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View of Lake Te Anau in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
Photo:
Mara Brandl / image broker / IMAGO
New Zealand opens its borders to travelers from all over the world this Sunday.
It is the last opening step after the island state largely sealed itself off from the outside world in the course of the corona pandemic in March 2020.
The regulation applies from Sunday 11:59 p.m. local time (1:59 p.m. CEST).
"This is great news for the tourism industry and economy as we approach spring and summer and people from the northern hemisphere are booking their winter holidays," said Minister for Tourism Stuart Nash.
Cruise ships can also call at the country again from Sunday.
The New Zealand government has gradually opened the borders this year.
Since May, vacationers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as from other visa-exempt countries such as Great Britain and the USA have been allowed to enter again.
The latest opening step now applies to those who need a visa - including tourists, students and workers, said Tourism Secretary Nash.
Visitors must test themselves upon arrival and on the fifth day of their stay.
You must also be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
However, there are exceptions.
It is recommended that you check with the New Zealand authorities for more information.
New Zealand, with its five million inhabitants, has long been considered a model country in the fight against the virus and at times pursued a so-called zero-Covid strategy.
The country has now recorded more than 1.6 million infections and around 1,400 deaths.
atb/dpa
