New Zealand opens e-Gate service to Taiwanese passport holders

Taipei, Oct. 13 (CNA) 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.

In separate press releases, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said they had been working with New Zealand's immigration agency to make the service possible.

Taiwanese biometric passports holders traveling to New Zealand for leisure, business, or educational purposes now have access to the e-Gate service upon arrival, the ministries said.

Such travelers are required, however, to complete the New Zealand Traveler Online Declaration form at least 24 hours before entering the country, in order to gain e-Gate access, according to the ministries.

With the launch of the service on Monday, New Zealand became the eighth country to grant e-Gate access to Taiwanese passport holders, after South Korea, Australia, Italy, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States.

In keeping with Taiwan's policy of reciprocal use of automated immigration clearance, plans are being made to provide e-Gate service to holders of New Zealand biometric passports by November or December, the MOI and MOFA said.

The travel volume between Taiwan and New Zealand averages 60,000 per year, according to the ministries.