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399: Immigration levy
or “Rules for a fee to support immigration services and programs”

You could also call this:

“Fee for visitors to help protect New Zealand's environment and support tourism”

You might have to pay a special fee called the international visitor conservation and tourism levy when you want to visit New Zealand. This fee applies if you’re asking for a temporary visa or if you don’t need a visa because of a special rule.

The money from this fee is used to help look after nature, build and take care of things tourists use, and support other tourism activities.

The government can make rules about who needs to pay this fee, how much it costs, and how to pay it. They can also say that some people don’t have to pay or can get their money back.

The person in charge of immigration can decide to let some people not pay the fee or give them their money back if they’ve already paid.

All the money collected from this fee goes into a special government bank account.

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Next up: 399B: International visitor conservation and tourism levy: consultation and review

or “Government must consult and review the visitor levy for tourism and conservation”

Part 11 Miscellaneous provisions
Fees, bonds, levies, etc

399AInternational visitor conservation and tourism levy

  1. Regulations made under section 400 may provide for the imposition and collection of an international visitor conservation and tourism levy on—

  2. applicants for a temporary entry class visa:
    1. persons seeking to rely on a waiver under section 69 of the requirement to hold a temporary entry class visa permitting travel to New Zealand.
      1. The purpose of the levy is to fund, or contribute to the funding of,—

      2. conservation:
        1. infrastructure used for tourism (including the cost of operating the infrastructure):
          1. other initiatives related to tourism.
            1. Regulations made for the purposes of this section may—

            2. specify the categories or classes of person who are liable to pay the levy:
              1. prescribe the amount or method of calculation of the levy:
                1. prescribe different amounts or methods of calculation of the levy in respect of different categories or classes of person:
                  1. provide for exemptions from, or refunds of, all or part of the levy in any class of case:
                    1. provide for the manner of collection of the levy, including provision for the relevant amount of levy to be deposited with the chief executive.
                      1. The Minister may, by special direction,—

                      2. exempt any person or persons from the obligation to pay all or part of the levy; or
                        1. refund all or part of a levy paid.
                          1. All levy money collected under this section must be paid into a Crown Bank Account.

                          Notes
                          • Section 399A: inserted, on , by section 7 of the Immigration (International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy) Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 24).