Ditch the passport? New proposal promises seamless travel across the ditch
Flying to New Zealand could soon feel just like a domestic flight.
Flying across the ditch could soon feel as effortless as catching a domestic flight.
Under a new proposal announced by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, travellers between Australia and New Zealand may soon ditch physical passports altogether in favour of a smartphone app and facial recognition at airport gates.
The former Air New Zealand chief executive said if his party is re-elected, they would make it happen by 2028.
Under the plan, eligible Australian and New Zealand citizens would travel between the two countries using only a smartphone app, digital credentials and facial recognition at the gate, without physically taking out passports.
Dean Long, chief executive officer of the Australian Travel Industry Association, said the local tourism industry would support it, and called on the Australian government to "match" New Zealand's proposal.
"There's an ambition and an acceptance by the industry that we would like to make this happen," Long told Explore.
"It's really just been Government slowing the process down, due to other priorities, but there's no reason why this couldn't be up and going by the end of next year."
He said the idea has been doing the rounds for a number of years, with working groups on both sides of the Tasman nutting out how it could work.
"There's been a lot of work post-COVID to try to make this happen. From an immigration perspective, we actually think it's really achievable to do that in the timeframe that the New Zealand Government's saying they want to get this done," Long said.
The "sticking point" has been New Zealand's quarantine laws, which are even stronger than Australia's, Long said.
"New Zealand is the only country in the world outside of Antarctica that has a more protective quarantine program than Australia," he said.
"But having passport-free travel, creating a domestic-like experience for New Zealand and Australia, is absolutely the natural next step."
He said where two countries are highly integrated and share a "very similar visitor experience and share a very similar population", paperless travel "makes a lot of sense".
Tom Walley, Corporate Traveller global managing director, said it made sense for business travel.
"New Zealand is by far our most frequented international destination, accounting for roughly one quarter of all international travel out of Australia among our customers," he said.
"Bookings into New Zealand in 2026 have already exceeded the total number of bookings we saw into the country in 2025, with a full quarter remaining, so we are really seeing the strength of business partnerships across the Tasman continue to grow."
He said anything that made trans-Tasman travel "faster and simpler is worth backing".
"A digital-first approach, where travellers verify their details on their phone before they fly and move through the airport using biometrics, is the logical next step after SmartGates," he said.
Sarah is Explore's Digital News Editor. She believes regional travel is just as fun (if not better) than staying in the big cities and loves any travel experience to do with nature, animals and food!. My all-time favourite destination is ... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me. Next on my bucket list is … Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life. My top travel tip is … Don’t plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what’s within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.
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