Travelers from several European countries, including Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway and the Vatican City, as well as Macau (as a Special Administrative Region of China), and an initial group of Middle Eastern countries, including Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, are now able to use New Zealand’s automated e-gates nationwide.
This follows a successful trial period where New Zealand Customs worked with Immigration New Zealand to ensure e-passports from these visa-waiver countries met the necessary border security and technological biometric requirements.
Customs has now opened its e-gates to 48 countries in total and will later this year enable further countries to use the gates.
The e-gates use biometric software and information from e-passports to carry out necessary checks within seconds, enabling New Zealand Customs frontline officers to place increased focus on high-risk travelers and baggage, as well as boosting airport patrols to target illegal activities such as drug smuggling.
Paul Williams, the acting group manager for border operations at New Zealand Customs, said around 70% of arriving and departing passengers are currently processed through e-gates in New Zealand.
“As we open New Zealand’s e-gates to more countries, even more travelers will have the option of a self-service route through both arrivals and departures,” he said. “We welcome the new passport holders and encourage them to give our e-gates a try.”
Williams says the use of e-gates, along with other digital options such as completing a New Zealand Traveller Declaration digitally, will help further reduce screening times in airport terminals.
In related news, Pakistan recently launched a nationwide e-gates program. Read more about it here