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eGate

Travel Personal Travelling to NZ

eGate is an automated way to get through passport control.

In New Zealand, you’ll find eGates at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown airports for both arriving and departing travellers.

You can use eGate if you are 12 years of age or older, and have an ePassport from:

  • New Zealand
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Canada
  • China (excluding Hong Kong)
  • France
  • Germany
  • Ireland
  • Netherlands
  • Singapore
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • United Kingdom
  • United States.

When you arrive in New Zealand, before you go through an eGate, you must:

If you are using an eGate when departing New Zealand, you must have your passport and your boarding pass ready.

When a Customs officer cannot verify your identity with reasonable certainty in a visual check, they may ask you to go through an eGate.

New Zealand Traveller Declaration

All travellers to New Zealand must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration before reaching passport control in New Zealand. You can complete a digital declaration at www.TravellerDeclaration.govt.nz, or a paper arrival declaration which will either be available on your flight or on arrival in New Zealand. 

You need to answer questions about your trip and what you’re bringing into the country.

Your New Zealand Traveller Declaration will be automatically checked when you scan your passport at the eGate or when a border officer checks your passport. You do not need to print anything out.

If you complete a digital arrival declaration, you do not need to complete a paper arrival card.

To complete your declaration or to find out more visit www.TravellerDeclaration.govt.nz

How eGate works

eGate uses biometrics to match the picture of your face in your ePassport with the picture it takes of you at the gate.

To make sure eGate can do this, you must make sure you look as similar to your ePassport photo as possible. Avoid headwear – including veils, scarves and hats – that obscures any part of your face.

You can leave your glasses on if:

  • you are wearing them in your ePassport photo
  • they have thin frames.

eGate can handle minor changes in your face, for example if your weight or hair has changed.

eGate and privacy

When you use eGate, Customs, Biosecurity and Immigration officials will use the information you provide – including your photo – to clear you and your items across New Zealand's border.

We keep your biometric information for three months before destroying it. We keep your other information, including about your movements across New Zealand's border indefinitely. Your information will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020, or as the law authorises. This might include your information being used by or shared with other law enforcement or border control authorities.

You can find more privacy information on the paper arrival declaration on our Privacy page.

Relevant NZ legislation: