8 April 2020
SafeTravel Registration
ADVISING ALL NEW ZEALANDERS WHO WISH TO RETURN TO NZ TO DO SO NOW
This is a message from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This message has been sent to you as you are registered on SafeTravel as being in Europe. Please pass this message on to any other New Zealanders who may not be registered but could be affected by this information, and please ensure that your own registration details are up-to-date for Europe (including your dates for being in-country), otherwise you risk not receiving these updates.
At time of writing there are still commercial flights available from most European countries with Qatar Airways connecting through Doha to Auckland. We are also aware of flights from London with Malaysia Airlines. These flights are being used by New Zealanders returning home, and by foreign nationals in New Zealand returning to their homes. Given border restrictions now in place in New Zealand and Europe, travel numbers in both directions are likely to further significantly decrease over coming weeks, which may lead to the reduction or cancellation of services. We do not have any control over the availability of these commercial flights – we can only advise that the best chance to return to New Zealand is do so as soon as possible.
We strongly advise any New Zealanders wanting to return to New Zealand to book tickets on commercial flights now.
In deciding whether to return to New Zealand now, you should consider the possibility that the current international border restrictions (and potential associated impacts on flight availability) may last for 12-24 months.
Restrictions on daily life in many European countries may also continue in some form over this period. You should consider whether you have secure accommodation, a stable income, and local support networks to sustain you over this period, including access to health services and important public health information in a language you understand.
You may have seen some references in the media to the possibility of New Zealand Government repatriation flights from Europe. The New Zealand Government is considering all possible options for helping New Zealanders overseas and we remain committed to helping New Zealanders where we can. However the international situation is complex and changing quickly and some things are out of our control. Assisted departure flights should not be relied upon to get home and none are planned from Europe at this time. We expect in any case that specially chartered repatriation flights would carry a cost similar to, or significantly more expensive than, the commercial flight options still available from Europe. We know that cost may be a barrier for some in booking flights home. Please weigh up the cost of booking a flight now against the cost for you personally of staying where you are. If you do not think you have the resources to safely shelter in place where you are for an extended period, talk to your travel insurer, any airline you may have booked tickets home with previously, and to your family and friends to see how they might be able to support you. You can also contact your nearest New Zealand Embassy or High Commission for advice.
The Government may be able to provide assistance in the form of a loan to help you meet costs associated with urgent travel, if you are not in a position to cover all the costs at the time of booking, and this can be discussed on a case-by-case basis. We are also aware that there may be challenges in securing flight connections to return to New Zealand from some locations, in particular from outside EU countries. Please contact the appropriate Embassy or High Commission for advice if this applies to you.
New Zealand Border Restrictions On 25 March, the New Zealand Government introduced further self-isolation requirements for international arrivals into New Zealand. Please consider these requirements as part of making any plans to return home. Every passenger entering New Zealand will be screened for COVID-19 on arrival. Passengers will be disembarked in small groups and met by Government officials at the gate. When passengers disembark the plane, health officials will discuss self-isolation and transport arrangements and answer any questions passengers may have. For more information on self-isolation see the Ministry of Health website’s Border Controls page and read their passenger arrival factsheet on managed self-isolation/quarantine. For further advice about self-isolation requirements, please consult the Ministry of Health’s self-isolation guidelines. These requirements could change over coming weeks – please check the websites above for any updates. Border restrictions are likely to be in place for New Zealand for an extended period of time. Consular assistance This is an increasingly difficult situation and we fully appreciate the heightened stress many travellers … etc”
