New Zealand’s reopened and ready for you to explore!
Are you ready for New Zealand? Because New Zealand’s ready for you! It’s one of the best places to go camping, hiking, fishing, or even museum hopping no matter how cold the weather is. Now that its borders are slowly reopening, we’d love to guide you through their 5-phase process so you’re ready when the borders are open for you.
New Zealand surpassed the first phase when it reopened its borders last 27 Feb 2022, to fully vaccinated New Zealanders coming home from Australia. It’s only a few days away from the second phase so, to help you prepare your travel requirements for your exciting trip, we’ll explain each phase to you so make sure to take some notes.
We’ll go into each step with these 3 W’s — Who can travel to New Zealand, When is the date of allowed entry, and What are the travel requirements and restrictions. We’ll also include some reminders per step if necessary.
Step 1
Who: Fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other eligible travelers coming from Australia
- If you’re an unvaccinated New Zealander, a person with vaccine exemptions or medical certificate, and someone who doesn't meet New Zealand’s vaccination requirements who are eligible to enter the country, then you are required to go into Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ)
- Please note that if you traveled to Australia coming from another country (except New Zealand), you’re required to stay in Australia for at least 14 days first before entering New Zealand
When: From 11:59 pm of 27 Feb 2022
What:
- Negative pre-departure test — PCR (should be done no more than 48 hours before scheduled flight to New Zealand) or a supervised RAT or LAMP (should be done 24 hours before scheduled flight to New Zealand)
- Medical certificate for those who can’t take a Covid-19 test due to medical reasons (should be done 48 hours before flight)
- Complete the Nau Mai Rā Travel Declaration unless you’re going into MIQ
Reminders:
- If you’re a traveler who arrived in New Zealand on or after 11:59 pm on 2 Mar 2022, then you no longer need to self-isolate
- Eligible travelers coming from Nauru, Tuvalu, and American Samoa can enter New Zealand without going into self-isolation
Step 2
Batch 1
Who: Fully vaccinated New Zealanders from anywhere in the world
When: From 11:59 pm of 4 Mar 2022
What:
- Negative pre-departure test — PCR (should be done no more than 48 hours before scheduled flight to New Zealand) or a supervised RAT or LAMP (should be done 24 hours before scheduled flight to New Zealand)
- Medical certificate for those who can’t take a Covid-19 test due to medical reasons (should be done 48 hours before flight)
- Complete the Nau Mai Rā Travel Declaration unless you’re going into managed isolation and quarantine
Batch 2
Who: Fully vaccinated skilled workers earning at least 1.5 times the median wage for roles longer than 6 months and travelers with a working holiday visa
- The median wage is NZD 84,240 a year or NZD 40.50 an hour.
When: From 11:59 pm of 13 Mar 2022
What:
- Negative pre-departure test — PCR (should be done no more than 48 hours before scheduled flight to New Zealand) or a supervised RAT or LAMP (should be done 24 hours before scheduled flight to New Zealand)
- Medical certificate for those who can’t take a Covid-19 test due to medical reasons (should be done 48 hours before flight)
- Complete the Nau Mai Rā Travel Declaration unless you’re going into managed isolation and quarantine
- Proof of vaccination for non-New Zealand citizens, non-New Zealand citizens transiting New Zealand, and foreign aircrew arriving in New Zealand
Reminders:
- If you’re eligible to enter New Zealand but are unvaccinated or do not meet the acceptable vaccination requirements, you must go into MIQ
Step 3
Batch 1
Who: Fully vaccinated temporary work and student visa holders with a valid visa, up to 5,000 international students for the second semester from anywhere in the world, and Australian citizens and permanent residents
- This includes both visa holders who are currently outside New Zealand and those in New Zealand who chose to travel overseas and wish to come back
When: From 11:59 pm of 12 Apr 2022
What:
- Negative pre-departure test — PCR (should be done no more than 48 hours before scheduled flight to New Zealand) or a supervised RAT or LAMP (should be done 24 hours before scheduled flight to New Zealand)
