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SafeTravel is the official source of travel advice for New Zealanders, with advisories for specific destinations. Checking SafeTravel helps you avoid travel blackspots.

On SafeTravel you can also register your details and travel plans. If a crisis occurs overseas, MFAT will contact New Zealanders who have enrolled to check on their safety and well-being.

We also recommend you take out travel insurance. If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel.

While you are overseas, make sure you respect cultural norms and obey local laws.

SafeTravel (external link)  is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website designed for New Zealanders who are travelling or living overseas. You will find:

• checklist for travellers (external link) to help you plan your journey
• news features (external link)
• travel advisories (external link) for specific destinations, with up-to-date information on security risks
• registration facility (external link) where you can log your travel plans in case you need to be contacted in an emergency
• when things go wrong (external link) : information that may assist you.

Travel advisories for countries the New Zealand High Commission in London is accredited to

• United Kingdom (external link)
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Travelling or returning to New Zealand

Passports and visas for entry into new zealand.

• You will need a valid passport .
• If you are not a New Zealand or Australian citizen, you may need to apply for a visa or a  New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) for traveling to or transiting New Zealand.
• Don't forget to check travel requirements for any  countries/regions  you will pass through in transit and on your return journey.
• All passengers entering New Zealand have the option to complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration instead of a paper Passenger Arrival Card. Passengers transiting internationally do not need to complete a declaration.

Transit in New Zealand

• If you are not a New Zealand or Australian citizen, you may need to apply for a visa or a  New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) for transiting through New Zealand
• Remember to check your final destination's entry requirements .
• Travellers do not require proof of vaccination or a pre-departure test to enter New Zealand.
• Air New Zealand does not require passengers to provide proof of vaccination or a pre-departure test. We do ask that if you're feeling unwell and test positive for COVID-19, please consider changing your travel plans. 

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New Zealand reopens to tourists: new travel rules explained

New Zealand’s borders have been closed to nearly all international arrivals since the start of the pandemic, but the country has finally reopened to international visitors. So what are the rules and requirements for entry? Here’s what we know.

Can I travel to New Zealand now?

Yes – the country reopened on Monday 2 May 2022 with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern welcoming the first international travellers in over two years. 

New Zealand has had some of the strictest border rules in the world during the pandemic. In late 2021 until May 2022, only citizens and permanent residents of New Zealand were allowed to enter the country: however, fully vaccinated travellers from the UK, as well as 59 other countries featured on the visa-waiver list , are now able to visit New Zealand.

When will New Zealand open its borders to tourists?

As of 20 June, travellers do not need to show proof of a negative test to cross New Zealand's borders, regardless of where in the world they're coming from. 

Travellers will still need to show proof of having been fully vaccinated to enter New Zealand, except for when they have a valid medical exemption which must be logged at least 72 hours before flying. 

Travellers flying into New Zealand must still complete a Traveller Declaration to be issued a New Zealand Traveller Pass, which they must show in their departure airport and at customs in New Zealand.

Can New Zealand residents travel to the UK?

Yes. Since 18 March 2022 all travel restrictions have been removed in the UK, including testing, quarantining and filling out a passenger locator form . This applies to all travellers, whatever their vaccination status. 

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Can I travel to New Zealand? Entry requirements explained

Here’s what you need to know if you’re planning a visit down under.

N ew Zealand, alongside its neighbour Australia , employed one of the strictest Covid policies across the world, and froze out visitors for most of the pandemic. Even Kiwis themselves have found it difficult to return to their homeland due to a limited hotel quarantine system. But the country has now removed all of its Covid travel restrictions making it much easier for tourists to visit.

For travellers heading to New Zealand in the near future though, there’s a more pressing concern: cyclones. Cyclone Gabrielle is currently over the country causing flooding and power outages. Some communities have been cut off entirely, and the death toll is now up to eight. Here’s what you need to know.

