New Zealand arrival declaration
What Is the NZ Traveller Declaration (NZTD)?
A clear guide to the New Zealand Traveller Declaration: what the NZTD covers, who must complete it, when to do it and why it replaced the paper arrival card.
If you are flying to New Zealand, one online form now sits between you and the border: the New Zealand Traveller Declaration, or NZTD. It is a free, compulsory digital declaration that every arriving traveller must complete, and it has replaced the paper Passenger Arrival Card that cabin crew used to hand out. This guide explains, in plain terms, what the NZTD is, what it asks and why it matters.
In brief: The NZTD is a free, mandatory online arrival declaration for everyone entering New Zealand. It bundles travel, customs, immigration and biosecurity questions into one form, is completed within 24 hours of your trip and links to your passport, which is checked at the eGate. It is not a visa or the NZeTA.
The NZTD in one sentence
The New Zealand Traveller Declaration is a single digital form that gathers everything the New Zealand border needs to know about you and your trip before you land. Instead of scribbling on a paper card mid-flight, you fill it in online, and the answers travel with your passport to the border.
It is run by the New Zealand Customs Service, working alongside Immigration New Zealand and Biosecurity New Zealand (MPI). Those three agencies used to collect information in different ways. The NZTD brings their questions together so you answer once.
Think of it as the modern replacement for a piece of paper, not as a new hurdle. If you have flown into Australia, the United States or the United Kingdom recently, you already know the feeling of an arrival card. New Zealand has simply moved that card onto your phone or computer.
In short: The NZTD is the digital arrival card for New Zealand, collecting travel, customs, immigration and biosecurity details in one place.
What the declaration actually covers
The form is organised around four themes. You will not see them labelled as neat boxes, but the questions fall into these groups:
- Travel details - your passport, your flight and where you will stay in New Zealand.
- Immigration - who you are, your nationality and the purpose of your visit.
- Customs - money, alcohol, tobacco and goods you may need to declare.
- Biosecurity - food, plant and animal products, and outdoor or camping gear.
That last theme matters more in New Zealand than almost anywhere else. The country protects its farms, forests and unique wildlife fiercely, so biosecurity questions are detailed and taken seriously.
Good to know: The biosecurity section is the one most travellers underestimate. If you are carrying food, honey, seeds, wooden souvenirs or hiking boots that have touched soil, you must declare them. When in doubt, always declare.
In short: One form covers travel, immigration, customs and biosecurity, with New Zealand's strict biosecurity questions front and centre.
Who has to complete it
The short answer is everyone. The NZTD applies to:
- Visitors on an NZeTA or a visa.
- New Zealand citizens and residents returning home.
- Australian citizens and residents.
- Babies, infants and children - a declaration is needed for every person, whatever their age.
There is no age exemption and no nationality exemption. A newborn on their first flight needs a declaration just as much as a seasoned business traveller. For young children, a parent or guardian completes the form on their behalf.
This trips people up, so it is worth repeating: one declaration per person. A family of four needs four declarations, not one shared form. The app makes this easier by letting one adult manage several declarations from a single device.
Crew, transiting passengers and cruise arrivals have their own rules, but for the vast majority of air travellers the picture is simple: if you are getting off a plane in New Zealand, you need an NZTD.
In short: Every arriving traveller needs their own NZTD, including newborns, children and returning New Zealanders.
It is free - and only for arrivals
Two facts are easy to miss.
First, the NZTD is completely free on the official government site. You never pay a fee to submit the declaration itself. If a website charges you purely to file the NZTD, it is not the government portal. (Optional paid help exists, including this service, but the official declaration is free.)
Second, the NZTD is an arrival-only document. There is no departure declaration to fill in when you leave New Zealand. You complete it once, for the journey in, and that is it.
Two other charges do exist for many travellers, but they are separate from the NZTD and often confused with it: the NZeTA travel authority and the IVL tourism levy. We untangle all three in a dedicated guide.
Good to know: The NZTD is free. The NZeTA and the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) are the things that cost money, and they are separate steps. Do not assume you have paid for the declaration.
