Border fully open two months early from 11:59 pm 31 July
Cruise ships able to return with the opening of the maritime border from 31 July
Online visitor visa applications reopen to Pacific Island Forum countries (excluding Australia) from 16 May
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Wednesday (May 11) announced an early opening of New Zealand’s border.
“New Zealand is in demand and now fully open for business,” Jacinda Ardern said.
“New Zealand’s international border will reopen to all tourists and visa holders two months earlier than planned on 31 July.
“This follows our previous reconnecting work which has seen approvals granted for over 29,000 critical workers, 5,000 students, working holidaymakers, Australian tourists, and visa-waiver visitors already entering the country.
“By opening up tourism and putting our immigration settings on a more secure footing, we build on our proven plan to secure New Zealand’s economic future,” Jacinda Ardern said.
Tourism Minister Stuart Nash said the decision to bring the final border opening date forward allows us to fully reconnect to the world of international tourists and business travellers in time for our traditional peak visitor season.
“Our wider tourism sector is on the way to recovery. We will be fully open to the world in mid-winter, traditionally our quietest period for visitors. Bringing forward the date allows prospective travellers to apply for visitor visas well ahead of time before taking the next step to booking a flight or a cruise for future travel,” Stuart Nash said.
“Approximately 90 per cent of cruise visits are during the warmer months of October to April, and summer is our bumper tourism season overall. Today’s announcement means it’s full steam ahead for the industry who can plan with certainty for the rest of the year and beyond.”
This announcement gives travellers from markets like China and India the confidence to
book their trips to New Zealand for when they are able to travel.
