ISSUE
Friday, August 15, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 72
The PM has announced a 5-step plan to reconnect New Zealand to the world.
Beginning with step 1
"Today I am announcing that fully vaccinated Kiwis and other currently eligible travellers from Australia will be able to travel to New Zealand from 11.59 pm Sunday 27 February, and instead of going into MIQ, will be able to self-isolate."
In step 2, just two weeks later, fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other currently eligible travellers from the rest of the world will also be able to travel into New Zealand without going through MIQ.
"The two weeks between each of these steps has been requested by our public health advisors to give time for our systems to adjust for the likelihood of more cases in our community, and for our border systems to keep scaling up in the safest way possible."
At step 2 at 11.59pm on Sunday 13 March, there will also be an expanded border exception for critical workers, and skilled workers earning at least 1.5 times the median wage, who will also be eligible to enter New Zealand, along with highly skilled workers' family members who may have been separated from their loved ones.
In step 2, health workers, farm managers, horticultural workers, tech sector professionals, those working for accounting services, in education and construction, will all be eligible to enter New Zealand, self-isolate for a short period and then go about their business.
Working Holiday Schemes will also reopen in stages from step 2.
Step 3 begins from 11.59 pm Tuesday 12 April
Here the border extension will include a large international student cohort of up to 5000 students for entry ahead of semester 2 and temporary visa holders who still meet relevant visa requirements.
Step 4 sees the biggest expansion yet and includes Australians and all other visitors and business travellers who can normally enter New Zealand without a visa.
"This stage is likely to begin when we have much larger case numbers than we have now. For planning, we anticipate this stage will begin no later than July.
"I want to place a strong emphasis on this being the latest we expect this to begin. There is a high likelihood of this date coming forward as we progress through the next stage of the pandemic," Ardern says.
The PM has announced a 5-step plan to reconnect New Zealand to the world.
Beginning with step 1
"Today I am announcing that fully vaccinated Kiwis and other currently eligible travellers from Australia will be able to travel to New Zealand from 11.59 pm Sunday 27 February, and instead of going into...
The PM has announced a 5-step plan to reconnect New Zealand to the world.
Beginning with step 1
"Today I am announcing that fully vaccinated Kiwis and other currently eligible travellers from Australia will be able to travel to New Zealand from 11.59 pm Sunday 27 February, and instead of going into MIQ, will be able to self-isolate."
In step 2, just two weeks later, fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other currently eligible travellers from the rest of the world will also be able to travel into New Zealand without going through MIQ.
"The two weeks between each of these steps has been requested by our public health advisors to give time for our systems to adjust for the likelihood of more cases in our community, and for our border systems to keep scaling up in the safest way possible."
At step 2 at 11.59pm on Sunday 13 March, there will also be an expanded border exception for critical workers, and skilled workers earning at least 1.5 times the median wage, who will also be eligible to enter New Zealand, along with highly skilled workers' family members who may have been separated from their loved ones.
In step 2, health workers, farm managers, horticultural workers, tech sector professionals, those working for accounting services, in education and construction, will all be eligible to enter New Zealand, self-isolate for a short period and then go about their business.
Working Holiday Schemes will also reopen in stages from step 2.
Step 3 begins from 11.59 pm Tuesday 12 April
Here the border extension will include a large international student cohort of up to 5000 students for entry ahead of semester 2 and temporary visa holders who still meet relevant visa requirements.
Step 4 sees the biggest expansion yet and includes Australians and all other visitors and business travellers who can normally enter New Zealand without a visa.
"This stage is likely to begin when we have much larger case numbers than we have now. For planning, we anticipate this stage will begin no later than July.
"I want to place a strong emphasis on this being the latest we expect this to begin. There is a high likelihood of this date coming forward as we progress through the next stage of the pandemic," Ardern says.
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