In short: Filing the NZTD costs nothing and is required only for arrival, never for departure.
When you complete it
Timing is simple but strict. You can submit the NZTD from 24 hours before you start your journey to New Zealand, and it must be finished before you reach passport control on arrival.
That 24-hour window exists so your travel details are current. Most people do it the day before departure or at the airport lounge, once bags are checked and the flight feels real. You do not need Wi-Fi on the plane - as long as it is submitted before you queue for the border, you are fine.
Cutting it fine is risky on a long-haul route. If you are flying from Europe or the Americas via Dubai, Singapore, Los Angeles or Santiago, you may not have reliable connectivity for many hours. Doing the declaration before you board removes that worry entirely.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Earliest you can submit | Around 24 hours before your trip begins |
| Latest you can submit | Before you reach passport control in New Zealand |
| How many times | Once, per person, per arrival |
| Cost | Free on the official site |
| Departure version | None - arrival only |
In short: Submit within roughly 24 hours of travel and before passport control; earlier is safer on long-haul routes.
Where you fill it in: web or app
There are two official ways to complete the NZTD, and they carry equal weight:
- The official website at travellerdeclaration.govt.nz, which works in any browser.
- The free NZTD app, downloadable from the usual app stores.
Both let you create a declaration, save your progress and submit when ready. The app can be handy for families because you can hold several declarations in one place, and it works offline once you have started. Choose whichever suits you - there is no advantage to the border either way.
Whichever you pick, use the official channel. Look for the govt.nz web address or the genuine app publisher before entering any personal details. A quick checklist before you start:
- Confirm the web address ends in govt.nz, or that the app is the official NZTD app.
- Have your passport open at the photo page.
- Keep your flight number and New Zealand address to hand.
With those three things ready, either channel gets you through the form quickly.
In short: Complete the NZTD on the official website or the free NZTD app; both are equally valid.
No QR code - it links to your passport
Here is a point that surprises many travellers: there is no mandatory QR code to print or show. You will not be waving a barcode at a gate.
When you submit the NZTD, it is linked to your passport. At the border, you scan your passport at an eGate or hand it to a border officer, and your declaration is pulled up automatically behind the scenes. You may receive a confirmation email, but you are not required to keep or display it.
The eGate is available at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown airports. To use it you generally need to be 10 or older, hold an ePassport (the type with an electronic chip) and have your NZTD already completed. Travellers who cannot use the eGate simply see a border officer instead - the declaration still works the same way.
In short: No QR code is required; your declaration is tied to your passport and read automatically at the eGate or by an officer.
From paper card to digital declaration
For decades, arriving in New Zealand meant filling in a small paper Passenger Arrival Card somewhere over the Tasman Sea, pen balanced on a folding tray. Cabin crew handed them out, you ticked boxes about food and farm visits, and you handed the card to an officer on the ground.
The NZTD retires that card. The questions are broadly the same - they still cover who you are, where you are staying and what you are bringing - but the format is now digital and completed before you land. The benefits are practical:
- No more filling in details while jet-lagged in a cramped seat.
- Fewer illegible cards and missed questions.
- Faster movement through the border, because the answers are already lodged.
- A single form instead of separate cards for different agencies.
If you remember the old cards, the mental model is simple: same purpose, new delivery. If you have never seen one, even better - you start straight with the modern system.
Good to know: The switch from paper to digital does not change your legal responsibility. You are still making a formal customs and biosecurity declaration, and the same honesty is required.
In short: The NZTD digitises the old paper arrival card, keeping the same purpose while making the border faster and clearer.
What the NZTD is not
Because several New Zealand entry steps sound alike, it helps to be clear about what the NZTD is not:
- It is not a visa. A visa is separate permission to enter, based on your nationality and reason for travel.
- It is not the NZeTA. The New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority is a paid travel authorisation for visa-waiver nationalities and transit passengers, valid for around two years, and it must be arranged in advance.
- It is not the IVL. The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy is a tourism fee of around 100 NZD per person, usually paid with the NZeTA or visa.
