Quarantine-free travel (QFT) from Australia to New Zealand.

Effective 18 April 2021 – 11:59pm

The objective of these instructions is to minimise risks to New Zealand posed by the COVID-19 virus. In
order to achieve this objective the New Zealand Government has put in place measures to prevent and
prohibit the travel to New Zealand of all persons except New Zealand citizens and those listed in 1-10 below:

The following people will be allowed QFT and granted entry permission to New Zealand:

1. New Zealand residence class visa holders.
2. The partner, legal guardian or any dependent children of a New Zealand citizen or a New Zealand residence class visa holder who:
   • are travelling with that New Zealand citizen or residence class visa holder; or
   • are ordinarily resident in New Zealand; or
   • have a visa based on their relationship to the New Zealand citizen or residence class visa holder.
3. Australian citizens or a person who holds a current permanent residence visa (including a resident return visa) issued by the Government of Australia, where New Zealand is their primary place of established residence.
4. Diplomats accredited to New Zealand and currently resident in New Zealand.
5. New diplomatic and consular personnel filling established positions at a foreign mission or consular post in New Zealand.
6. Other diplomatic and consular personnel authorised by the Minister of Foreign Affairs or their delegate where there is a compelling national interest.
7. Holders of a resident visa granted under the COVID-19 Support residence instructions (S5).
8. Persons who previously held their initial resident visa while in New Zealand, and are the holders of a second or subsequent resident visa granted offshore, and who are travelling to New Zealand for the first time as the holder of that visa.
9. Positioning aircraft crew travelling to New Zealand as a passenger (other than a transit passenger) on commercial aircraft for the purpose of leaving New Zealand as aircraft crew in the course of a scheduled international service.
10. A person who:
    • has travelled to New Zealand directly from Australia, the Cook Islands or Niue; and
    • travelled to New Zealand on a Quarantine-Free Travel flight (as defined in the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order (No 2) 2020); and
    • on boarding the flight, has been present in either of the following for the specified 14-day period (as defined in the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order (No 2) 2020)
      • the Cook Islands or New Zealand (if travelling from the Cook Islands); or
      • Niue or New Zealand (if travelling from Niue); or
      • Australia or New Zealand (if travelling from Australia).
11. A person may be granted entry permission if they are the holder of a temporary entry class visa which either:
    • was granted under the COVID-19 Support Restricted Temporary Entry Instructions; or
    • has a condition that the holder carries out a critical purpose while they are in New Zealand.

The New Zealand Government acknowledges that there may be extremely limited circumstances where it is
appropriate for a person who is not a New Zealand citizen, permanent resident or person returning to New
Zealand as a resident, to travel to New Zealand. The COVID-19 restricted immigration instructions aim to
achieve this objective by providing certainty about the limited situations where travel to New Zealand for
non-New Zealand citizens and residents is allowed while COVID-19 poses a significant threat to New Zealand
by granting a:
i. Critical Purpose visitor visa or other temporary entry class visa appropriate a person’s circumstances to
people who do not currently hold a visa; or
ii. variation of conditions to people who already hold a temporary entry class visa.