NZ Pledges a Trans-Tasman Travel Trial

New Zealanders flying to Australia could soon leave their paper passport in their bag at the airport gate. National Party leader Christopher Luxon announced the pledge on Thursday at Coronet Peak near Queenstown, alongside tourism spokesperson Louise Upston: if National is returned to government at the 7 November election, it will work with Australia on a fully digital trans-Tasman travel trial before the men's cricket World Cup the two countries will co-host in 2028, according to 1News.

Under the plan, eligible Australian and New Zealand citizens would use a smartphone, digital credentials and facial recognition through more of the airport journey, and would no longer need to show a paper passport at the gate. The trans-Tasman travel trial would not abolish passports. Travellers would still need to hold a valid one, register online before they fly, submit their passport and travel details digitally, and complete the New Zealand Traveller Declaration in advance, Newswire NZ reports.

National says dedicated trans-Tasman arrival lanes would be set up at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown airports for travellers using the new system. Anyone who triggers a border alert, cannot be matched to their passport, or needs a closer look would be sent back through normal processing, with border agencies keeping the ability to intervene wherever a risk is identified. Biosecurity would not change: declarations would still be required and bags could still be inspected. "We've got the same safeguards around sovereignty, around risks that we may have, biosecurity, all of those things remain in place," Luxon said. "We're just digitising it even further and even more, and using the technology to do so."

Why National wants the trial

The pitch is aimed squarely at tourism. Tourism is New Zealand's second-largest export earner and supports around one in nine jobs, Upston said, and making it easier for Australians to visit means more visitors exploring cities and regions, which translates into income for local businesses and more work for New Zealanders. She argued the country's tourism industry deserves the same attention as any other sector competing for global visitors. The trans-Tasman travel trial is timed for the World Cup, a tournament the two countries will jointly host from 21 October to 19 November that year.

The proposal has a long runway behind it. National launched SmartGate for trans-Tasman passengers back in 2009, a first step toward streamlined travel between the two countries, and in 2024 Luxon and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese endorsed the work of the Trans-Tasman Seamless Travel Group and committed to exploring ways to move closer to seamless travel, as reported by Inside Tourism.

A campaign promise, not a done deal

For now the plan is conditional on two things: National winning re-election, and Australia agreeing to take part. As of 3 October, Australian government sources had not confirmed participation in the scheme, according to Travel and Tour World, which also noted that no exact commencement date, trial duration, participating airports or passenger limits had been specified. That leaves travellers with a political commitment rather than confirmed operating information, and the trans-Tasman travel trial remains a proposal, not a service.

The announcement of the trans-Tasman travel trial has already sparked a fight over who deserves the credit. Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he and Albanese had agreed the work in July 2023, and asked what had taken National so long. Luxon's retort, reported by 1News: "Oh no, you need National to get things done."

Upston argues the trial is the next logical step for two countries that share some of the most closely integrated economies in the world, and that growing the tourism industry is a critical part of National's economic plan. Until the trans-Tasman travel trial is agreed on both sides of the Tasman, the practical advice for travellers stays the same: keep the passport valid, complete the Traveller Declaration, and expect the usual queues at the gate. For the young travellers who cross the ditch for festivals, sport and family visits, the change would show up as shorter queues and fewer document checks, not as different rules.