The days of needing to fill in a passenger departure card when leaving New Zealand are almost over.
While the decision to scrap the cards had been signalled earlier in the year, Immigration Minister Ian Lees-Galloway and Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri officially announced the decision over the weekend.
The cards will be scrapped in November, however a specific date has not yet been announced.
Approximately 6.5 million cards are filled in each year by people leaving New Zealand. Most data collected on the card can now be collected electronically by other means.
There are no plans at this point to make any changes to the arrival cards required to be completed by people arriving in New Zealand. These cards contain important declarations for Customs, the Ministry for Primary Industries, and ensure compliance with global anti money laundering obligations.
