The new Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) becomes mandatory for passengers arriving from visa waiver countries from 1 October.

Driven by Immigration New Zealand, the initiative (that affects nearly 1.5 million people each year) involves travellers and crew applying online to get permission to arrive in New Zealand before they get here – like what happens with the ESTA system in the USA. The application process will allow Biosecurity New Zealand to identify passengers that pose biosecurity risk earlier than they do now. It will also be a way of targeting biosecurity information at arriving passengers.

The ETA will give travellers permission to arrive in New Zealand - it doesn’t necessarily give permission to pass our borders. Biosecurity New Zealand will still work with immigration officers to deny travellers entry into New Zealand for serious biosecurity offences.