New Zealand to reopen borders starting at the end of February

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Wellington: Vaccinated New Zealanders in Australia can travel home quarantine-free from February 27 while citizens in the rest of the world will be able to do so two weeks later, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday, announcing a phased reopening of the borders.

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern.Credit:Getty

Vaccinated backpackers, some skilled workers and international students will also be allowed into the country between March and April, and can self-isolate instead of staying at state isolation facilities, Ardern said.

Tourists from Australia cannot enter until July, and travellers from the rest of the world will be kept out for another eight months, until October.

New Zealanders in Australia will be able to skip quarantine hotels and enter New Zealand beginning at 11.59pm on Sunday the 27th of February, Ardern said.

This will mark the first of five stages of gradual border reopening, with Kiwis from all around the world let in two weeks later.

The returning Kiwis will have to be vaccinated and self-isolate – but won’t need a space in a Government-run managed isolation facility. Critical workers in Australia will also be able to travel in.

From March 13 New Zealanders from the rest of the world will be able to return under similar conditions, alongside some critical workers, and their families.

These first two stages include both citizens and permanent residents.

In April non-citizens with visas – like international students and a wider swath of skilled workers – will be able to skip hotel quarantine.

Then no-later than July the country is expected to open up to non-citizens from visa-waiver countries – like Australia, the USA, and UK.

Ardern emphasised that this could happen prior to July however, saying there was a “high-likelihood” things could move faster.

From October New Zealand would open up to the rest of the world and normal visa processing would resume.

Reuters, Stuff.co.nz

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