Electronic travel authorisations look interchangeable from the outside. They are not. Each country runs its own scheme, with its own eligibility list, its own price, and its own idea of what the document even is — some are visas, some explicitly are not.
This page is a map of which is which. For New Zealand, the scheme is the NZeTA, and it costs NZ$117 in total (NZ$17 application plus the NZ$100 levy).
One rule holds everywhere: you apply on the government's own site, and no agency can make a decision arrive faster. Sites charging several times the official fee are filling in the same form for you.
New Zealand — NZeTA
Required before you board if your passport qualifies for the visa waiver. Costs NZ$117 in total: the NZ$17 application fee plus the NZ$100 conservation and tourism levy. Valid 2 years. It is not a visa.
Australia — eVisitor or ETA
Australia uses two schemes depending on the passport. eVisitor (subclass 651) is a visa and is free. The ETA (subclass 601) is the paid alternative and is applied for in the official app.
South Korea — K-ETA
⚠️ Many nationalities are temporarily exempt from the K-ETA at present, so the first question is whether you need one at all rather than how to apply.
United Kingdom — ETA
Covers visits of up to 6 months to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. GOV.UK states the cost as £20. Applied for through the official service.
Source: GOV.UK — Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA)
United States — ESTA, and Canada — eTA
Both run comparable schemes for visa-waiver travellers. We are not quoting their fees here, because we could not confirm the current figures against the official sources while writing this page, and an out-of-date price is worse than none. Check the official sites directly — and only the official sites.
- United States: esta.cbp.dhs.gov
- Canada: canada.ca (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada)
The mistakes that actually cost people money
- Assuming one authorisation covers a multi-country trip. Each destination is separate, including a stopover where you leave the airport.
- Assuming it is a visa. Some are, some are not, and the difference decides what you may do once you are there.
- Assuming the price is the price. Several schemes add a separate levy or charge a different amount depending on how you apply.
- Applying through a paid intermediary in the belief it is faster. It is the same form and the same decision.
Check your own passport, not a summary
Eligibility lists change, and holding two passports often means two different answers. Every scheme above publishes an official checker. Use it for the passport you will actually travel on.
More on the NZeTA
What is the NZeTA
The NZeTA is a pre-travel authorisation for visa-waiver passports, not a visa. What it covers, who needs one, and what it does not do.
How to apply
Applying takes about ten minutes in the official app (NZ$17) or on the Immigration New Zealand website (NZ$23). Here is the order of the steps and what trips people up.
Cost
The NZeTA request fee is NZ$17 in the app or NZ$23 online, plus the NZ$100 IVL — about NZ$117–NZ$123 in total.
What you need
A valid passport, a photo of your face, an email address and a payment card. What the photo has to look like and what else is asked.
Processing time
Most NZeTA requests are decided in minutes, but Immigration New Zealand asks you to allow up to 72 hours. What makes an application take longer.
Validity
An NZeTA lasts 2 years from the date it is issued, or until your passport expires — whichever comes first — and allows multiple entries.