Immigration at the border

How we collaborate with border agencies and others to protect the New Zealand border.

Our role at the border

We work to protect New Zealand’s border in close collaboration with other border agencies - like New Zealand Customs Service and Ministry for Primary Industries. We aim to strike the balance between helping genuine travellers enter New Zealand while managing the increasing demand on our border protection services.

Border Officers

Our Border Officers use their expertise and systems to ensure that all passengers travelling to and arriving in New Zealand are entitled to do so. Border Officers assess and screen passengers to facilitate legitimate travellers across the New Zealand Border and keep immigration risk offshore. We also interact with passengers referred by partner agencies when they arrive to determine if they are eligible to enter New Zealand.

Airline Liaison Officers

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

Entry to New Zealand

There are certain conditions that anyone coming to New Zealand temporarily must meet to enter New Zealand. They must meet all the entry requirements at the time they travel to New Zealand, otherwise they may be denied boarding their flight to New Zealand or refused entry to the country.

Key statistics

In the 2024/25 financial year:

• 6.5 million passengers arrived in New Zealand, of which 2.8 million were New Zealand citizens.
• 2,944 passengers were offloaded from flights inbound to New Zealand.
• 462 passengers were turned around at the New Zealand border.
• We issued infringement notices to airlines for 131 offences and $263,000 in fines.

The table below shows key statistics at the Border from 1 July 2025 to 30 September 2025.

Being denied boarding

Travellers can be denied permission to board a flight to New Zealand while still overseas.

When a traveller checks in to their flight, the airline will conduct an Advanced Passenger Processing (APP) system check with us to determine that they have the appropriate valid visa or NZeTA to enter New Zealand. Based on this screening, airlines receive a directive such as “Okay to Board,” “Board with Outward Ticket,” or “Do Not Board.” If concerns are identified, Border Officers or Airline Liaison Officers may step in to review travel documents and conduct interviews to assess the traveller’s intent. Those who are not considered genuine may be denied boarding.

This process ensures that only travellers who meet all legal, health, and character requirements are allowed to travel to New Zealand.

The main reasons people are denied boarding include when:

• we have identified concerns which must be mitigated before the traveller 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 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 doubt
• the passenger is unable to meet entry requirements for New Zealand.

Being refused entry to New Zealand

If a traveller is assessed as not meeting the requirements to enter New Zealand when they arrive at a New Zealand airport, they may be turned around and put on a flight back, before they can leave the airport. This is largely due to a misrepresentation of intentions (for example, declaring to come for a holiday but instead intending to work) and/or circumstances in their home country (such as declaring ownership of a large business or ongoing employment when in fact this is not the case).
 
The key difference between being denied boarding and being refused entry lies in timing. A denied boarding decision happens overseas, before the traveller boards their flight, while a traveller may be refused entry to New Zealand if they arrive in New Zealand but are not permitted to enter the country. A traveller refused entry will be placed on the next available flight back.

Carriers' obligations

Commercial carriers flying to New Zealand are subject to obligations under the Immigration Act 2009. Some of these obligations include:

• to provide us with Advance Passenger Processing (APP) data for every person (passengers and crew) who intends to board a craft traveling to or from New Zealand before boarding
• to comply with APP boarding directives, and
• to check people travelling to New Zealand hold the required documentation for immigration purposes.

This prevents carriers from bringing people to New Zealand who may be excluded, considered ineligible to enter New Zealand or who may otherwise pose a threat to New Zealand.

Additionally, carriers have obligations to provide us with passengers’ booking information and to facilitate travel out of New Zealand for any passengers who are not eligible to enter the country.

Failing to meet their obligations may result in infringements and/or prosecution.

Infringement fees range from NZD$1,000 to NZD$5,000 and prosecutions may result in convictions of imprisonment for up to 3 months and/or fines of up to NZD$50,000.

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 NZD$5,000 to NZD$12,000.

Working with airline carriers