Can I get a refund of my application fee? Visit, study and work visas
You can only get a refund in special circumstances.
Immigration New Zealand will refund applications that are being lapsed because they cannot be processed due to COVID-19 border measures.
Immigration New Zealand will email eligible visa applicants, or their representative, when their refund is being processed. You do not have to request the refund from us.
We have started credit card reversals for applications submitted via Immigration Online within the last 12 months. The fees will be refunded to the credit card the payment was originally made from. Applicants will start receiving information about the transactions next week, via the email address on the application.
Applicants do not need to do anything at this stage.
We are working on a secure ICT solution to process the large volume of manual refunds. Once that solution is confirmed, we will start the manual refund process and provide an updated timeframe.
If your visa application has already been completed
You cannot get a refund if your application has been completed, even if it was declined. This is because the fee you pay covers the costs of assessing your application.
If your visa application has not been completed
You can apply for a refund if your visa application has not been completed, but refunds are only given in special circumstances. You cannot get a refund if you change your mind about your application.
Situations where fee refunds apply can include:
- you paid the fee but you did not need to
- you paid the wrong fee
- you paid the fee but your application did not meet our lodgement criteria.
Apply for a refund
To apply for a refund:
- Complete the refund request form.
- Send your refund request to the same office that you sent your application to. If you applied online, check our Fees, decision times and where to apply page to find the office that handles applications for your location.
Customer Refund Request Form (if you are inside New Zealand) PDF 242KB
Customer Refund Request Form (if you are outside New Zealand)