New Zealand is to reopen to fully vaccinated foreign travellers from April 30, 2022.
However, seven days of self-isolation will be required on arrival.
More New Zealanders will also be allowed to travel home from early next year as well without the need to quarantine under a three-step plan.
The move eases strict curbs that have locked out many citizens and tourists since borders were shut at the start of the Covid pandemic.
Only citizens and permanent residents of New Zealand are currently allowed to enter the country, and they must stay for seven days in government-managed quarantine hotels.
The New Zealand government said: “Fully vaccinated New Zealanders will find it easier to come home from January 2022, with foreign nationals to follow from April onwards, as the government removes the requirement for managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) for most travellers.
“Closing our border was one of the first steps we took to keep our country safe from Covid-19 and it’ll be the last thing we open up, following our transition into the traffic light system and lifting of the Auckland boundary.
“We have a clear, simple and safe plan, including a mandatory period of self-isolation.”
The border will open in three steps, and all travellers who do have to go into MIQ will still require:
- a negative pre-departure test
- proof of being fully vaccinated
- a passenger declaration about travel history
- a day 1 test on arrival
- a requirement to self-isolate for 7 days, and
- a final negative test before entering the community.
“We are making this announcement today to give families, businesses, visitors and airline and airport companies certainty and time to prepare. It’s very encouraging that as a country we are now in a position to move towards greater normality,” the New Zealand government said.
“We always said we’d open in a controlled way, and this started with halving the time spent in MIQ to seven days.
“Retaining a seven-day isolate at home period for fully vaccinated travellers is an important phase in the reconnecting strategy to provide continued safety assurance.
“These settings will continue to be reviewed against the risk posed by travellers entering New Zealand.
“Further details on how self-isolation will be implemented will be made available in December 2021, and include guidance on how people can travel from their arrival airport to their location of self-isolation and requirements for the places where they can self-isolate.”