Export Education Levy

The Export Education Levy (EEL) is collected from providers that enrol international students. It helps fund a broad range of activities and projects relating to the international education industry, including promotion and marketing of New Zealand, quality assurance of courses, and reimbursements for international students caught out by programme and provider closures.

In response to significant financial hardship being faced by the international education sector due to COVID-19, the obligation for providers to pay the levy was suspended in 2020 and 2021, and further revoked in 2022.

In October 2022, Cabinet confirmed that the EEL would be re-introduced on 1 January 2023, following New Zealand’s decision to re-open its borders to international travel.

Documents Seen by the Minister:

Date	Title	Reference
10 November 2022	Briefing Note: Export Education Levy Regulations [PDF, 803 KB]	1299118
25 October 2022	Cabinet Paper: Reintroducing the Export Education Levy [PDF, 1.1 MB]	CAB-22-MIN-0457
25 October 2022	Stage 2 Cost Recovery Impact Statement: Reintroducing the Export Education Levy [PDF, 1.1 MB]	N/A
29 September 2022	Briefing Note: Reintroducing the Export Education Levy [PDF, 754 KB]	1296995
25 August 2022	Education Report: Education Report: Export Education Levy Rate and Improvement Options [PDF, 789 KB]	1290146
8 June 2022	Education Report: Export Education Levy and International Student Fee Review [PDF, 857 KB]	1266742
22 September 2021	Regulatory Impact Analysis: Export Education Levy 2022 Suspension [PDF, 848 KB]	N/A
04 November 2021	Briefing Note: LEG Paper: Education (Export Education Levy) Regulations 2011 Revocation Order 2021(external link)	1275901
18 October 2021	Cabinet Paper: Export Education Levy 2022 Suspension CAB-21-0416(external link)	CAB-21-MIN-0416
13 May 2020	Briefing Note: Options for legislative amendments to the Export Education Levy(external link)	1228219

19 January 2018	Education Report: Use of Export Education Levy to reimburse the Crown following the closure of Linguis & NZNC's business programmes [PDF, 843 KB]	1100372
14 March 2018	Education Report: Export Education Levy 2017 Review - findings and options [PDF, 746 KB]	1108379
6 April 2018	Briefing Note: International Education Ministers’ meeting 9 April 2018 -talking points for Export Education Levy oral item [PDF, 265 KB]	1118230
8 June 2018	Education Report: Addressing immediate Export Education Levy equity balance pressures [PDF, 2 MB]	1129174
21 August 2018	Briefing Note: Draft Cabinet paper on Export Education Levy changes [PDF, 216 KB]	1145122
24 August 2018	Education Report: Export Education Levy reimbursement to NZQA for direct costs from the closure of five provider [PDF, 924 KB]	1127203
29 August 2018	Briefing Note: Final Cabinet paper addressing pressures on the Export Education Levy and consultation on proposed increases to the levy [PDF, 777 KB]	1149556
31 August 2018	Briefing Note: Cabinet Social Wellbeing Committee meeting on Export Education Levy and consultation on proposed increases to the levy [PDF, 806 KB]	1149559
3 September 2018	Briefing Note: Draft consultation document and draft letter to stakeholders on changes to Export Education Levy [PDF, 776 KB]	1143950
23 October 2018	Education Report: Changes to Export Education Levy—consultation feedback and recommendations [PDF, 3.2 MB]	1157687
7 November 2018	Education Report: Draft Cabinet paper to set the new Export Education Levy rates [PDF, 1.1 MB]	1163938
28 November 2018	Briefing Note: Cabinet Legislation Committee meeting Increasing the Export Education Levy rates [PDF, 1 MB]	1168373

Last reviewed: 02 February 2023 Has this been useful? Give us your feedback