US President hosts Germany's Friedrich Merz for his first visit with a foreign leader since joining Israel in strikes on Iran that have dragged the Middle East into war. Video/AFP
The technical issues that prevented Kiwis stranded in the Middle East from logging on to the SafeTravel website have been resolved, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says.
The Government has advised citizens across affected countries to register on the online portal and remain in place, since the beginningof the conflict on Saturday (NZT).
However, multiple New Zealanders in the Middle East encountered difficulties registering with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) online portal.
The technical issues that were causing problems for some new registrants have now been resolved.
There are instructions on how to register your account, along with some troubleshooting steps listed on this page: https://t.co/ZSMIDDfLGa
“If you are in the region and need assistance, please call us on +64 99 20 20 20.”
Earlier, Catherine Benneto, whose husband and 19-year-old son are currently based in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, attempted to follow the New Zealand Government’s advice but encountered technical issues.
“[My son] rang and he was really frustrated. He did all the RealMe and he was getting quite panicked,” she told the Herald.
“Once it got to the stage where you had to say which country you were in after you had put in all your passports, he was getting a page saying ‘Page not found’.
“He was getting quite anxious because the New Zealand Government wouldn’t know where he was, as he couldn’t do the last bit, she said.
Bennetto rang the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and asked what her husband and son should do, however she was told they should register on SafeTravel, pack a grab bag and stay put.
Her son and husband were staying in the Diplomatic Quarter of Saudi Arabia’s capital, Bennetto told the Herald.
She said they were roughly a street away from the American Embassy, which was hit by Iranian drones earlier this afternoon.
Two Kiwis based in Saudi Arabia encountered a "Page not found" message when attempting to register on SafeTravel. Photo / Catherine Bennetto
“He said we’re packing up, we don’t know where we’re going and we don’t know who is in charge.
“He hasn’t been able register on SafeTravel yet.”
Bennetto said she would feel more comfortable if the pair were registered with the online portal.
“If they need to evacuate citizens, they at least know he is there,” she said.
“If nobody knows they are there, how are they going to get help.”
Kiwis have expressed frustration with the website on social media.
“Hi Kiwis, the embassy link is not working to register for safe travel, has anyone had success with it. Does anyone has any information on what to do,” one person wrote.
“I did mine on my laptop as couldn’t register on my phone,” another wrote.
According to MFAT figures, 29 New Zealanders are registered in Iran and 78 are registered in Israel.