Main photo: Lake Wanaka on New Zealand’s South Island (Getty Images)

How Cyclone Gabrielle is affecting travel

Cyclone Gabrielle made landfall in New Zealand as a subtropical storm on February 11 and has since been causing widespread damage and destruction. North Island has been particularly badly affected, with severe flooding, power cuts, and remote communities completely cut off. The storms then moved to South Island before leaving New Zealand on February 15. Several regions in the country have declared a state of emergency, including Northland, Auckland, Tairawhiti, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Hawkes Bay and Tararua.

Although Cyclone Gabrielle has left New Zealand, there are still heavy rains and cleanup efforts are ongoing. After temporarily halting all flights, air traffic in New Zealand has been restored — although some services are still subject to cancellations or delays. On the ground, getting around can still be difficult, especially if you’re travelling to remote areas. You should keep an eye on the National Emergency Management Agency ’s website for the latest advice.

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If you’re due to travel soon, speak to your tour operator or travel company. Some, such as Air New Zealand, are offering free amends if you want to postpone your trip. There are no travel warnings from the UK Foreign Office but flooding in some areas can significantly impact any travel plans.

• How will hurricanes affect my holiday?

Can I travel to New Zealand?

New Zealand is now open to everyone, whether vaccinated or not. There is no longer a need to self-isolate on arrival, regardless of where you’ve travelled from, and no health declaration forms to fill in. Other Covid-era restrictions that have been scrapped include the mask mandate in supermarkets and public transport. For health facilities such as hospitals, you’ll still need a mask.

If you test positive for Covid while in the country, you’d still need to self-isolate for seven days. And while New Zealand has relaxed its Covid travel restrictions, you should still double check the restrictions for the airline or cruise ship you’re travelling with as these may have different rules. The same applies to major events and certain public spaces, which can set their own rules.

• Best things to do in New Zealand

• Best time to visit New Zealand

Can I visit if I’m unvaccinated?

Yes. There are no additional requirements for visitors who are unvaccinated.

Do I need a visa?

No, but British visitors do require a visa waiver known as a NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority). You can apply for this online, and it grants UK tourists access for up to six months. It takes up to 72 hours to process (although in reality it often takes much less time than this) and costs NZ$12 online, or $9 via the app.

Additional reporting by Qin Xie.

• When can I travel to Australia from the UK?

• Can I travel to Spain? The entry requirements explained

Take me there

Inspired to visit New Zealand but yet to book your trip? Here are the best places to stay from Expedia and VRBO .

Sign up for the Times Travel Newsletter here .

Related articles

Before you travel I mua i tō haerenga

Get organised before you travel to make your arrival into New Zealand as easy as possible.

New Zealand entry requirements

Check that you have the right documentation to enter New Zealand, including a valid passport and visa or NZeTA, if required.

Valid passport

You must have a valid passport to enter New Zealand. Check its expiry date to make sure it meets the rules for acceptable travel documents. If you are a New Zealand citizen and you need to renew your passport, make sure you allow plenty of time before you travel.

Renew or replace your adult passport – Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa New Zealand Government

Before you travel to New Zealand – Immigration New Zealand

Visa or NZeTA, if required

If you are not a New Zealand or Australian citizen, you may need to apply for a visa or an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) to enter New Zealand.

Check if you need a visitor visa or an NZeTA – Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa New Zealand Government

Information about NZeTA – Immigration New Zealand

Travel insurance

When coming to New Zealand to visit, study or work, you are strongly encouraged to get travel insurance. Some visa categories require you to hold insurance as a condition of your visa.

Before you buy travel insurance, check what cover it provides. New Zealand has reciprocal health agreements with Australia and the United Kingdom.

Reciprocal health agreements – Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand

What you can't bring into New Zealand

There are strict rules for what you can and cannot bring into New Zealand. If you do not declare prohibited or restricted items, you could be fined or prosecuted. This includes items in your checked in luggage and carry-on bags.

