No international departure cards from Monday 5 November

From Monday, 5 November 2018, international travellers will no longer have to complete departure cards when leaving New Zealand.

Terry Brown, Customs Group Manager Border Operations says, “The removal of the departure cards aligns with international best practice, and will improve the experience of all travellers leaving New Zealand.”

Around 6.5 million departure cards are completed annually, and their removal is expected to save travellers more than 100,000 hours.

The removal of the departure cards was announced by the Immigration and Customs Ministers in August this year.

“While travellers will no longer have to complete departure cards, if they are carrying cash or currency to the value of NZ$10,000 or more they must see a Customs Officer to complete a Border Cash Report before they depart New Zealand.”

“It is not illegal to carry large sums of cash in and out of the country, but the law requires that it is reported so authorities can check that the money is being carried for legitimate purposes and is not linked to illegal activities.”

“The removal of New Zealand’s departure cards brings seamless travel between Australia and New Zealand a step closer, as travellers will now be able to have a card-free departure process on both sides of the Tasman,” says Mr Brown.

Notes:
• The main purpose for the departure card currently is to collect statistical information. Stats NZ has confirmed there are alternative sources of information and methods they can use to produce tourism and migration statistics, removing the need for travellers to complete the departure cards.
• The Government will continue to collect the information required for the most critical functions of the card (border processing and key statistics) by electronic and other means – this includes passport information, departure date, actual time spent in New Zealand and actual time away from New Zealand.
• Click here for the departure card fact sheet.

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