New Zealand Customs Service opens automated eGates to 11 additional countries and territories
New Zealand Customs Service welcomed (26-May-2025) eligible ePassport holders from an additional 11 countries and territories to use New Zealand's automated eGates nationwide. The additions comprise Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway and the Vatican, as well as Macau and an initial group of Middle Eastern countries consisting of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. This follows a successful trial period in which Customs worked with Immigration New Zealand to ensure ePassports from these visa-waiver countries met the necessary border security and technological biometric requirements. Customs has opened its eGates to 48 countries in total. [more - original PR]
Background ✨
New Zealand Customs Service previously expanded eGate access to passport holders from countries including the Republic of Korea, China and Japan, and installed over 50 eGates across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown airports as part of its modernisation programme1 2. The government has also progressively introduced digital arrival declarations, supported by new legislation aimed at streamlining border processing3 4.