Check if you can bring or send an item to NZ – Mānatu Ahu Matua Ministry for Primary Industries

Prohibited and restricted items – Te Mana Ārai o Aotearoa New Zealand Customs Service

Check to see if items or products you are bringing into NZ need a CITES permit (CITES protects many plants and animals globally) – Te Papa Atawhai Department of Conservation 

Travel restrictions for New Zealand

There are no longer any COVID-19 related travel restrictions for New Zealand. You do not need to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter New Zealand.

Unite against COVID-19

New Zealand Traveller Declaration: Before you travel

Kia ora, Travellers arriving into Aotearoa New Zealand by air need to complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration. Children and infants need their own declaration too. It’s free, takes about 10 minutes, and you can do it on your mobile device or computer. You can complete your digital declaration within 24 hours of starting your trip to New Zealand.

Go to TravellerDeclaration.govt.nz or download the NZTD app.

Remember, check if you need a visa or NZeTA to enter New Zealand.

Support and resources in other languages .

Last updated: 10th July 2023

Helpful tips

Here's a few useful links to help with planning your trip to Aotearoa New Zealand.

• Best things to do in the North Island
• Best things to do in the South Island
• Other Islands
• Best ways to travel around
• Calculate travel times and distances

If You Seek

Across our incredible country, you can find everything from untamed wilderness to rich culture. There's more to find in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Must do New Zealand experiences

Explore more things to do in New Zealand >

Find things to do

Start planning your new zealand holiday, travel advice and safety, visas and entry requirements long-arrow-right.

Learn more about the available visa options and entry requirements into New Zealand.

COVID-19 travel safety information long-arrow-right

Find out more about New Zealand's COVID-19 travel safety and information.

Flights to New Zealand long-arrow-right

Find more information on finding flights to New Zealand.

Travelling around New Zealand

Driving long-arrow-right.

Get familiar with driving in New Zealand.

Public transport long-arrow-right

Find out how to get around without hiring a vehicle.

Accommodation long-arrow-right

Explore different accommodation options.

Domestic flights long-arrow-right

Flights are easy to catch and are no longer than two hours.

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang visit: China offers NZ visa-free travel, infrastructure funds

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China has offered New Zealanders visa-free travel and stands ready to offer infrastructure funding after bilateral talks in Wellington.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang landed in the New Zealand capital on Thursday to begin a trade-focused three-day visit before continuing his diplomatic mission in Australia.

Li is the second-highest-ranking politician in China , behind only President Xi Jinping, and a member of the innermost circle of the Chinese Communist Party: the Politburo Standing Committee.

In Wellington, he met with Prime Minister Chris Luxon , citing Chinese poetry to describe the strength of the New Zealand-China relationship.

“Good friends feel close to each other even when they are far apart,” he said.

“Though separated by the vast ocean, China and New Zealand enjoy a long history of friendly interactions, and our peoples have forged a bond of friendship based on mutual understanding.”

New Zealand was the first developed country to sign a free trade deal with China, a key element of what the countries call a “relationship of firsts”.

“We can use the opportunity to have an in-depth discussion on bilateral relations and issues of shared interest, deepen exchanges and co-operation in various fields, and upgrade the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership,” Li said.

Speaking after the bilateral meeting at a joint press conference – at which neither leader took questions – Li said China “has extended unilateral visa-free treatment to New Zealand”.

The travel offer is believed to be for visits of up to 15 days, replicating China’s relaxation to a handful of nations earlier this year.

Li also said New Zealand would be the country of honour at a Shanghai trade expo later this year, and that China stood ready to increase infrastructure investment in New Zealand.

Luxon, at a solo press conference, said he was “country-agnostic” on foreign investment as long as it passed a national interest test.

“We know we have a big infrastructure deficit,” he said.

“We know that foreign capital will be important for us to build that infrastructure out.”

