New Zealand Will Welcome American Tourists By July

by Gary Leff

New Zealand has announced its 5-step plan to re-open borders and it includes welcoming American tourists without quarantine starting in July – or earlier.

The key takeaway for Americans is this,

Non-citizens with visas will be able to also avoid [government quarantine] from April and in July non-citizens from visa-waiver countries such as Australia, the USA, and the UK will be allowed in.

The July date is even viewed as the latest this could occur, according to New Zealand’s Prime Minister:

“I want to place 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.”

New Zealand’s 5 stages of reopening are:

  1. Fully vaccinated New Zealanders “and other currently eligible travellers from Australia” can self-isolate in lieu of government quarantine starting 11.59pm February 27.

  2. On March 13 this opens up to “other currently eligible travellers from the rest of the world” along with “”an expanded border exception for critical workers, and certain skilled workers earning at least 1.5 times the median wage.”

  3. Starting April 12 they welcome up to 5000 students.

  4. In July (latest) self-isolation requirements end for most.

  5. And then all pandemic border restrictions cease in October

    american airlines new zealand flights to auckland
    “Bayswater Marina Auckland New Zealand” by Bayswater marina, Creative Commons

In my view this upgrades the chances that Australia’s plan to re-open to tourism before Easter will hold. If New Zealand’s Prime Minister can talk about re-opening publicly, then the politics of re-opening across the Tasman have a greater chance of working out as well.

(HT: BW)

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. A beautiful and friendly country. Good news for all travelers and hopefully a sign of what will happen elsewhere. The world cannot live in permeable bubbles forever.

  2. This is meaningful that New Zealand is one of the most restrictive nations. They are now almost fully vaccinated (93%) and have little to fear from vaccinated visitors. I’d predict now that the large majority of countries will be loosening or removing travel restrictions since they are both ineffective in keeping disease out (except in the case of a few island nations) and those who want to be protected can be. We still need to get vaccines out to Africa and a few other places, faster please, but much of the world can safely reopen.

    I’m just wondering when the CDC / State Department will stop screaming, “Category four severe Covid danger, don’t go there or you’ll die!!” about countries with a minuscule fraction of the cases, hospitalizations and deaths per million that we have in the U.S.

  3. What person in his right mind would go to New Zealand or Australia anytime in the near future?

    One errant sneeze, and you’re off to the COVID-1984 concentration camps!

  6. Currently New Zealand requires vaccination to travel there unless you are 16 and under, or have a medical exemption. I’d expect that requirement to stay as the borders open up.

    The current announced plan still requires self isolation after arrival (just doing away with mandatory hotel quarantine). Hopefully that changes by the time they open the borders to visa waiver travellers in July.

  7. “They are now almost fully vaccinated (93%) and have little to fear from vaccinated visitors.”

    And if the experimental gene therapies actually worked, which they don’t, they wouldn’t have to fear “unvaccinated” visitors. The very fact that you mention only “vaccinated” visitors validates your belief that the EGTs are an abject failure. Well, at least, in regards to what the “experts” told us they would do. Also, all evidence shows that it’s the “vaccinated” who are more likely to contract Covid, especially the “Omoronic” variant.

  8. Have 3 shots and still got covid the other week, with 2.5 days of symptoms, still a slight lingering cough. It’s time to move on from all the restrictions because covid is clearly not going anywhere and there’s nothing we can do about it. Vaccinated or not, you will get it. What is the point of locking everyone up?

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