Access to NZ
Policies that control access to New Zealand include:
Air Access
Policies that control international aviation into New Zealand are set and implemented
by the Ministry of Transport (MoT).
For some time now the MoT has pursued a policy of "open skies". Open skies
means that in agreement with its partners, New Zealand removes restrictions
on international airlines flying to New Zealand and leaves the decisions on
the number of services, routes flown and type of craft used to the airlines.
This allows airlines to react to market demands quickly and efficiently.
The Ministry of Tourism is consulted each time the Ministry of Transport enters
into a negotiation with a bilateral partner over
Air
Service Agreements.
In December 2001, a new Multilateral Agreement on the Liberalization of International
Air Transportation came into force. The Agreement is between Brunei Darussalam,
Chile, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States of America. It allows these
countries to exchange the most liberal Freedoms
of the Air - seventh freedom passenger and eighth freedom cabotage rights.
Read more about this agreement at www.maliat.govt.nz.
Seventh Freedom Rights allow an airline of one country to operate flights between
two other countries, without the flight originating or terminating in the airline's
own territory. Eighth Freedom Rights allow an airline of one country to carry
traffic between two points within the territory of another country (domestic
traffic).
The Ministry of Tourism also sits on the External Aviation Policy Committee,
an inter-departmental group, which sets priorities for international aviation
agreements that New Zealand would like to pursue each year.
Border Control
New Zealand controls the entry of people, aircraft, ships and goods to its
borders through a range of government agencies.
These include:
- the New Zealand Immigration Service,
- New Zealand Customs Service, and
- the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
The Ministry of Tourism contributes to discussion and policy development on
border control issues because they affect international visitors to our country.
Our objective is to ensure that border control arrangements, while protecting
New Zealand's borders, do not impose unnecessary or inappropriate delays or
costs on travellers.
The Ministry sits on the New Zealand Air Facilitation Committee (FAL), an
inter-agency group including airport authorities and airlines which addresses
facilitation of air passengers at the border.
Visas
The New Zealand Immigration Service (NZIS) sets and implements New Zealand's
policy regarding visas.
Relevant to tourism are:
- visitor visas,
- working holiday visas and
- transit visas.
Most tourists do not require a visa for a stay of up to 3 months. Thanks
to visa waiver agreements, visitors from our major tourist markets fall
into this category. Exceptions include some emerging markets, such as
China and some smaller markets.
New Zealand also runs a working holiday visa scheme with some countries,
allowing visitors to work as they travel the country.
The NZIS consults the Ministry of Tourism on any changes to immigration
policy that may affect tourism, like the application or removal of visa-free
status from a particular country or changes in charges associated with
visas.
The tourism implications are balanced by the NZIS against issues such
as wider immigration policy, international protocols and security issues.
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