Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has outlined a five-step plan to reopen New Zealand's borders, with vaccinated kiwis from Australia, the first in line to return home. 

A staged timeline was outlined late last year, but was quickly delayed because of the risks posed by Omicron. Cabinet ministers reviewed the dates this week.

In a speech to Business NZ in Auckland this morning, Ardern said there was life before, and there will be life after, Covid-19. 

"We are well on our way to reaching that destination. But we are not quite there yet."

The first stage of the plan will see fully vaccinated New Zealanders Kiwis and other currently eligible travellers from Australia able to travel to the country from 11.59pm Sunday, February 27.

Instead of going into managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ), they will be able to self-isolate and take a test on arrival.

Unvaccinated travellers will still be required to go into MIQ, but with less demand, the Defence Force will begin withdrawing and some facilities will return to being hotels. Ardern said a core quarantine capacity would be maintained and scaled up, to become a National Quarantine Service.

The five stages:

• 11.59pm February 27: Self-isolation opens for New Zealanders and eligible travellers coming from Australia
• 11.59pm March 13: Open to New Zealanders and eligible travellers from the rest of the world; skilled workers earning at least 1.5x median wage; working holiday visas
• 11.59pm April 12: Offshore temporary visa holders who still meet visa requirements; 5000 international students; consideration of further class exemptions for critical workforces that do not meet the 1.5x median wage test
• By July: Anyone from Australia; visa-waiver travel; a new Accredited Employer Work Visa opens and skilled worker exemption is phased out
• In October: Border reopens to the rest of the world, all visa categories fully reopen

Tags

• News