Border will first open to New Zealand citizens coming from Australia, then from the rest of the world, and finally to all other vaccinated visitors from April
New Zealand has announced it will reopen its borders to vaccinated visitors in the opening months of 2022, for the first time since prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced their snap closure in the first month of the Covid-19 pandemic. The country’s borders have been closed for more than a year and a half.
The border will initially open to New Zealand citizens and visa holders coming from Australia, then from the rest of the world, and finally to all other vaccinated visitors from the end of April. They will still have to self-isolate at home for a week, but will no longer have to pass through the country’s expensive and highly-space limited managed isolation facilities.
The border will open in stages. Covid response minister Chris Hipkins said that fully vaccinated New Zealanders can travel to New Zealand from Australia without staying in managed isolation from Monday 17 January. They can come from all other countries from Monday 14 February 2022. After that, fully vaccinated people, including international tourists, will be able to travel to New Zealand from the end of April. Countries classed as “very high risk” will be excepted from that – at this stage, only Papua New Guinea sits under that designation.
Travellers will have to have negative pre-departure test, be fully vaccinated, a declaration of full travel history, test on arrival and at end of self-isolation period.
Hipkins said that managed isolation would still be present for the foreseeable future. “We will eventually reach a point where people will be able to move much more freely across the border and those periods of self isolation won’t be required. We’re not at that point yet.”
For latest travel news and updates, food and drink journeys, restaurant features, and more, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram. Read more on Travel and Food Network
Trending Now : TFN 2021 Guides
