COVID-19:New Zealand reopens its borders for tourists, other travellers

Wellington: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Wednesday announced reopening of its borders for vaccinated Australians from April 12 and for travellers from May 1.

"We have now received guidance that it is safe to significantly bring forward the next stage of border reopening work, bringing back our tourists," announced Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

She further informed that vaccinated Australians including permanent residents will be able to come to New Zealand without isolating from 11:59 PM on Tuesday, April 12, while, fully vaccinated travellers from visa-waiver countries will be able to enter the country from 11:59 PM on May 1. The New Zealand Herald reported.

About 60 countries and territories, including Canada and the United States, are on the visa-waiver list.
People already with visas, but outside the visa waiver list, would become eligible to enter New Zealand on May 1. For people from outside visa waiver countries, the major issue was how to process new visas in a timely way, Ardern said.

Ardern also said that the border was already open to New Zealanders - and on Monday eligible critical workers were allowed in without isolating.

Ardern said New Zealand was a safe place to visit, adding that Australian travellers were crucial to the domestic tourism sector saying, "They will be able to arrive in time for the Australian school holidays," Arden said.

Arden also thanked the tourism operators for bearing with the difficult times in the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.