Travellers from Niue to resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand

March 13, 2021
Tropical reef flats on the island of Niue.

Travellers from Niue can resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand from March 24 (March 23 Niue time), Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Niue Premier Dalton Tagelagi have this morning announced.

“Niue has no reported cases of Covid-19 and its stringent border controls mean we can be confident it is safe to commence quarantine-free travel to New Zealand from Niue,” Ardern said today in a statement.

“Niue welcomes being able to travel to New Zealand without the need to quarantine. Niue is one of the few countries in the world that is completely free of Covid-19 and we pride ourselves on protecting our people through maintaining our borders and health system," Tagelagi added.

"This one-way quarantine free travel will enable Niueans to receive essential healthcare, access education and economic opportunities, and reconnect with their families in New Zealand."

Premier Tagelagi said Niue will maintain its current border settings, with only returnees with Government approval allowed to enter the country. They must also quarantine or self-isolate for 14 days on arrival.

Officials of both governments are working towards ensuring all safety protocols and response capabilities are in place for the resumption of two-way quarantine free travel between the two countries.

Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran said flights are on sale now, and that the airline will operate one return passenger service every two weeks on a Wednesday using the airline’s A320 fleet, with the first flight arriving into Auckland on March 24 at 7.30pm.

"This quarantine free travel option from Niue to New Zealand is another great step forward on the journey to safe travel between New Zealand and the Pacific Islands," Foran said. 

To be eligible to enter New Zealand, travellers from Niue must meet several conditions, including not having been overseas outside Niue or New Zealand in the past 14 days; not having had contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case within the past 14 days; having worn a face covering while in the airport at which they arrived in New Zealand; and there are no reasonable grounds, as determined by a suitably qualified health practitioner, to suspect that the person may have Covid-19.

New Zealand public health officials will also be undertaking random temperature checks of passengers on all flights arriving from Niue into New Zealand.

Auckland Airport will use a streamlined Safe Travel Path - which creates a separate path from other arriving passengers - to process travellers arriving quarantine-free from Niue. 

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