AUCKLAND
Air Cargo Inspection Facility, 21 Tom Pearce Drive, Manukau 2150
PO Box 73 003, Auckland Airport, New Zealand
Phone: 09 927 9000 All general enquiries phone: 0800 428 786
Email: [email address], Website: www.customs.govt.nz
19 July 2023
Ref: OIA 23-222
Mr Felix Lee
By email:
[FYI request #23132 email]
Tēnā koe Mr Lee
Request for information under the Official Information Act
Thank you for your email dated 14 June 2023, to New Zealand Customs Service (Customs),
received via the FYI website, and then clarification of your request received on 20 June 2023,
in which you made a request for the following information under the Official Information Act
1982:
“1. Documents that show plans for additional passports to use eGates in NZ, and a
summary of the progress of those plans
2. I would like to know are there plans for more foreign countries to accept the NZ
passport at their eGates.”
I have set out Customs’ response below to each of the two parts of your request.
Question one
Documents that show plans for additional passports to use eGates in NZ, and a
summary of the progress of those plans.
Commencing from 5 June 2023, eligible travellers carrying ePassports from Austria, Sweden,
and Switzerland now have the opportunity to be processed through eGate in Aotearoa New
Zealand. This is the first addition of new countries since late 2019, when South Korea was
included. With the inclusion of these three countries, the total number of countries able to
utilise eGate increases to 16.
The expansion of eligibility for eGate to new countries had been put on hold during the
COVID-19 pandemic, but this year Customs is refocusing its efforts on this expansion as it will
allow increased numbers of travellers to use eGate and it will enhance the traveller experience
at Aotearoa New Zealand’s international airports.
More information about using eGates in Aotearoa New Zealand is available on the Customs
website at the following link:
https://www.customs.govt.nz/personal/travel-to-and-from-
nz/travelling-to-new-zealand/egate/.
As of 30 June 2023, Customs does not have any definitive plans for any additional passports
to use eGate in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2023, although our intentions are to progressively
enable further countries over 2024. Customs is still working on finalising exactly which
countries will be put forward and agreeing indicative timeframes, therefore Customs does not
currently hold any plans for additional passports to use eGate in Aotearoa New Zealand at this
stage.
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Question two
I would like to know are there plans for more foreign countries to accept the NZ
passport at their eGates.
I can advise that as at 30 June 2023, Customs is not aware of any official plans for additional
foreign countries to accept New Zealand passports at their eGate or automated processes as
each country decides which countries they accept independently. However, it is common for
Aotearoa New Zealand to engage in discussions with our overseas counterparts regarding
reciprocal access when planning the expansion of our eGate facilities in Aotearoa New
Zealand. As at 30 June 2023, no formal bilateral arrangements have been made.
If you have any queries in relation to this response, please contact the Correspondence,
Reviews and Ministerial Servicing team at:
[email address].
Please note that Customs proactively releases responses to Official Information Act requests
on our website. As such, we may publish this response on our website after we have sent it to
you. Your name and contact details will be removed.
Nāku noa, nā
Dana McDonald
Group Manager Border Operations
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