Travellers to New Zealand face being ripped off with online e-visa sites

Exclusive: New ‘admission fee’ to NZ spurs rash of sites

Lake Matheson on the South Island is one of New Zealand's top sights (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Travellers to New Zealand are being asked to pay three times the normal price for the new online visa and “eco-levy” that take effect this year.

The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) came into effect on 1 July, requiring a payment of NZ$35.

The New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, or NZeTA, will be mandatory for British visitors from 1 October 2019. The online permit costs $9 (£5) via an App or $12 (£6) on the website.

But the move has already seen the creation of sites that look official and lead travellers into paying several times more than the actual price.

A Google search for “New Zealand eTA” delivered as its top result the site etanewzealand.com, which belongs to a company in Coral Gables, Florida. It has no connection with the New Zealand government, but that is only stated when you begin an application.

In a note at the bottom of its "privacy policy" page, it states: "We help travellers to obtain visas from governments by providing expert assistance. We help travellers to apply for and obtain visas from governments by providing expert assistance."

The internet address was registered in July 2018, shortly after the eTA plan was outlined.

One prospective visitor told The Independent: “My son lives in New Zealand and I intend visiting him over the Christmas period.

“The eTA and the tourist levy should cost NZ$47 [£25]. However, after filling in the form on Wednesday and reaching the payment page it asked for US$89 dollars [£73].

“Today after revisiting the site it has now increased to US$96 [£79]. I have sent two separate emails to them, both have which been ignored.”

The Independent referred him to the official NZeTA website which is www.immigration.govt.nz/nzeta.

Nick Aldous, policy director for Immigration New Zealand (INZ), said: “INZ has been engaging with the travel and tourism sector since June 2018 and a wide-reaching global marketing campaign is currently underway to ensure visitors know how and where to apply for a NZeTA.

“INZ is also working hard to monitor and where possible, correct any misinformation online.”

The official site currently appears third in the Google rankings.

Unofficial sites charging high fees while adding no value have long been preying on visitors searching online for similar online permits for visiting the US, Canada and Turkey.

The Independent has contacted etanewzealand.com for a response.