Unvaccinated New Zealand permanent residents will be able to travel into Aotearoa from later this week.
The announcement came as the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) confirmed the closure of the four remaining MIQ facilities will be brought forward due to low-use.
In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said residence class visa holders who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to enter New Zealand from Friday.
That means New Zealand permanent residents and Australian citizens who are an ordinary resident in New Zealand can travel in and out of the country without proof of vaccination.
A group of people - including New Zealand citizens, those under 16, and refugees - already do not need to show proof of vaccination to enter the country.
"Under the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order, and because of the public health risk at the time, unvaccinated residence visa holders have not been able to enter New Zealand since November 2021," Hipkins said.
"I am now directing a variation to the Order, on the basis of the high numbers of people in New Zealand who are vaccinated, combined with how common the Omicron variant has become. This means the risk posed to our healthcare system from overseas returnees is now much lower."
It's the latest move from the Government as part of its reconnecting New Zealand strategy. The air border has been opening progressively throughout the year, with vaccinated travellers from visa-waiver countries able to return from the start of this week. Vaccinated Kiwis and Australian tourists are already able to enter without isolation.
MBIE said just 95 people are using 54 rooms in MIQ facilities - 32 in isolation and 22 in quaratine - across four hotels. Due to the low number of people using the facilities, the decision has been made to close them by August 2022. They were originally meant to operate until December.
"There is no longer a requirement for anyone arriving in New Zealand to enter MIQ. In addition, demand for MIQ from community cases, particularly during the Omicron peak in Auckland has been lower than anticipated," Head of MIQ Andy Milne.
"Given the lack of demand, it has been decided that the decommissioning of the final four facilities will be brought forward.
"We know this is an unsettling time for our workers and will do everything possible to ensure they are well looked after. The commitment from all our facilities and workers throughout this time has been extraordinary and we can’t thank them enough."
Planning for a national quarantine facility continues, Milne said.
Hipkins acknowledged issues residents have faced having to stay overseas, but said "caution has served us well".
"As we continue to move through the Omicron outbreak and peak, we will continue to remove restrictions when advised it is safe to do so – as we always said we would."
The statement said the Director-General of Health will sign a class exemption allowing unvaccinated travellers holding either a Permanent Resident Visa or a Resident Visa, and Australian Citizens who live in New Zealand, to enter the country.
"The class exemption will not prevent people in other groups from continuing to apply for exemptions based on their individual circumstances.
"From 11:59pm NZ time 5 May, when the class exemption goes into effect, a manual process will be used to approve Traveller Declarations made by unvaccinated people in these groups.
"Travellers whose flights to New Zealand depart after 11:59pm NZ time 5 May, need to call the New Zealand Traveller Declaration Contact Centre (on +64 4 9315799, for international callers; 0800 359 269, for NZ-based callers; and 1800 359 269, for Australia-based callers) for details on how to make their Traveller Declaration.
"Then from 13 May, all unvaccinated New Zealand residence class visa holders will be able to do their Traveller Declaration online."
