Restricted Temporary Entry instructions have been introduced to provide an enhanced approach to:

• Allow people who are not included under the current travel ban to be granted a visa or a variation of conditions to travel to New Zealand; and
• Consider people seeking an exception to the current travel ban to be granted a visa or a variation of conditions to travel to New Zealand.

This will provide more certainty for travellers, as they will know if they are eligible to travel to New Zealand before making travel plans and attempting to check in for a flight.

Exceptions will only be granted in extreme circumstances where the individual has a critical purpose for travelling to New Zealand, as follows:

• Essential health workers, as confirmed by the Ministry of Health;
• Other essential workers, as confirmed by the New Zealand Government;
• Citizens of Samoa and Tonga making essential travel to New Zealand;
• People coming to New Zealand for humanitarian reasons;
• Partners, dependent children and legal guardians of, and who are traveling with:
  • New Zealand citizens or permanent resident visa holders
  • New Zealand resident visa holders where the resident visa was granted in New Zealand
  • New Zealand resident visa holders where the resident visa holder is arriving in New Zealand for a second or subsequent time where they are travelling with that New Zealand citizen or resident visa holder
• Visitor, student and work visa holders who are ordinarily resident in New Zealand and who are the partner or dependent child of a temporary student or work visa holder who is in New Zealand.