- Medical certificate for those who can’t take a Covid-19 test due to medical reasons (should be done 48 hours before flight)
- Complete the Nau Mai Rā Travel Declaration unless you’re going into managed isolation and quarantine
- Proof of vaccination for non-New Zealand citizens, non-New Zealand citizens transiting New Zealand, and foreign aircrew arriving in New Zealand
Batch 2
Who: Fully vaccinated visitors from visa-waiver countries and those from other countries with a valid visitor visa
Here’s the list of visa-waiver countries and territories:
Photo Credit: New Zealand Immigration
When: From 11:59 pm of 1 May 2022
What:
- Negative pre-departure test — PCR (should be done no more than 48 hours before scheduled flight to New Zealand) or a supervised RAT or LAMP (should be done 24 hours before scheduled flight to New Zealand)
- Medical certificate for those who can’t take a Covid-19 test due to medical reasons (should be done 48 hours before flight)
- Complete the Nau Mai Rā Travel Declaration unless you’re going into managed isolation and quarantine
- Proof of vaccination for non-New Zealand citizens, non-New Zealand citizens transiting New Zealand, and foreign aircrew arriving in New Zealand
Step 4
Who: Fully vaccinated Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) holders
When: From July 2022
What:
- Negative pre-departure test — PCR (should be done no more than 48 hours before scheduled flight to New Zealand) or a supervised RAT or LAMP (should be done 24 hours before scheduled flight to New Zealand)
- Medical certificate for those who can’t take a Covid-19 test due to medical reasons (should be done 48 hours before flight)
- Complete the Nau Mai Rā Travel Declaration unless you’re going into managed isolation and quarantine
- Proof of vaccination for non-New Zealand citizens, non-New Zealand citizens transiting New Zealand, and foreign aircrew arriving in New Zealand
Reminders:
- The AEWV is mainly limited only to roles that pay above the median wage
Step 5
Who: All New Zealand visa holders including visitor and student visas
When: From 11:59 pm of 31 Jul 2022
What:
- Negative pre-departure test — PCR (should be done no more than 48 hours before scheduled flight to New Zealand) or a supervised RAT or LAMP (should be done 24 hours before scheduled flight to New Zealand)
- Medical certificate for those who can’t take a Covid-19 test due to medical reasons (should be done 48 hours before flight)
- Complete Nau Mai Rā Travel Declaration unless you’re going into managed isolation and quarantine
- Proof of vaccination for non-New Zealand citizens, non-New Zealand citizens transiting New Zealand, and foreign aircrew arriving in New Zealand
Anything else?
Photo Credit: @convertkit on Unsplash
Yes. We know, we know, it’s a lot to take in but you’re almost ready! There are just a few more travel requirements and reminders left, so hang in there.
RATs
- You must take 2 RATs — on days 0/1 and 5/6
- If your RAT gives a positive result, a mandatory follow-up PCR test should be done
Accepted Proof of Vaccination
- Both electronic and paper versions are acceptable
- Must state that you’ve had 1 or more vaccinations (doses depend on which vaccine you got)
- Should have the following details — your name, the name/s of the vaccine/s that you received, the name of the agency that administered your vaccination, the name of your vaccination site, and the date of each dose or date when your primary vaccination course was completed
Unvaccinated Children
Unvaccinated children aged 0-16 can enter New Zealand without having to go into MIQ if they’re traveling alone or with parents or guardians who meet the vaccination requirements for travelers who can enter the country without MIQ.
With all of New Zealand’s travel restrictions and requirements, getting ready for your trip can be quite taxing. But, remember that we’re here as your go-to travel buddy to get some weight off your shoulders during the planning stage. It’ll all be worth it when you step foot in the country and venture to different attractions, taste lots of local food, and marvel at different and beautiful sceneries.
Before you go, here’s a Klook Tip: travel restrictions and requirements change from time to time so make sure to check with the respective destination directly for more information before booking your flight.
