A2.15 Unacceptable travel documents

If necessary, an immigration officer may seek advice from the Intelligence, Risk and Integrity Division regarding a person who holds an unacceptable travel document and applies for a visa.

Unless otherwise specified, any travel documents issued by the countries or sources listed in this section are unacceptable and visas must not be endorsed in them.

A2.15.1 Countries not recognised by the New Zealand Government

Travel documents from the following countries are unacceptable because they are issued by regimes that the New Zealand Government does not recognise:

• Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
• Taiwan: diplomatic and official passports (but see A2.30).

A2.15.5 Unofficial sources of issue

The following is a non-exhaustive list of travel documents that are unacceptable because they have been issued by an unofficial source:

• 'World Service Authority'
• 'Maori Kingdom of Tetiti Islands'.

A2.15.10 Yugoslavian collective passports

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) is issuing a collective passport for up to 50 people which does not meet the requirements of the Immigration Act 2009 and is therefore unacceptable.

A2.15.15 Slovenian collective passports

The collective passport issued by the Republic of Slovenia does not meet the requirements of the Immigration Act 2009 and is therefore unacceptable.

A2.15.20 Kiribati investor passports

Kiribati investor passports are unacceptable because they neither:

1. confirm the nationality of the passport holder; nor
2. clarify the status of the passport holder.

A2.15.25 Tongan Protected Person's Passport (TPPP)

1. The travel document called a "Tongan Protected Person's Passport" ("TPPP"), introduced by the Tongan Government in 1983 is unacceptable because:
   1. it does not confirm the right of re-entry to the country of issue; and
   2. it does not confirm the holder's nationality.
2. Applicants must be informed that TPPPs are unacceptable to the New Zealand Government for the reasons given in (a) above.
3. However, applications from TPPP holders may be dealt with on the basis of the primary and residential status of the applicant.
4. If a visa application is approved in principle, the visa must be endorsed in an alternative acceptable passport or certificate of identity, but not in the TPPP.
5. The differences between TPPPs and standard Tongan passports are as follows:

   Standard Tongan Passport	Tongan Protected Person's Passport
   Inside front cover holder's name is followed by the words 'a Tongan subject'	Inside front cover holder's name is followed by the words 'a Tongan Protected Person'
   Page facing inside front cover the words 'A Tongan Subject by birth/by naturalisation' do appear 3 lines from the bottom of the page	Page facing inside front cover the words 'A Tongan Subject by birth/by naturalisation' do not appear anywhere on the page

6. The distinctions set out in paragraph (e) apply even though standard Tongan passports may be presented in two formats:
   • with soft cover and a green border pattern on the inside front cover (passports issued since mid-1984); and
   • with hard cover and no green border pattern (passports issued until mid-1984).

A2.15.30 Former USSR

The following passports are no longer valid:

1. Diplomatic and service passports with the former USSR symbol issued in Armenia. (USSR standard passports issued in Armenia are valid till 01.07.2000.)
2. Diplomatic and service passports with the former USSR symbol issued in Azerbaijan. (USSR standard passports issued in Azerbaijan are valid till the expiry date.)
3. Diplomatic and service passports with the former USSR symbol issued in Belarus, also USSR standard and Belarus standard passports issued in Belarus which do not bear multiple exit stamps.
4. Diplomatic, service and standard passports with the former USSR symbol issued in Estonia (USSR passports are not valid for return to Estonia).
5. Diplomatic, service and standard passports with the former USSR symbol issued in Georgia (however, these passports can still be used to return to Georgia within the validity of the passports).
6. Diplomatic, service and standard passports with the former USSR symbol issued in Kazakhstan (however, these passports can still be used to return to Kazakhstan within the validity of the passports).
7. Diplomatic, service and standard passports with the former USSR symbol issued in Kyrgyzstan (however, these passports are valid for return to Kyrgyzstan within the validity of the passports).
8. Diplomatic, service and standard passports with the former USSR symbol issued in Latvia (USSR passports are not valid for return to Latvia).
9. Diplomatic, service and standard passports with the former USSR symbol issued in Lithuania (USSR passports are not valid for return to Lithuania).
10. Diplomatic, service and standard passports with the former USSR symbol issued in Moldova (however, USSR standard passports are valid for return to Moldova within the validity of the passports).
11. Diplomatic, service and standard passports with the former USSR symbol issued in Tajikistan (however, these passports are valid for return to Tajikistan within the validity of the passports).
12. Diplomatic and service passports with the former USSR symbol issued in Turkmenistan. Standard USSR passports are valid till 31.12.2001.
13. Diplomatic, service and standard passports with the former USSR symbol issued in the Ukraine (however, these passports are valid for return to the Ukraine within the validity of the passports).
14. Diplomatic, service and standard passports with the former USSR symbol issued in Uzbekistan (however, these passports are valid for return of permanent residents to Uzbekistan).

A2.15.35 Somali travel documents

There is currently no authority in Somalia that is recognised by the New Zealand Government as being competent to issue passports on behalf of Somalia. As a result Somali passports are not acceptable travel documents for travel to New Zealand and visas must not be endorsed in them. Endorsement should be made in an INZ Certificate of Identity, or another acceptable travel document.

A2.15.40 Nauru investor passports

Nauru investor passports are unacceptable because they neither:

1. confirm the nationality of the passport holder; nor
2. clarify the status of the passport holder.

A2.15.45 Greek passports issued before 1 January 2006

As of 1 January 2007, only passports issued by the Passport Division of the Hellenic Police on and after 1 January 2006 will be acceptable. Passports issued before this date are not acceptable, regardless of the date of expiry, unless E2.5 applies.

A2.15.50 Additional travel documents which are unacceptable

The following travel documents do not meet the requirements of ‘the definition of passport or certificate of identity’ under section 4 of the Immigration Act 2009 and are therefore unacceptable:

1. Kuwait article 17 passports.
2. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan passports.
3. United Nations Transitional Administration for East Timor (UNTAET) travel documents.
4. Iraqi S series passport.
5. Egyptian travel documents issued for Palestinian refugees, unless they include an entry visa that allows the holder to enter Egypt.

Effective 08/04/2013