What you need to know when driving out of Auckland

At 11.59 pm on Tuesday, December 14, Auckland's boundary lifted. People can now travel in and out of Auckland for any reason.

Here is what to expect if you are driving in or out of Auckland.

What you will need
From now until January 17, people leaving Auckland must be fully vaccinated or a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of crossing the boundary. This means, you must have your My Vaccine Pass or the negative test results.

Testing will not be available at the checkpoints, so if you cannot provide documentation of either vaccination or a negative test, you will be turned around.

Travellers who are exempt
If you drive through Auckland without stopping or drive into Auckland, you will not need to follow these requirements.

Children who are younger than 12 years and three months will not need a My Vaccine Pass or negative test result to leave Auckland.

Who will be stopped?
Not every car will be stopped, however police said all travellers should be prepared to be stopped.
This means having your necessary documents at the ready.

If you appear to be driving a service vehicle such as a truck or bus, you will likely be waved through in order to minimise queues.

However, if you appear to be heading away fro holiday, it's likely you will be checked.

If you are driving north of Auckland

Two checkpoints will be operating south of Whangarei, focusing on traffic heading north; one on State highway 1 at Uretiti, the other near Maungaturoto on State Highway 12.

Initially, the checkpoints will run full time. Then, they will transition to using random checkpoints and spot checks.

If you are a Northland resident or crossing the boundary often for work, police said proof of address could help you move through queues quicker.

If you are driving south of Auckland
Random spot checks will be run on south-bound roads out of Auckland but the exact locations have not been disclosed.

Will you need a face covering?
If you are driving out of Auckland, you do not need to wear a face-covering unless you are in a taxi or ride-share vehicle. However, if you are carpooling friends, there are some ways to reduce the risk of transmission.

You must wear a face-covering on flights, on Cook Strait ferries and at arrival and departure points such as airports or ferry terminals.

If you need a test
From 15 December 2021 to 31 January 2022, selected community pharmacies will offer free rapid antigen tests for travellers leaving Auckland who are not fully vaccinated, older than 12 years and 3 months and do not have Covid-19 symptoms.

You can find a testing centre here.

Travel after summer
From January 18 2022 there will be no restrictions on travel out of Auckland.

For more details about local travel and recreation visit: covid19.govt.nz