New Zealand Customs Service is allowing a further 11 countries with eligible passport holders to enter New Zealand using eGates.
Several European countries now have access — as well as an initial group of countries from the Middle East — with the total list of countries eligible to 48.
Arrivals from the United Arab Emirates, with 9381 touching down in New Zealand during the year to March 2025, was one of the countries now permitted to use the eGates.
New Zealand Customs said the additional countries would help “make border processing systems more efficient, smart, and easy to use”.
The other newly selected countries were Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Vatican City, and Macau (a Special Administrative Region of China).
Acting group manager of Border Operations Paul Williams said around 70% of arriving and departing passengers were processed through the eGates.
“The use of eGates, along with other digital options such as completing a New Zealand Traveller Declaration digitally, will help reduce screening times in airport terminals, making it easier and faster for travellers to move through border security,” said Williams.
Williams said eGates enabled Customs frontline officers to focus on high-risk travellers and baggage “as well as boosting airport patrols to target illegal activities such as drug smuggling”.
In a trial period, Customs worked with Immigration New Zealand to ensure ePassports from the countries met the necessary border security and technological biometric requirements.
EGates were first introduced in New Zealand in 2009 and were available to ePassport holders aged 10 years and older.
