How long is AKL arrivals process?
Apr 26, 2018, 10:38 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: UK
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How long is AKL arrivals process?
Hi, trying to advise someone on AKL arrivals, but my memory is not great ...
Any advice on how long it takes from stepping off a plane at AKL (international arrival, at noon, in July) to get through passport control, collect checked baggage, and get through biosecurity/customs?
NZ citizen, but no current NZ passport, so travelling on a UK passport. Are there any advantages to having a current NZ passport in hand? I vaguely recall from my last visit that there is a single line for NZ passport and NZ citizen with foreign passport?
Also, for the return, what will be the journey time (traffic) from Auckland Hilton to AKL leaving around 11am on a weekday?
Thanks.
Any advice on how long it takes from stepping off a plane at AKL (international arrival, at noon, in July) to get through passport control, collect checked baggage, and get through biosecurity/customs?
NZ citizen, but no current NZ passport, so travelling on a UK passport. Are there any advantages to having a current NZ passport in hand? I vaguely recall from my last visit that there is a single line for NZ passport and NZ citizen with foreign passport?
Also, for the return, what will be the journey time (traffic) from Auckland Hilton to AKL leaving around 11am on a weekday?
Thanks.
Apr 26, 2018, 10:50 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold, Bonvoy Platinum, HH Diamond; others
Posts: 741
Any speedup for having NZ passport in hand, or was my memory right about the lane being shared with NZ citizens with foreign passport anyway?
Is the queueing mostly at passport control, or mostly at biosecurity, or both?
Apr 26, 2018, 10:56 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: YYZ/SFO/AKL
Programs: NZ*G, back of the bus UA, corner of the MLL AC.
Posts: 373
I usually take the NZ/AUS 'something to declare' lane because it's usually way shorter than the green lane, and when you say you have some sweets from the US they wave you straight through.
YMMV, of course.
Apr 26, 2018, 11:10 am
#5
Original Poster
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Location: UK
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IIRC if you're an NZ citizen you can use the NZ/AUS lane regardless of what passport you're travelling on - they don't really check anyway and quite often the lanes comingle.
I usually take the NZ/AUS 'something to declare' lane because it's usually way shorter than the green lane, and when you say you have some sweets from the US they wave you straight through.
YMMV, of course.
I usually take the NZ/AUS 'something to declare' lane because it's usually way shorter than the green lane, and when you say you have some sweets from the US they wave you straight through.
YMMV, of course.
Last edited by manord; May 1, 2018 at 3:22 am
Apr 26, 2018, 2:18 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Auckland
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Posts: 1,551
IIRC if you're an NZ citizen you can use the NZ/AUS lane regardless of what passport you're travelling on - they don't really check anyway and quite often the lanes comingle.
I usually take the NZ/AUS 'something to declare' lane because it's usually way shorter than the green lane, and when you say you have some sweets from the US they wave you straight through.
YMMV, of course.
I usually take the NZ/AUS 'something to declare' lane because it's usually way shorter than the green lane, and when you say you have some sweets from the US they wave you straight through.
YMMV, of course.
we were even cautioned when carrying a brand new unused tent, and advised that we should have declared it as and could be fined for not doing so as it's a biosecurity risk - even though the declaration form only refers to used equipment
45-60mins seems safe bet when travelling with luggage
YMMV :-)
Apr 26, 2018, 2:54 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,498
If your partner is a Filipino national then he isn't eligible to use Green Lane, so that probably explains x-ray then. As for the other times I have to say it might be bad luck. My experience as a non-white NZer is that more often than not I am sent to Green Lane, but there are still the odd instances where others around me are sent to Green Lane but I am sent to x-ray. Really depends on the risk assessment officer you get I think.
Apr 26, 2018, 3:05 pm
#8
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 21,015
...Any advice on how long it takes from stepping off a plane at AKL (international arrival, at noon, in July) to get through passport control, collect checked baggage, and get through biosecurity/customs?
NZ citizen, but no current NZ passport, so travelling on a UK passport. Are there any advantages to having a current NZ passport in hand? I vaguely recall from my last visit that there is a single line for NZ passport and NZ citizen with foreign passport?
NZ citizen, but no current NZ passport, so travelling on a UK passport. Are there any advantages to having a current NZ passport in hand? I vaguely recall from my last visit that there is a single line for NZ passport and NZ citizen with foreign passport?
Smartgate at Australia & NZ immigration Click to open the wiki
For customs/bio security everyone is in the same (slowish) line.
I am a NZ citizen travelling on an Au passport. An NZ passport gives no advantage over other eligible e-passports. But most of recent experience has been entering at WLG & CHC.
Apr 26, 2018, 3:24 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: YYZ/SFO/AKL
Programs: NZ*G, back of the bus UA, corner of the MLL AC.
Posts: 373
NZ citizen passport, usually carrying commercial packaged sweets, always sent to X-ray - and I am always wondering if its due to my brown skin (and when partner with me he is Filipino)
we were even cautioned when carrying a brand new unused tent, and advised that we should have declared it as and could be fined for not doing so as it's a biosecurity risk - even though the declaration form only refers to used equipment
45-60mins seems safe bet when travelling with luggage
YMMV :-)
we were even cautioned when carrying a brand new unused tent, and advised that we should have declared it as and could be fined for not doing so as it's a biosecurity risk - even though the declaration form only refers to used equipment
45-60mins seems safe bet when travelling with luggage
YMMV :-)
In CHC in March everyone was in the same lane and it was an 80 minute ordeal to get through Customs/Biosecurity.
Apr 26, 2018, 3:27 pm
#10
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: YYZ/SFO/AKL
Programs: NZ*G, back of the bus UA, corner of the MLL AC.
Posts: 373
- NZ/AU Nothing to Declare (green)
- NZ/AU Goods to Declare (yellow)
- All other passports (red)
Apr 26, 2018, 3:30 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Apr 26, 2018, 3:32 pm
#12
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
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Since the question is not about any specific airline, the thread is being moved to the Destination forum for Oceania (Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific).
NewbieRunner, senior moderator
NewbieRunner, senior moderator
Apr 26, 2018, 5:30 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: YYZ/SFO/AKL
Programs: NZ*G, back of the bus UA, corner of the MLL AC.
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Apr 26, 2018, 6:17 pm
#15
Join Date: May 2003
Programs: OW Emerald
Posts: 1,452
You will need an endorsement of your New Zealand citizenship in your foreign passport. An endorsement is a record that allows a New Zealand citizen to enter New Zealand as a citizen although they are travelling on a foreign passport.
The main disadvantage of traveling on a non-NZ passport without an endorsement is that you would, by default, be processed according to entry requirements of the other country. If there for a brief period, not likely to be significant. But if there for a longer period or to work, might cause additional processing (to be clear, not saying you'd be refused entry, but could materially impact processing time).