Starting in January 2026, New Zealand will raise the Visa Application Centre service prices in 26 nations, including India.

Candidates from 26 nations and territories, including India, would be affected by the rise in Visa Application Centre (VAC) service fees announced by Immigration New Zealand, which will take effect on January 1, 2026. While official visa application fees collected by Immigration New Zealand will not change, the modification applies to service fees assessed by VACs like VFS Global.  Since the updated VAC fees cover services including application processing, document verification, and biometric collection, they will increase the total cost of filing visa applications. Immigration New Zealand claims that the rise is in line with inflation and is required due to growing operating expenses.  Along with nations like Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, and Vietnam, India is one of the major markets impacted by the shift.  In order to avoid increased service fees after the new fees take effect, applicants are encouraged to evaluate the modified VAC price structure and think about completing their applications before January 1, 2026.  Australia, Bangladesh, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Nepal & Bhutan, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, and Vietnam are among the nations and territories where VAC service fees will rise as of January 1, 2026.