You know the drill – rifling through your cabin baggage for a pen, then hunching over your tray table, writing out your details in capital letters, and taking care to tick all the right boxes.
But come June, the tedious task of filling in a passenger arrival card will be no more for travellers entering New Zealand.
Instead, those arriving by air or sea will have to use a new digital system called the New Zealand Traveller Declaration.
Sound familiar? That’s because we’ve already had a taste of it. The online form was introduced in March last year, as our borders were reopening, to collect Covid-related information.
It was scrapped for Covid purposes in October. But it’s set to be revamped and reintroduced in the middle of this year, replacing the paper arrival cards.
Here’s what we know.
When will paper arrival cards be scrapped?
Customs says arrival cards will be replaced with the online New Zealand Traveller Declaration system by June 30, 2023.
But you can expect to be hearing more about it before then. Customs is planning to run pilots of the updated system early this year, and will be seeking feedback from travellers on its new features. Details of the pilots and who will be involved are yet to be shared.
How will the new system work?
If you travelled last year, you may have already experienced the first take of the New Zealand Traveller Declaration. Basically, you had to fill in and submit an online form. You then received an email containing a New Zealand Traveller Pass – a QR code (remember those?) which you could print or save to your device, to present to border officials
Travellers who were eligible to use eGates could still do so, as the Traveller Pass was connected to your passport.
The new version of the New Zealand Traveller Declaration will likely look a little different, though. Customs has said there will be “new features and improvements” to the system.
It will also ask different questions. While the previous version required you to provide Covid-related information like vaccination status and pre-departure test results, the new version will contain customs, biosecurity and immigration declarations, and potentially health risk assessments.
When will I be able to fill it in?
Unlike the paper arrival card, which most of us fill in on the plane, with the New Zealand Traveller Declaration, you’ll be encouraged to fill it in before you depart, and update or confirm the information on arrival (for example, if you buy up big at duty-free and end up needing to declare).
Customs says it will still be possible to fill in the online form when you’re travelling, using your device – they plan to figure out how this will work with airport operators and airline partners (because obviously you’ll need wi-fi to be able to access it) during the pilots.
What if I don’t have a device or my device isn’t working?
Customs says options will be provided to ensure travellers can complete and submit their declaration for arrival in New Zealand.
Source Stuff.co.nz
