2 March 2021 at 3:00 pm
MIQ costs changing for temporary visa holders
The New Zealand Government has announced changes to the Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) facilities to make the system more financially sustainable.
Our managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities are an essential part of our COVID-19 defence system. The fees charged to people who stay in MIQ are designed to strike a balance between the benefits to both the New Zealand public of having such a robust system, and those who leave and enter the country.
Currently, temporary entry visa class holders are liable to pay $3,100 for 14 days in managed isolation.
From 12:01am on 25 March 2021, anyone entering New Zealand on a temporary visa is now liable to pay the MIQ fee of:
- $5,520 (including GST) for the first or only person in the room;
- $2,990 for an additional adult in the same room;
- $1,610 for an additional child (aged 3-17 years) in the same room.
Charges for some stays in managed isolation were introduced in August 2020, as it was not financially sustainable for the Government to continue to fund all the costs of MIQ. The fees were set at two levels: one for returning New Zealanders and one for some temporary visa holders.
These new charges will help ensure the ongoing financial sustainability of MIQ, which is now expected to remain in place for at least the rest of 2021. However, as time has passed, Cabinet has decided that more people entering the country should contribute to the costs of their MIQ stay.
The fee level temporary visa holders pay is closer to the actual cost of MIQ, although the Government is still subsidising some of the cost.
The new fees are the same as those charged to critical workers entering the country under a border exception. Critical healthcare workers entering under a border exception will continue to be charged the current standard fee of $3,100 to ensure the healthcare workforce can be quickly scaled up in case of a resurgence of COVID-19.
MBIE can grant a full or partial waiver of managed isolation fees in cases of financial hardship or other special circumstances, or arrange a deferment of payment, for temporary entry visa class holders.
See the MIQ website for more details: https://www.miq.govt.nz/being-in-managed-isolation/charges-for-managed-isolation/
