The Overseas Investment Office (OIO) has announced reductions to certain application fees under the Overseas Investment Act, effective 11 September 2026.

The revised fees are:

• Primary Consent and Production Forestry applications: $16,900, reduced from $22,800

• National Interest Assessment applications for non-New Zealand Government Investors: $61,800, reduced from $83,700.

All other application fees remain the same.

LINZ will also have the ability to waive, reduce or refund fees in certain circumstances, including where requiring payment would be unreasonable or where an administrative error requires correction. Guidelines on the exercise of these powers are expected to be published shortly.

Looking ahead

While these reductions indicate that the OIO is monitoring its actual processing costs and passing resulting savings on to investors, we also hope that the current distinction between “standard” and “complex” Benefit to New Zealand applications will soon be removed. The distinction can result in significantly higher application fees for investors with more complex ownership structures, notwithstanding that the underlying Benefit to New Zealand assessment may be similar.

We will continue to monitor developments in this space and keep clients informed of any further changes.

Special thanks to Sarah Heslin for her assistance in writing this article.