The NZTD sits on top of these. Depending on your passport, you may still need an NZeTA or a visa, plus a valid passport and sometimes proof of funds and an onward ticket. The declaration does not replace any of them.
Good to know: Completing the NZTD does not grant you entry. It is the arrival declaration; your right to enter still depends on holding the correct visa or NZeTA for your nationality.
In short: The NZTD is an arrival declaration, not a visa, not the NZeTA and not the IVL - you may need those as well.
What happens if you arrive without it
If you land without a completed NZTD, you are not automatically turned away, but you will feel the friction. You may be sent to complete the declaration on arrival, which means queuing, using an airport kiosk or device, and slowing down your own journey after a long flight.
More importantly, the NZTD includes your legal customs and biosecurity declaration. Giving false or incomplete answers, or failing to declare risky items, can lead to instant fines and, in serious cases, further action. The declaration is not a formality - it is the moment you tell New Zealand what you are bringing in.
Completing it in advance means you walk off the plane, head to the eGate and keep moving. That is the whole point of the system.
In short: Arriving without an NZTD causes delays and, if you get customs or biosecurity answers wrong, possible fines - so finish it before you fly.
How the NZTD fits your trip
To see where the declaration sits, picture the typical order of events for a visa-waiver visitor:
- Check whether you need an NZeTA or a visa for your nationality, and arrange it early.
- Book flights and accommodation.
- Within 24 hours of travelling, complete your NZTD online or in the app.
- Fly to New Zealand and, at the airport, scan your passport at the eGate.
The NZTD is one of the last steps, not the first. Getting the earlier documents sorted well ahead of time leaves the declaration as a quick, low-stress task right before you go.
A little preparation pays off here. Have your passport in hand, know your first night's address in New Zealand and think about what is in your bags. With those ready, the declaration is a matter of minutes rather than a scramble at the gate.
In short: Sort your visa or NZeTA first; the NZTD is a final, quick step close to departure.
Key points
- The NZTD is a free, mandatory digital arrival declaration for everyone entering New Zealand.
- It replaced the paper arrival card and combines travel, customs, immigration and biosecurity.
- Everyone needs one, including babies, children and returning New Zealanders - one per person.
- Submit it within 24 hours of travel and before passport control; it is arrival-only.
- There is no QR code; it links to your passport and is checked at the eGate.
- It is not a visa, the NZeTA or the IVL - you may still need those separately.
FAQ: The New Zealand Traveller Declaration
Is the NZTD the same as a visa?
No. The NZTD is an arrival declaration that every traveller completes. A visa is separate permission to enter New Zealand, based on your nationality and purpose. You may need both.
How much does the NZTD cost?
The declaration itself is free on the official government site. Be wary of any site charging a fee just to file it. Separate costs like the NZeTA and IVL are not part of the NZTD.
Do children and babies need their own declaration?
Yes. There is no age exemption. Every person needs their own NZTD, and a parent or guardian completes it for infants and young children.
When can I complete the NZTD?
You can submit it from around 24 hours before you start your trip, and it must be finished before you reach passport control in New Zealand.
Do I need to print a QR code?
No. The NZTD does not require a QR code. It is linked to your passport and checked automatically at the eGate or by a border officer.
Can I do the NZTD after I land?
You should complete it before arrival. If you land without one, you may have to fill it in at the airport, which causes delays. Doing it in advance is strongly recommended.
Is there a declaration for leaving New Zealand?
No. The NZTD is arrival-only. There is no departure version to complete when you fly out of the country.
What if I do not have internet on the plane?
That is fine. Complete and submit the declaration before you board, or after landing but before passport control. In-flight Wi-Fi is not needed if you plan ahead.
Does the NZTD guarantee I can enter New Zealand?
No. It is the arrival declaration only. Your right to enter still depends on holding the correct visa or NZeTA and meeting all entry requirements.
Website or app - which should I use?
Either. The official website and the free NZTD app are both valid. The app can be convenient for families and works offline once started; the website works in any browser.
Last updated: July 2026. Entry rules change; always confirm current requirements on the official New Zealand Traveller Declaration site before you travel.