The New Zealand Government today (March 16, 2022) announced the country’s borders will reopen on May 1 at 11:59 pm allowing international manuhiri (visitors) from visa waiver countries, including Canada and the U.S., to travel to Aotearoa (New Zealand) without needing to self-isolate on arrival.
From May 1 travelers will be able to travel to New Zealand without self-isolation on provision of a negative pre-departure test.
Vaccinated Australians will be allowed to enter without needing to isolate on arrival from 11:59 p.m. on April 12, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Wednesday in Wellington, Yahoo Finance reports. The country will open to visitors from other visa-waiver countries, including Canada, the U.S., Japan and Germany, starting at midnight on May 1, she said.
“We’re ready to welcome the world back,” Ardern told a news conference. “Now that we’re highly vaccinated and predicted to be off our omicron peak, it’s now safe to open up.”
“We look forward to welcoming manuhiri [visitors], family and friends back in May,” said Tourism New Zealand’s Chief Executive, René de Monchy. “New Zealand has plenty to offer international visitors from breathtaking landscapes, rare and remarkable wildlife to our rich culture and heritage; our people and place are what make us unique, and we look forward to sharing this with the world again.”
Getting to New Zealand is easy. From Vancouver, Auckland is a non-stop 14 hour overnight flight. You can literally ‘wake up in New Zealand’. Prior to the pandemic both Air Canada and Air New Zealand serviced the YVR – AKL route, with Air New Zealand confirmed to resume service February 2022.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit twice and got to travel to Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Lake Wanaka, the northern part of the North Island, Rotorua, Napier, Akaroa, Nelson and more. It’s an absolutely fabulous country I really love. Here’s a link to a story of mine on the Marlborough wine region of the South Island from 2016. And here’s another one, this time centered on the Bay of Plenty region.
A land of diverse regions and landscapes, New Zealand stretches across two main and a myriad of small offshore islands. Here you can experience adrenaline, luxury and unique culture all in the same day.
Thrill seekers can add the adrenaline-rush of bungy jumping or exhilarating jet boat safaris, while the more sedate will enjoy world-class golf courses and award-winning wine and cuisine. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s fascinating Māori culture provides unique opportunities to connect and learn. A multicultural nation made up of vibrant and embracing cultures, Kiwis pride themselves in the warm welcome, or manaakitanga, travelers receive when visiting Aotearoa (New Zealand).
You can find all the resources you need to plan a trip to New Zealand at newzealand.com.
The high level summary of entry requirements for all travelers to New Zealand pertaining to COVID-19 is as follows:
• All travelers entering New Zealand must be fully vaccinated in line with New Zealand
government entry requirements.
• A negative pre-departure test (PCR, LAMP or Rapid Antigen) in line with New Zealand
government requirements is required for all travelers.
• No compulsory requirement for all arriving travelers to either self-isolate or enter a government managed isolation hotel, i.e. all forms of isolation for arriving travelers (including foreign nationals) are removed at all border reopening steps except for unvaccinated New Zealand citizens and residents returning to the country.
• All travelers will be provided with two rapid antigen tests at no charge on arrival at Auckland
Airport which are self-administered after exit from the airport.
• Travelers will be asked to undertake the first test on day of arrival and then a second test on day 5/6 after arrival, this can be done once travelers have left the airport e.g.at home or hotel.
• Travelers who test positive via either of their arrival day or day 5/6 RAT test will be required to take PCR test to confirm positive status, if positive they will then be asked to self-isolate in line with the requirements that apply to all community COVID-19 cases in New Zealand.