Export growth is at the centre of Luxon’s economic agenda as he seeks to build trade with China, already New Zealand’s largest trade partner by a distance.

“At a time when many parts of the global economy are struggling, it is vital that we continue to examine what can be done to make it easier to trade for the benefit of both countries,” Luxon said.

“From innovative agri-tech and high-quality food to creative industries, world-class tourism and education, New Zealand certainly has a lot to offer China.”

The two countries shared two-way trade worth $38 billion in 2023.

However, services trade has lagged since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Worth $3.4b in 2018, it dropped to less than $1b in 2022 before rebounding to $1.6b in 2023.

China is sending fewer tourists and international students to New Zealand than before the mass border closures that reset those industries.

Li received traditional and military welcomes at Government House, the Wellington home of the governor-general, complete with a spirited Māori haka, before heading inside for talks.

It was not all roses, with New Zealand tabling a wide range of concerns and differences including Chinese spying and interference, cyber-attacks, regional aggression, and human rights transgressions.

Asked whether the discussion focused more on differences or shared interests, Luxon said the split was “probably about 50-50″.

He twice declined to say whether New Zealand’s interest in joining the US-led military tie-up AUKUS was discussed, before confirming it was a topic of debate without elaborating.

“I’m not going through a blow-by-blow,” he said.

Outside the gathering, protesters decrying China’s treatment of Falun Gong and supporters of the government duelled for space to display banners on nearby roads and outside a Wellington hotel.

Supporters’ large signs read “Warmly Welcome Premier Li’s Visit to NZ” and “China-New Zealand Win-Win Co-operation For People”, echoing the language used in Li’s statement.

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Your ultimate guide to getting around New Zealand

Oct 22, 2023 • 5 min read

From hiring a camper to getting around in Auckland, here are top tips for travel in New Zealand © Justin Foulkes / Lonely Planet

New Zealand is a long, narrow and relatively sparsely populated country.

Outside the cities, there are vast expanses of rolling countryside, tall mountains and acres of almost impenetrable native bush. In some regions, it can be a long way to the next town.

As a result, most New Zealanders tend to travel by car. Many visitors to the country do the same, although there are also public transportation options available.

Whether you want to explore the cities or escape into nature, here are some of the best ways to get around New Zealand.

Driving is one of the best ways to see New Zealand

New Zealand's stunning scenery makes for remarkable road trips and traveling by car is convenient and flexible, especially for visiting attractions away from main arterial routes. Many of the best-known national parks are remote, so you'll need a car to explore them.

Driving around New Zealand is reasonably straightforward and traffic is relatively light outside of the major cities. People drive on the left-hand side of the road and visitors are usually allowed to drive on their home driver’s license for up to a year.

Keep in mind that car rentals aren’t always cheap and can be expensive for drivers under 25. If you’re traveling between the islands, double-check whether your rental is allowed on the Interislander or Bluebridge ferries across the Cook Strait. You’ll also need to book your vehicle on the ferry in advance.

In more remote areas, there can be long stretches between gas stations, so be sure to fill up your vehicle before leaving a town. Also, be aware that some roads are gravel or dirt, especially in rural areas, with windy and narrow stretches and tight mountain passes. One-way bridges are incredibly common, particularly on the South Island.

Distances are deceptive and being caught behind a slow-moving campervan on single-lane roads can add hours to your journey. It’s not unusual to encounter construction and “slips” (the Kiwi word for landslides) caused by weather events (such as 2023’s Cyclone Gabrielle) on your travels. Check Waka Kotahi’s journey planner before you hit the road.

If you’re driving through the South Island’s mountainous passes in winter, having snow chains on hand isn’t just advisable – it’s mandatory in some areas, including along the Milford Road. Road signs will advise if and when you’re required to put them on, so make sure you know how to properly fit your chains when needed. Car rental agencies offer chain rentals and can show you how to use them.

Travel by campervan for ultimate flexibility

Traveling by campervan or motorhome allows you to save money by eliminating or reducing accommodation costs, with campsites and holiday parks situated in some of the country’s most scenic spots.

