New Zealand's Cover Charge

Viaduct Harbor, Auckland

I didn't need a visa to enter New Zealand, but I did need a visa waiver, Which you still have to apply for. Like a visa. And pay for. Like a visa. But it's not a visa. It's a waiver so you don't need the visa. Simple, right?

Like Australia, you download the app to facilitate the process. Interestingly enough, it costs more to to this on the website than it does on the app. The app has awful ratings on the app store, probably because it took two dozen attempts to scan my passport.

There were actually two fees involved: $17NZD for the NZeTA (that's what they call the waiver, seriously), and then $35NZD for the IVL fee. This stands for International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (you're welcome), and goes towards negating the affects of evil visitors like me.

While the Australian request was granted within an hour, New Zealand's takes longer. We got our approvals around 24-36 hours later, though they say it can take up to 72 hours.

Oh, and DO NOT WAIT until you've already arrived to do this (which the response times you could probably could do with Australia). You'll need a different type of visa if you're already in the country, and your phone's GPS will render you SOL.