Pre-departure tests to enter New Zealand

The Director-General of Health has confirmed the following types of test are acceptable for all countries — except Australia and very high risk countries:

• Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAAT), which includes PCR, RT-PCR and TMA, or
• LAMP, or
• antigen test (they may also be referred to as viral antigen tests).

Travellers from Australia are required to get PCR or RT-PCR pre-departure tests.

Travellers from very high risk countries — Brazil, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea — must have evidence of negative nasopharyngeal RT-PCR (PCR) test from an accredited laboratory. Travellers from Fiji, which is a very high risk country, do not need pre-departure tests.

Restrictions on travel to New Zealand from very high risk countries

All tests (including at-home tests) must be processed by a laboratory recognised in the country of origin as authorised or accredited to conduct tests. You are responsible for the costs associated with your test.

You must make sure that the testing provider you choose can provide your test results with acceptable pre-departure documentation to the specified standard required by the New Zealand Government.

Free community testing stations often do not provide all the information required for travel clearance, so check before having your pre-departure test.

If your pre-departure documentation does not contain the required information, or is not in the required format, you may be prevented from boarding your plane.

Acceptable pre-departure documentation 

The New Zealand Government requires that all pre-departure tests contain the following information for travel clearance:  

• traveller’s name
• traveller’s date of birth and/or passport number 
• date and time the test was conducted
• name of testing lab
• test type
• test result