Dec 18, 2017  -  Travellers from France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands now have the green light to use the Customs eGates (formerly known as SmartGate) from today.

“We extended eGate to ePassport holders from China last month, and with a significant number of visitors coming to New Zealand from Europe, it makes sense to extend the facilities to eligible passport holders from these European countries,” says Group Manager Border Operations, Anne Marie Taggart. “Expanding eGate to more countries will help to manage the increasing number of travellers arriving and departing New Zealand.

“The e-Gates allow eligible passengers to complete their customs and immigration checks quickly and easily, so they can get on their way. It also means that Customs officers can focus on travellers that may present a risk,” More than 24 million people have used Customs’ eGates since they were introduced at New Zealand airports in 2009, and the additional nations will take the number of countries eligible to use the eGates from six to 10.

“We expect this number will continue to grow, with plans underway to enable ePassport holders from more countries to have access to eGates in the near future.”

There are eGate facilities in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown available to ePassport holders aged 12 years and over from New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, China and from today, France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.

| A New Zealand Customs Service release  ||  December 18, 2017   |||