OIA 24 575 Response John.pdf

WELLINGTON
The Customhouse, 1 Hinemoa Street, Wellington

PO Box 2218, Wellington 6140, New Zealand

www.customs.govt.nz

16 October 2024

Ref: OIA 24-575

John
By email: [FYI request #28484 email]

Dear John
Request for information under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank  you  for  your  email  to  the  New  Zealand  Customs  Service  (Customs),  received  on
23 September 2024, in which you requested the following information under the Official Information
Act 1982 (the Act):
1.  “I would like to request the information for most common reasons that travellers fail to use
egate to entry and exist New Zealand, though they hold the eligible passports.

2.  I  also  would  like  to  request  the  information  how  about  how  dual  passports  holders  use
egate to entry and exist New Zealand.

3.  For example, Australian and New Zealand citizens use their Australian passports to check
in flights to Australia. Can they use their New Zealand passports to exist via egate?

4.  Also, if they use their Australian passport to check in the flights to New Zealand. When
they arrive in New Zealand, can they use their New Zealand passport to entry via egate?”
I have outlined Customs’ response to each part of your request below.
Question One
I would like to request the information for most common reasons that travellers  fail to use
egate to entry and exist New Zealand, though they hold the eligible passports.
The most common reasons that travellers who choose to use eGate, are rejected at eGate include:
•  Invalid travel document – travel ers may have moved, or re-moved the passport before the
eGate system is able to identify the information stored on the chip.
•  Travel  document  ineligible  –  the  passport  entered  is  not  authorised  for  use  in  the  eGate
system in New Zealand.
•  No expected movement – the system is unable to identify the flight that the travel er is arriving
or departing on.
•  Visa question referral – the travel er has answered that they have been given an incorrect
visa.
•  Declaration referral – the travel er has answered that they have something to declare.
•  Customs directive – the travel er is required to be processed by an officer.
•  Age restriction – the traveller is under the age restriction to use the eGate.

E: [email address]
W: www.customs.govt.nz

•  Flight not open for processing – this is usually on departure where the traveller has checked
in early online.
•  Retry limit reached – a travel er is permitted three attempts to use eGate.
•  Failed to acquire face – the travel er wil  not be able to progress when the system cannot
determine a facial recognition match between the travel er and the photo on the passport.
Questions Two, Three and Four
I also would like to request the information how about how dual passports holders use egate
to entry and exist New Zealand.
For example, Australian and New Zealand citizens use their Australian passports to check in
flights to Australia. Can they use their New Zealand passports to exist via egate?
Also, if they use their Australian passport to check in the flights to New Zealand. When they
arrive in New Zealand, can they use their New Zealand passport to entry via egate?
The  eGate  system  works  by  matching  the  information  provided  by  the  airlines  and  Immigration
New Zealand with the information held on the passport. When the travel er’s passport is entered at
the eGate, the system checks for expected travel details such as flight details, and any visas held
by the traveller. The eGate system wil  only allow a travel er to progress if the details are an exact
match.
Where a travel er holds dual citizenship or multiple passports, the eGate system wil  only allow a
travel er to progress if the passport used to check-in for the flight is the same passport used at the
eGate. If a traveller holds both a New Zealand and an Australian passport and uses their Australian
passport to check-in for their flight, they wil  not be able to use their New Zealand passport at the
eGate, even where both passports are issued under the same name and date of birth, as the system
requires the citizenship and passport number to also match.
If you have any queries in regard to this response, please contact the Correspondence, Reviews
and Ministerial Servicing Team: [email address]
Please note that Customs proactively releases responses to Official Information Act requests on our
website. As such, we may publish this response on our website after we have sent it to you. Your
name and contact details wil  be removed.
Yours sincerely

Jonathan Morten
Manager, Service Optimisation
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