New Zealand eGate Passport Control Access Now Available to 48 Nationalities Starting June 2025 – YOA

New Zealand has formally expanded entry to its excessive-tech eGate border system to 11 extra international locations and territories, providing sooner, smoother airport entry and exit experiences to much more worldwide vacationers.

This main announcement was made by the New Zealand Customs Service on May 26, 2025, after profitable trials in collaboration with Immigration New Zealand. This new eGate entry replace brings the whole variety of eligible international locations to 48, masking a variety of visa-waiver nations throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania.

Who Are the New eGate-Eligible Countries Starting June 2025?

Travellers from the next 11 international locations and areas can now breeze by New Zealand’s airports utilizing eGate:

• Andorra
• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Monaco
• Norway
• Vatican City
• Macau (SAR of China)
• Oman
• Kuwait
• Bahrain
• United Arab Emirates

These additions complement current eligible international locations such because the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, China (mainland), and lots of EU member states.

What Is eGate and How Does It Work?

eGate is an automated self-service system at main New Zealand airports that makes use of biometric facial recognition expertise to confirm your identification in opposition to the {photograph} saved in your ePassport.

It permits sooner processing at immigration by letting vacationers skip the handbook passport checks — considerably slicing down queue occasions at busy terminals.

✅ Here’s How It Works:

1. Scan your ePassport on the eGate kiosk.
2. Stand nonetheless for the digicam to take a facial recognition photograph.
3. The system matches your reside picture with the one saved in your passport’s chip.
4. If the match is profitable, the gate opens and also you’re by in seconds!

Where Can You Use eGates in New Zealand?

eGates can be found for each arriving and departing vacationers at:

• Auckland Airport
• Wellington Airport
• Christchurch Airport
• Queenstown Airport

Who Can Use eGate?

You can use the eGate if:

• You are 10 years outdated or older.
• You have a legitimate ePassport from any of the 48 eligible international locations.
(*48*)You’ve accomplished the New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) on-line earlier than arriving.

Important Tip: Make positive your look carefully matches your passport photograph. Remove any headwear or giant glasses until worn in your passport image.

What Is the New Zealand Traveler Declaration (NZTD)?

Before passing by eGate, all incoming vacationers should full a New Zealand Traveler Declaration, which incorporates customs and well being-associated questions. You don’t want to print something — the system checks your declaration electronically.

Submit your NZTD right here: www.travellerdeclaration.govt.nz

Why This Expansion Matters?

According to Paul Williams, Acting Group Manager Border Operations, roughly 70% of all vacationers out and in of New Zealand at the moment are processed by eGates — a quantity anticipated to rise with this enlargement.

“As we open New Zealand’s eGates to more countries, even more travellers will have the option of a self-service route. The goal is to reduce screening time and make border security smarter and faster,” mentioned Williams.

The eGate enlargement additionally enhances safety by liberating up Customs officers to concentrate on excessive-threat vacationers, unlawful items, and prison exercise like drug trafficking — making journey safer for all.

Full List of 48 eGate-Eligible Countries for eGate Access for June 2025

Here’s a whole alphabetical listing for reference:

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China (excluding Hong Kong), Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City.

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