Long-awaited border exceptions

On 30 April 2021, the New Zealand Government is introducing an exception to the border restrictions for the families of some temporary visa holders in New Zealand.

This border exception is for the following three groups:

• Partners and dependent children who held (and continue to hold) a visa for New Zealand, but were unable to join their partner or parent in New Zealand before the border closed.
• Partners and dependent children of workers employed in critical health services.
• Partners and dependent children of highly-skilled workers.

Requirements for the border exception

To be eligible for the new border exception, the person currently in New Zealand must have 12 months or more remaining on their visa. The requirements vary for each group. Check the criteria and requirements for each group here.

Managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ)

Partners and dependants will have to pay the fees for their accommodation in MIQ. This can be booked through the MIQ website (https://www.miq.govt.nz/).

Travelling from Australia

On 19 April 2021, New Zealand opened quarantine-free travel with Australia. This means that people can travel from Australia to New Zealand without having to secure a place in MIQ.

Travellers from a QFT zone must meet New Zealand immigration requirements:

• If you’re an Australian citizen, you do not need to hold a valid NZeTA or visa to travel.
• If you’re from a visa waiver country or you’re an Australian permanent resident, you must hold a valid NZeTA to travel.
• If none of the above applies to you, then you must hold a valid visa before travelling.

Information about NZeTA