The new managed isolation allocation system – an online portal - that will allow everyone travelling to New Zealand to secure their place in a managed isolation facility before they board their flight is all set to go live next week.
Starting from 8 a.m. Monday, October 5, travellers to NZ will have the ability to look ahead into the spaces available in MIQ facilities and book a place and plan their onward journey, which includes getting a mandatory voucher before boarding on the flights.
Travellers to New Zealand will need to register on the Managed Isolation Allocation System as the first step to securing their place in managed isolation. The allocation system will go live at 8am, 5 October and the link will be published on the dedicated website www.miq.govt.nz
Once the individual traveller, couple or family group has completed their registration on the system, they will be issued a voucher that confirms their allocation to a place in managed isolation. They will need to present their voucher at the airport in order to board their flight.
The voucher will confirm that the traveller has availed a space in the MIQ facility.
However, mindful of the fact that this system is still evolving and a work in progress, the government is providing a grace period of a month after which it will become mandatory to produce a voucher at the time of boarding on the flight.
The travellers planning to arrive in NZ from October 5 (8 am) to November 2 (11.59 pm) will not be required by law to produce voucher at the time of boarding, though encouraged to do so.
Travellers who arrive at the airport without a voucher during the grace period will still be able to board their flight. However, their check-in process may take longer while airline staff work with MIQ to arrange a place for them in managed isolation.
Travellers are legally required to have a voucher before flying if they are arriving in New Zealand after 12am, 3 November 2020.
If you arrive in New Zealand after 12am 3 November, airlines will not be permitted to board you if you do not have a voucher, unless you are exempt from using the Managed Isolation Allocation System.
The website on MIQ (www.miq.govt.nz) clearly says that there will not be any fee for travellers to obtain a voucher, although some travellers will have to pay for MIQ facilities.
The government had introduced charges of $3,100 for the first person in the room, $950 for each additional adult sharing the room and $475 for each additional child (aged 3 to 17 years) sharing that room from August 11. .
If you are an NZ citizen or resident you will be liable for a charge if:
The term 'New Zealand citizen or resident' means NZ citizens (including those in the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau) and residence class visa holders. It also includes Australian citizens and permanent residents who are ordinarily resident in NZ.
Temporary visa holders will have to pay, unless they left New Zealand on or before 19 March 2020, and were ordinarily resident in New Zealand as of 19 March 2020. Ordinarily, resident means having lived in New Zealand for 183 days (six months) in a total of the previous 12 months.
Everyone who is entering on a border exception as a critical worker will have to pay. Their employers may pay these costs. Critical workers who are unsure of who will pay the charge will need to contact their employer.
You can get your voucher by registering on the Managed Isolation Allocation System online portal. The link to the online portal will be available on this website from 8 a.m. 5 October.
The system will allocate you, or you and your family, to a managed isolation facility for a 14-day stay.
You will not be able to choose the city or facility where you isolate. Passengers on the same flight are typically allocated to the same managed isolation facility, except those assessed as having a higher risk of COVID-19 who will enter quarantine.