However, if you plan on “freedom camping” (staying overnight in free designated parking areas), you’ll need a certified self-contained vehicle (meaning you can carry your water and waste).

It's important to remember that freedom camping doesn’t mean you can just park up and sleep anywhere. Bylaws are set by local councils, so check freedomcamping.org for advice on where to camp or download the CamperMate app .

Bus services connect New Zealand's cities and towns

Coach buses provide good links between cities and towns in New Zealand. These can be booked in advance and are reasonably affordable, however, local buses will usually need to be taken to rural locations or national parks .

Although regional options exist, InterCity is the only national bus company – you can expect onboard WiFi and sometimes toilets. InterCity also offers flexible passes, which include ferry passage on the Interislander ferry. Discounted bus tickets are often available in the off-season.

There are also hop-on, hop-off buses and shuttles that cater to tourists and backpackers, but these tend to be significantly more expensive.

Scenic train trips let you enjoy the landscape en route

Trains in New Zealand are generally focused on freight and local travel within cities, but there are a few scenic regional trains for tourists that are worth considering.

Great Journeys New Zealand operates three scenic routes with stops along the way: The Northern Explorer (from Auckland to Wellington), the Coastal Pacific (from Picton to Christchurch) and the TranzAlpine (from Christchurch to Greymouth through Arthur’s Pass).

Other tourist trains operate regionally, including those that depart from Dunedin’s historic railway station – but they’re usually meant for day trips rather than getting from A to B.

Domestic flights are the quickest way to travel between cities

While many visitors choose to travel on land in New Zealand, taking a plane will get you to other parts of the country in a shorter time frame, but with a significant impact on the environment.

Air New Zealand is the national airline and goes to 20 destinations nationwide. Keep in mind that domestic flights are prone to cancellations and delays, due to the country’s highly changeable weather, high winds, snow and fog.

Tip for taking domestic flights: Consider low-cost carrier Jetstar if you’re flying to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin or Queenstown. Otherwise, check Grabaseat.co.nz for deals on Air New Zealand flights.

Accessible transportation in New Zealand

Most public transport in New Zealand is accessible to everyone. This includes buses and trains, which typically are equipped with ramps, handrails and low steps.

Many car rental companies offer accessible vehicles, but for specialist accessible rentals contact Disability Vehicle Rentals and Freedom Mobility . Mobility parking permits can also be arranged for international visitors. They take 10 working days to process, so it’s best to apply for one before you depart.

The New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) runs the Total Mobility Scheme , a resource for finding discounted accessible transportation in different regions of New Zealand, including public transport and taxis.

Transport passes

If you’re spending some time in one of New Zealand's major cities and plan to use public transport, it’s worth buying a prepaid transport card.

These give discounted fares that have a capped daily amount (for example, in Auckland you’ll never pay more than NZ$20 per day) and can be used across various transport services in a city.

Cards include Auckland’s AT HOP card, Wellington’s Snapper card and Christchurch’s Metrocard . If you’re visiting Otago, you can use the Bee card throughout the region, including Queenstown and Dunedin.

This article was first published Jul 1, 2021 and updated Oct 22, 2023.

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• International
• Foreign affairs

Joint Statement on the Recent Detentions by the Houthis

The text of the following is a joint statement by the Governments of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

We, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, condemn in the strongest terms the recent detentions by the Houthis of United Nations, diplomatic, and non-governmental organization staff.   

We reiterate and support UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call for the immediate release of all United Nations staff held in Yemen by the Houthis.  We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained and urge the Houthis to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian, diplomatic, and United Nations personnel.  These detentions represent an escalation by the Houthis, and jeopardize a sensitive peace process.  They are an affront to international peace and security.  All detainees should be released immediately.   

We also reaffirm our strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Yemen, and our commitment to stand by the people of Yemen.

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