Wellington: New Zealand on Monday became the eighth country to open its Automated Immigration Clearance (e-Gate) service to Taiwanese biometric passport holders, according to Taiwan’s interior and foreign ministries.
According to Focus Taiwan, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued separate press releases, announcing their collaboration with New Zealand’s immigration agency to enable this service. Taiwanese biometric passport holders traveling to New Zealand for leisure, business, or educational purposes now have access to the e-Gate service upon arrival.
The ministries stated that these travelers must complete the New Zealand Traveler Online Declaration form at least 24 hours before entering the country to gain e-Gate access. With this new development, New Zealand joins South Korea, Australia, Italy, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States in providing e-Gate access to Taiwanese passport holders.
In line with Taiwan’s policy of mutual use of automated immigration clearance, plans are underway to extend e-Gate service to holders of New Zealand biometric passports by November or December, as noted by the MOI and MOFA. The average travel volume between Taiwan and New Zealand stands at 60,000 per year, according to the ministries.