The Government’s five-step plan to reopen New Zealand’s borders this year will allow more families to reunite, sectors and employers to access more skilled workers from offshore, business travel and international events to resume, and more international students to return to New Zealand.
Vaccination, COVID-19 testing and isolation requirements will continue.
Managed Isolation & Quarantine (MIQ) requirements will remain for the unvaccinated. MIQ requirements for other travellers will be lifted in the following steps.
STEP 1 - From 11.59pm, Sunday 27 February 2022
Reopen to New Zealanders and other eligible travellers under current border settings (e.g. people with border exceptions) from Australia.
STEP 2 - From 11:59 pm, Sunday 13 March 2022
Reopen to New Zealanders and other eligible travellers under current border settings from the rest of the world.
Open to skilled workers earning at least 1.5 times the median wage.
Open to Working Holiday Scheme visas.
STEP 3 - From 11:59 pm, Tuesday 12 April 2022
Open to current offshore temporary visa holders, who can still meet the relevant visa requirements.
Open to up to 5000 international students for semester two.
Further class exceptions for critical workforces that do not meet the 1.5 times the median wage test will be considered.
STEP 4 - By July 2022
Open to anyone from Australia.
Open for visa-waiver travel.
The Accredited Employer Work Visa will open, meaning the skilled and health worker border exception can be phased out.
STEP 5 - October 2022
Border fully reopens to visitors from anywhere in the world, and all visa categories fully reopen.
Other key points
MIQ removed for most travellers in phased reconnection, replaced by self-isolation and tests on-arrival.
MIQ to remain for the unvaccinated.
Five- step plan prioritises returning New Zealanders and brings forward the reopening of key visa categories in just over 5 weeks’ time in order to address worker shortages.
Further visa categories reopen throughout the year to help accelerate economic recovery.