Foreign nationals stranded in New Zealand will begin to leave the country from tomorrow, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says.
With New Zealand having closed its borders last month, tens of thousands of tourists were left stranded.
Today, Mr Peter's announced efforts are being made to get those stranded here during the lockdown home.
"When we moved into lockdown a week ago, the Government rightly prioritised public health, and limited the movement of people so as to restrict the spread of COVID-19," the Mr Peter's said in a statement.
"But it is clear that many foreign nationals travelling here do not have the resources or capability to adequately self-isolate, and wish to return home.
"We have taken the time and care to develop a seriously detailed plan for the exit of foreign nationals, without endangering the lives of others."
Fronting media this afternoon, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern detailed the move that will see those stranded tourists finally allowed to return to their home countries.
"The week that we've had in this first week of lockdown has given us the space and capacity to draw up a plan to enable, as seamless as possible, the movement of foreign nationals, in order to exit New Zealand," Prime Minister Ardern says.
"Under the managed exit plan, foreign nationals returning home will be considered to be engaging in essential travel, therefore able to travel domestically, whether by air or land when they have a confirmed or scheduled international flight out of New Zealand.
"Someone who's travelling on a domestic flight must have a ticketed international flight within a 24-hour window, so that we can be assured they're travelling to get to an international airport in order to leave New Zealand."
Those returning home will be considered to be engaging in essential travel, therefore allowed to leave New Zealand.
Foreign governments will also be allowed to organise their own charter flights to retrieve citizens, provided they comply with New Zealand's health requirements.
The first foreign government organised flight could leave as early as tomorrow evening.
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