International travel: February 2022

Key facts

There were 41,000 total border crossings in February 2022, up from 38,600 in January 2022, made up of 16,300 arrivals and 24,600 departures. Arrivals were up 400 and departures were up 2,000.

Provisional data for March 2022 shows increases in both arrivals and departures compared with February 2022.

These increases coincide with the relaxation of border restrictions by the New Zealand Government from the end of February 2022 (see Self-isolation requirements removed and When New Zealand's borders open).

Border crossings include all arrivals and departures, either for short-term trips or longer-term migration, by people living overseas or in New Zealand.

Monthly arrivals

Overseas visitor arrivals were 5,200 in the February 2022 month, down by 100 from the February 2021 month. The biggest changes were in arrivals from:

• Samoa (up 500)
• Vanuatu (up 200)
• United States (down 300).

Overseas visitor arrivals overall were up by 1,200 from January 2022 (4,000).

New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals were 8,600 in the February 2022 month, up 5,600 from the February 2021 month. The biggest increases were in arrivals from:

• Cook Islands (up 3,600)
• India (up 400)
• United States (up 200).

The increase in arrivals from the Cook Islands follows the opening of quarantine-free travel in mid-January 2022.

New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals overall were up by 100 from January 2022 (8,500).

Annual arrivals

Overseas visitor arrivals were 205,000 in the year ended February 2022, down by 18,000 from the year ended February 2021. The biggest changes were in arrivals from:

• Australia (up 74,000)
• United States (down 26,000)
• United Kingdom (down 16,000)
• Germany (down 6,000)
• Canada (down 6,000).

New Zealand-resident traveller arrivals were 153,000 in the year ended February 2022, down by 18,000 from the year ended February 2021. The biggest changes were in arrivals from:

• Cook Islands (up 25,000)
• Australia (up 12,000)
• India (down 8,000)
• United States (down 8,000)
• Fiji (down 6,000).