The Travel Visa Company is urging agents to be aware of a new electronic visa waiver scheme for UK passport holders arriving in New Zealand from October 1.
Keni Chan, business development executive at the Crewe-based visa specialist, said: “We have informed our own travel partners. However, we are still experiencing calls from individual agents from the likes of Tui and Thomas Cook who aren’t aware and are seeking further information.
“We would recommend that all travel agents supplying holidays to New Zealand make their customers fully aware of the new visa requirements.
“Failure to meet these new requirements could easily result in a ruined holiday, whereby the traveller is turned around at the border.
“It is important that every traveller obtains the appropriate authorisation prior to travel.”
The Travel Visa Company can help travellers to obtain a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), either over the phone or with a paper form.
“In our experience this is useful for those travellers that are not particularly computer savvy, although we will also have an online application form going live in the near future,” said Chan.
“We can also offer the full tourist visa for those travellers who would otherwise be ineligible to obtain the electronic-style visa such as non-British travellers.”
The Travel Visa Company charges £61 to process the NZeTA, which includes the visa fee, tourist tax, service charge and VAT.
The government of New Zealand approved a new NZ$35 tourist tax in June.
• Chan also highlighted how Sri Lanka has temporarily removed its embassy fee from online applications in an effort to boost tourism.
The Sri Lanka Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is still required but it can be obtained for free beforehand or on arrival.
“This is only a trial until January but has financial benefits to anyone travelling in the next few months,” he added.
“We can still assist travellers in obtaining their Sri Lanka ETA beforehand if they wish, for just a small service charge, as there is now no embassy fee to pay.”
The Travel Visa Company charges £35, which is the combined cost of the service charge and VAT.