Requirements for arriving aircraft

The pratique process broadly involves:

incoming aircraft and people on board them, being liable to quarantine
the person in control of an aircraft having an obligation to check the health status of those on board the aircraft prior to arrival in New Zealand
the person in control of an aircraft being required to notify the health authorities about the health status on board the aircraft, including any health concerns
public health units considering the information provided and making a decision on whether to grant or withhold pratique, and communicating their decisions
(if required) public health units taking action to manage public health risks.

For more information on border health legislative controls, go to:

Aircraft liable to quarantine

Aircraft from overseas, or from an infected place in New Zealand, are liable to quarantine (section 96(2) of the Health Act 1956) until pratique (quarantine clearance) is granted by authorities (section 98(1) of the Health Act 1956).

These provisions ensure that all incoming international flights can be held if necessary, regardless of their point of origin or type of flight. If there is a risk to public health, the Director-General of Health or a medical officer of health can stipulate that pratique be withheld from a specific aircraft or group/category of aircraft until the risk has been managed.

The Health Act requires medical officers of health to grant pratique to arriving aircraft when they are satisfied that no quarantinable disease is on board (s 107(1), Health Act 1956).

Scheduled international flights

Scheduled aircraft arriving in New Zealand are generally exempted by health authorities from having to apply for pratique – or health clearance and permission to disembark passengers and crew and commence operations – unless there are passengers or aircrew with a temperature and one or more additional symptoms of concern (see below) on board.

If so, the captain must report to the symptoms and specifically request pratique. Public health staff will assess the situation and advise the most appropriate course of action.

Any other conditions that may lead to the spread of disease should also be notified. Illnesses not showing symptoms of concern do not require notification and should be dealt with normally through available medical services.

Unscheduled flights

Unscheduled flights are those such as charter flights, freighters, or helicopters from overseas fishing vessels, which are not part of a routine flight schedule.

As with scheduled aircraft the captain of the aircraft is required to report to the medical officer of health if there are crew or passenger on board showing symptoms of concern. Public health staff will assess the situation and advise the most appropriate course of action. If there is no one on board with symptoms pratique is considered to be have been issued.

When symptoms of concern are present

Symptoms of concern

If symptoms of concern are reported among crew or passengers, New Zealand health authorities must be alerted so they can assess the situation and advise the most appropriate course of action.

Any other conditions that may lead to the spread of disease should also be notified. Illnesses not showing symptoms of concern do not require notification and should be dealt with normally through available medical services.

Airline procedures for the diagnosis of health conditions are based on those developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization. In summary, an infectious disease of concern is to be suspected if a person has a temperature of 38°C or greater, in association with one or more of the following signs or symptoms:

appearing obviously unwell
persistent coughing
impaired breathing
persistent diarrhoea
persistent vomiting
skin rash
bruising or bleeding without previous injury
confusion of recent onset.

Notifying symptoms of concern

The aircraft’s captain is to be advised of any conditions of concern. The captain will then notify the airline’s agent at the earliest possible opportunity – ideally at least one hour before landing as a minimum. Prompt notification enables health authorities to respond quickly and, if necessary, be waiting when the aircraft lands.

To help with risk assessment, the captain should provide the airline agent with information regarding the illness. This might include:

the ill person’s approximate temperature
their age
the countries they have recently visited.

The ill person’s seat number should also be provided.

If there is a change of status, an update is provided on landing. The airline agent will then notify the local public health unit so that the flight can be met on arrival and the situation assessed before pratique is granted. The ambulance service may be requested to complete a medical assessment.

If the aircraft does not have an agent in New Zealand, the captain must report any incidents that could lead to the spread of infectious disease to New Zealand Air Traffic Control who will then forward the report to the relevant public health unit in accordance with locally agreed protocols.

Trade single window

The Trade Single Window is an electronic channel for the cargo and excise industries to submit information to and receive responses from border agencies. It allows these agencies to use shared information to process craft and cargo data efficiently.

Register for Trade Single Window