The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Premier of Niue Dalton Tagelagi have announced passengers from Niue can resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand on Wednesday 24 March NZT (Tuesday 23 March Niue time).

“Niue has no reported cases of COVID-19 and its stringent border controls mean we can be confident it is safe to commence quarantine-free travel to New Zealand from Niue,” Jacinda Ardern said.

Premier Dalton Tagelagi said, “Niue welcomes being able to travel to New Zealand without the need to quarantine. Niue is one of the few countries in the world that is completely free of COVID-19 and we pride ourselves on protecting our people through maintaining our borders and health system. This one-way quarantine free travel will enable Niueans to receive essential healthcare, access education and economic opportunities, and reconnect with their families in New Zealand.”

Premier Tagelagi adds that Niue will maintain its current border settings, so only returnees with Government approval may enter Niue and will need to quarantine or self-isolate for 14 days on arrival.

Officials of both governments are working towards ensuring all safety protocols and response capabilities are in place for the resumption of two-way quarantine free travel between the two countries.

Further information on safety protocols for travel

To be eligible to enter New Zealand, people in Niue must meet particular conditions, including:

• not having been overseas outside of Niue or New Zealand in the past 14 days;
• not having had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case within the past 14 days;
• having maintained physical distancing (to the greatest extent practicable) from any person, at the airport at which they arrive, who did not arrive from Niue;
• having worn a face covering while in the airport at which they arrived in New Zealand; and
• there are no reasonable grounds (as determined by a suitably qualified health practitioner) to suspect that the person may have COVID-19. That might include, among other things:
  • having had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case within the past 14 days;
  • having any COVID-19 symptoms; and
  • be awaiting a COVID-19 test result

New Zealand public health officials will be undertaking random temperature checks of passengers on all flights arriving from Niue into New Zealand.

Auckland Airport will use a streamlined Safe Travel Path to process passengers arriving quarantine-free from Niue. The Safe Travel Path creates separation from other arriving passengers by giving quarantine-free travel zone flights exclusive use of the international terminal for arrivals processing – with no other arriving flights within 90 minutes either side of the scheduled arrival time.

The Safe Travel Path is created by:

• Using flight scheduling to ensure no other international flights from outside a quarantine-free travel zone to arrive within 90 minutes either side of an arriving Niue flight
• Rigorous cleaning of terminal areas along the Safe Travel Path between flights
• Escorting passengers off Niue flights when terminal cleaning has concluded and following an arrivals path through the terminal marked out with stanchions and barriers
• Dedicated border processing lanes and facilities, which will be blocked off when not in use by Niue passengers
• A baggage reclaim carousel and baggage trolleys used exclusively by travellers arriving quarantine-free. When not in use the carousel will be blocked off and trolleys will be sanitised and stored ready for the next quarantine-free flight
• A double-layer physical barrier in the public area of the arrivals hall blocking access to the terminal exit path used by travellers going into managed isolation or quarantine.

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