New Zealand Welcomes Fully Vaccinated Australians On April 13 & Visa-Waiver Countries On May 2, 2022

New Zealand has decided to fast-track the opening of its border for visitors after giving up its zero-covid strategy earlier this year (impossible after the Omicron variant) and when having its first real surge.

The country will welcome fully vaccinated visitors from Australia (Australian citizens & permanent residents) from April 13, visitors from visa-waiver countries, and those already holding a valid visa from May 2, 2022.

You can New Zealand’s page for visitor information here.

Test Requirements:

Visitors need to have a negative Covid-19 pre-departure test performed using one of the following three methods:

• a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test administered no more than 48 hours before the scheduled departure of your first international flight to New Zealand, or
• supervised rapid antigen test (RAT) no more than 24 hours before the scheduled departure of your first international flight to New Zealand, or
• a supervised loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) test no more than 24 hours before the scheduled departure of your first international flight to New Zealand.

+ Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) on days 0/1 and 5/6 after arriving in the country.

Approved Vaccines:

Visa-Waiver Countries:

• Andorra
• Argentina
• Austria
• Bahrain
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Brunei
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Chile
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia (citizens only)
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hong Kong (residents with HKSAR or British National–Overseas passports only)
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• Korea, South
• Kuwait
• Latvia (citizens only)
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania (citizens only)
• Luxembourg
• Macau (only if you have a Macau Special Administrative Region passport)
• Malaysia
• Malta
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Monaco
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Oman
• Poland
• Portugal (if you have the right to live permanently in Portugal)
• Qatar
• Romania
• San Marino
• Saudi Arabia
• Seychelles
• Singapore
• Slovak Republic
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan (if you are a permanent resident)
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom (UK) (if you are travelling on a UK or British passport that shows you have the right to reside permanently in the UK)
• United States of America (USA) (including USA nationals)
• Uruguay
• Vatican City

Conclusion

Asia is now rapidly reopening. The only country, excluding China + its satellites, that hasn’t mapped out its plan to welcome visitors is Japan.

New Zealand handled the first 12+ months of covid exceptionally well, but hold on way too long for an unattainable zero covid strategy that was destined to fall apart, and eventually, it did.

I am glad that the country welcomes most fully vaccinated visitors from May 1, 2022. It makes traveling to Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands much easier.