payslips.
- Self-employed
- Business registration, GST filings, business bank statements.
- Retired
- Pension proof and asset documents.
- Visiting family
- Their invitation, their status in New Zealand, their address, and income documents if they are paying.
- Minors
- Birth certificate, consent from both parents, school NOC.
Do not buy non-refundable tickets before the visa is granted. A planned itinerary is enough.
Ask us for a checklist for your case
How our Chennai team helps you get approved
New Zealand files sit with Maharoof, Visa Manager — over five years handling documentation and filing across our destination portfolio.
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We work out your funds figure before you apply. Most refusals we see trace back to money — not the amount, but the mismatch between the stay, the accommodation and what the statements actually show. We do this arithmetic first.
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We complete the online form with you. It is longer than people expect, and inconsistencies between the form and the documents are what trigger queries.
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We flag a likely medical early. Staying more than six months? A chest X-ray is likely to be required. Knowing that in week one rather than week six is the difference between a delayed trip and a cancelled one.
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We make your documents agree. Leave dates matching flights, accommodation matching the itinerary, names spelled identically across passport, PAN and bank records.
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We run Australia and New Zealand together when you are doing both, so the timelines do not collide.
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We tell you where you stand first. The assessment is free, and if something is weak we say so before you spend anything. We do not promise outcomes — Immigration New Zealand decides, and anyone quoting you a success rate is quoting a number they cannot support.
Why New Zealand visas get refused
- Funds that do not match the length of stay, or a balance that appeared suddenly
- No clear reason to return to India at the end of the visit
- A vague purpose, or an itinerary that contradicts the bookings
- Inconsistencies between the form and the supporting documents
- An earlier refusal, from any country, that was not declared
- Incomplete responses when INZ asks for more
New Zealand visa FAQs
- Do Indians need a visa for New Zealand?
- Yes. There is no visa on arrival, and the NZeTA does not cover Indian passport holders.
- What does it cost?
- A visa application fee plus a separate International Visitor Levy, both paid to the New Zealand government, plus our fee. We give you the current figures in writing before you commit. Neither government charge is refunded if the visa is declined.
- Do I have to visit a visa centre in Chennai?
- There is no New Zealand visa centre in Chennai, and most applicants do not need to attend one anywhere. Applications are made online.
- Do I get a sticker in my passport?
- No. New Zealand issues an eVisa, so your passport stays with you.
- How much bank balance do I need?
- Immigration New Zealand sets an amount per person for each month of stay, and a lower one if your accommodation is prepaid. We calculate your figure at the assessment.
- Will I need a medical?
- Usually not for short visits. A chest X-ray is commonly required for stays over six months.
- Can I apply for Australia and New Zealand together?
- Yes, and many Chennai travellers do. They are separate applications with separate fees — start both early.
Talk to our New Zealand visa team in Chennai
Tell us who is travelling, when and for how long. We will confirm the visa, calculate your funds requirement, send a document list, and quote our fee before you commit.
Get your free assessmentOffice: Level 5, Tamarai Tech Park, S.P. Plot No. 16-19 & 20-A, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Thiru Vi Ka Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600032.
Serving T. Nagar, Anna Nagar, Adyar, Velachery, Nungambakkam, Guindy, Porur, Egmore and OMR.