New Zealand fully reopens borders after pandemic closure

New Zealand has fully re-opened its borders to visitors from around the world after closing them in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday during a speech at the China Business Summit in Auckland that the final staged opening of the borders had been an enormous moment.

“It’s been a staged and cautious process on our part since February as we, alongside the rest of the world, continue to manage a very live global pandemic while keeping our people safe,” Jacinda said

Visitors who need visas and those on student visas are now allowed to return to New Zealand.

International students were a significant contributor to New Zealand’s economy and educational providers are hoping the reopening of the borders will again provide a boost to schools and universities around the country.

Most visitors will still need to be fully vaccinated, but there are no quarantine requirements

“Most cruise visits are during the warmer months of October to April, and summer is our bumper tourism season overall. This means it will be full steam ahead for the industry,” Nash said.

Zainab Sa’id