How to complete your New Zealand Traveller Declaration

Anyone travelling to New Zealand by air will need to complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration.

This includes citizens and permanent residents, children and infants, and transit passengers who pass through New Zealand on their way to another country and do not plan to stay in New Zealand. It also includes New Zealanders returning to the country from short holidays.

Unplanned emergency exemptions

Travellers unexpectedly arriving in New Zealand due to unplanned emergencies are exempt from submitting a New Zealand Traveller Declaration. This could include people:

• who are medevaced to New Zealand
• rescued at sea
• on aircraft who arrive in New Zealand due to an emergency such as mechanical failure, fuel shortage, or medical emergency.

Before you start

Before you start, check the steps for travelling to New Zealand:

Steps to travelling to New Zealand

If you do not complete a declaration

If you do not complete your declaration, or your declaration does not meet the requirements, and you do not have a Traveller Pass the airline may not let you board.

You should not provide false or misleading information. It may result in your declaration being declined, and a penalty or other enforcement action.

Your contact details in New Zealand

You’ll need to provide information on where you’re staying in New Zealand and contact details so the Ministry of Health can reach you while you’re here.

You’ll also be asked to provide details for an emergency contact, in case we are unable to reach you using the contact information you provided. This contact does not need to be in New Zealand. 

Contact tracing for COVID-19 | Ministry of Health NZ

Your travel history for the 14 days prior to your arrival in New Zealand

You will be asked to list any countries you have (or will) visit or transit through in the 14 days prior to your arrival in New Zealand.

This information is used to help assess your public health risk, and identify what you need to do on arrival, such as self-test or enter quarantine-free.

Your passport details and flight information

You’ll also be asked to supply:

• your first international airport of departure
• the date and time of your first international flight
• the date you will arrive in New Zealand
• the flight number of your flight into New Zealand
• the passport number of the passport you will be travelling on.

Proof of your vaccination status

Make sure you carry proof of your vaccination status, if required.

Airlines may have different vaccination requirements. Check with your airline.

You will need to upload proof of your vaccination status to your New Zealand Traveller Declaration. The following formats are accepted: PDF, PNG and JPG – up to 50MB.

When you upload your vaccination certificate, you will be asked to manually enter details.

Make sure what you enter matches the information on your document – like your name, type of vaccine and date of your dose/s.

Vaccination requirements for travel

If you need help uploading your document

Proof of a negative pre-departure test

You need proof of a negative COVID-19 pre-departure test to enter New Zealand from one of the below tests, unless you are exempt.

• A supervised rapid antigen test (RAT) administered within 24 hours before your first international flight to New Zealand.
• A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test administered within 48 hours before your first international flight to New Zealand.
• A supervised loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) test administered within 24 hours before your first international flight to New Zealand.

You must upload your test result when you complete your New Zealand Traveller Declaration. The following formats are accepted: PDF, PNG and JPG – up to 50MB.

Make sure your document is not password protected. Call the Contact Centre if you need help.

Contact us

When you upload your pre-departure test document, you will be asked to manually enter details. Make sure what you enter matches the information on your document – like your name and your result. You need to put in the exact time and date, in your local time-zone, of your test.

Pre-departure test requirements

If you need help uploading your document

You can start your declaration 28 days before you travel, but you must get and upload your pre-departure test within either 24 or 48 hours of the first leg of your international flight, depending on the type of test you take.

We recommend that you complete your declaration on a computer or laptop, to make it easier to upload your documentation.

When filling in your declaration, make sure that all the information you enter matches the information on your documents – like the name on your travel and health documents, your passport number and your flight details.
Incorrect information may delay the processing of your declaration or your declaration may not meet the requirements for entry to New Zealand.

If someone else completes your declaration, make sure they enter your email address so that we can email your Traveller Pass to you.

If you don’t have an email address, the person helping you will need to enter their email address. Once they receive the email with your Traveller Pass, they will need to provide you with a printed copy to take with you to board your flight, or send to your device so that you can show it at the airport when asked.

Things to note

• If you start your declaration and don’t complete all the tasks, your declaration will be automatically saved (after completing the Your Passport information page) a reference number will be emailed to you with a unique code to access your declaration.
• Once you’re ready to complete more of your declaration, use the link you were emailed to return to your saved declaration.
• Make sure you complete the entire declaration, including uploading your pre-departure test, before you submit it.
• If you choose to wait until you have your pre-departure test before starting your declaration, you can complete it in one session, as long as you have all the other necessary information and evidence.

If you are having trouble with your declaration, you can ask someone else to help you, like a friend or family member, or travel agent.

If you want to use a third party to help you with your declaration, we encourage you to make sure it is a reputable person or company.

• +64 4 9315799 – for international callers
• 0800 359 269 – toll free number for NZ based callers (and 0508 359 269 also directs to this number)
• 1800 359 269 – toll free number for Australia based callers

If you need help uploading your document

VFS Global

VFS Global provides Visa Application Centre services on behalf of Immigration New Zealand. VFS Global can complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration on your behalf. Please visit VFS Global for details of locations, office hours and fees.

Welcome to VFS Global | For Individuals

Receiving a decision on your New Zealand Traveller Declaration

You’ll be emailed a decision on your New Zealand Traveller Declaration. This will let you know if you have been issued a Traveller Pass.

The Traveller Pass will tell you what you need to do when you arrive in New Zealand.

If your declaration is approved

If your New Zealand Traveller Declaration is approved, you will be issued a Traveller Pass.

Your Traveller Pass will let you know what you need to do when you arrive in New Zealand, such self-test on arrival or enter quarantine-free.

Your Traveller Pass will contain a QR code, unique to you and valid only for the journey you completed the declaration for.

You will be asked to show your Traveller Pass at check-in by your airline and at Customs on arrival in New Zealand. This could be printed out or saved on your mobile device.

If you are not eligible to travel to New Zealand

Based on the information and evidence you provided when completing your declaration, you may not be eligible to travel to New Zealand. Your decision email will explain this.

If there was an error or issue with your declaration

If there was an issue or error with the information you provided with your declaration, your decision email will explain this and ask you to correct the error and submit a new declaration.

For example, if a document you submitted was blurry or illegible, you will be asked to correct this so the document can be verified.

Other considerations

You must ensure you meet other border and entry criteria, like holding the appropriate visa.

COVID-19 | immigration.govt.nz

Processing times

You should submit your declaration as soon as you have your pre-departure test result.

Verifying and reviewing documents is prioritised based on a flight’s departure time; however, it is important you allow as much time for processing as possible.

Your journey to New Zealand

Once you have completed your New Zealand Traveller Declaration, find out how to start your journey to New Zealand:

Your journey