Immigration at the border

How Immigration New Zealand (INZ) collaborates with border agencies and others to protect the New Zealand border.

Updated: 6 June 2025

Our role at the border

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) works to protect New Zealand’s border in collaboration with border agencies, such as New Zealand Customs Service, Ministry of Primary Industries and other border stakeholders.  We aim to strike the balance between ensuring we help genuine travellers enjoy their stay in New Zealand while managing the increasing demand on our border protection services. 

Border Officers

Our Border Officers use their expertise and systems to make sure all passengers travelling to and arriving in New Zealand have the right to do so. They assess and screen passengers to help legitimate travellers enter the country, while keeping any immigration risks overseas. Our Border Officers also work with passengers referred by other agencies to make sure they have the right to enter New Zealand. 

Airline Liaison Officers 

Airline Liaison Officers (ALOs) add another layer to our approach to managing immigration risks at the border. They are currently based at airports in 5 countries around the world and help support airlines and their passengers to meet New Zealand’s entry requirements. 

Entry to New Zealand

Anyone coming to New Zealand temporarily must satisfy us they meet all the requirements at the time they travel to New Zealand. If they do not, they may be denied boarding their flight to New Zealand or refused entry when they get here.

How we check people travelling to New Zealand 

When travellers check in overseas, those we determine not to be genuine may not be allowed to board their flight.

At check in time:

• INZ validates whether the passenger is entitled to travel to or through New Zealand.  
• Passenger information entered into airlines’ systems is screened against Immigration New Zealand’s database.
• Based on this information the airline receives a boarding directive – ‘Okay to Board/Board with Outward Ticket’ or ‘Do Not Board’ – for that passenger.  

Border Officers may also intervene when concerns are raised by a team analysing information provided through the airline reservation system as passengers start checking in for their flights. When concerns are identified about a passenger, they will contact airline ground staff or an Airline Liaison Officer (where there is one) to engage with the passenger before they are allowed to travel to New Zealand.  

If necessary, travel documents will be examined and the passenger interviewed, which may include a telephone interview. Those found not to be genuine passengers will not be allowed to board their flight. 

The reasons passengers are denied from boarding 

The main reasons passengers are denied boarding include: 

• concerns that must be addressed before the passenger is allowed to travel to New Zealand
• the passenger requires a visa to travel to New Zealand but does not hold one, or it is not valid because it has expired or has been used
• the passenger requires a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) but does not hold one, or does not hold a valid one because it is expired or the incorrect type
• the passenger presents a passport that is recorded as being lost/stolen/invalidated, or the passenger’s identity is in serious doubt
• the passenger is unable to meet entry requirements for New Zealand. 

Airline's obligations

Commercial airlines flying to New Zealand need to meet obligations under the Immigration Act 2009.

Some of these obligations include: 

• providing Immigration New Zealand Advance Passenger Processing (APP) with data for every person (passengers and crew) who intends to board a plane traveling to or from New Zealand before boarding
• complying with APP boarding directives, and  
• checking that people travelling to New Zealand hold the required documentation for immigration purposes.  

This prevents airlines from bringing people to New Zealand who may be excluded, considered ineligible to enter New Zealand or who pose a threat to New Zealand. 
 
Airlines may also have obligations to provide Immigration New Zealand with passengers’ booking information and to facilitate travel out of New Zealand for any passengers who are not eligible to enter the country. 

Airlines who do not meet obligations

Airlines who do not meet their obligations may receive an infringement and/or prosecuted.
 
Infringement fees range from NZD $1,000 to NZD $5,000 and prosecutions may result in prison terms of up to 3 months and/or fines of up to NZD $50,000.

• There were 173 infringement notices issued in the 2023-24 financial year.
• Since 2011, there have been 15 prosecutions against airlines for failing to comply with their obligations under the Immigration Act 2009. The airlines involved were all found guilty and ordered to pay fines ranging from NZ$ $5,000 to $12,000.