Travel and Border Control

Yes it is safe to travel to the Cook Islands, there are currently 0 (zero) confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Cook Islands

NO. You are not required to provide a negative COVID-19 test to be eligible to travel to the Cook Islands.

Yes. The Cook Islands borders are only open to those who meet the requirements under the current Travel Advisory (dated 5th March 2021), and email Cook Islands Immigration to apply for an exemption to travel. Visit the Cook Islands Travel Advisory for more information.

Cook Islands borders will commence Quarantine Free Travel (QFT) with New Zealand from 17 May 2021. This means that anyone who has been in New Zealand for 14 consecutive days prior to departure can travel to the Cook Islands under this QFT arrangement. Visit Cook Islands Border FAQs for more information.

To be eligible to travel to or from the Cook Islands and New Zealand on a quarantine-free flight you must first meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Must have been in New Zealand or the Cook Islands for 14 consecutive days before departure
• Must not have tested positive for COVID-19 prior to departure. And if you have, that you have health clearance that you are no longer a risk
• Must not be awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test that was undergone during the 14-day period

Normal immigration rules apply in both New Zealand and Cook Islands.

YES. If you have not travelled outside of New Zealand within 14 days of your intended date of travel, you will be permitted entry into the Cook Islands. Please note that you may also be asked to do a temperature check  and/or answer health related questions when checking in  at the airport. 

YES. You must meet the following criteria:

• Self-isolate in New Zealand for 14 days prior departure to the Cook Islands
• Email Cook Islands Immigration to register for exemption to travel. You must be able to prove either of the following: Cook Islander as verified via the Cook Islands Status stamp, Permanent Resident of the Cook Islands, Cook Islands work permit holder OR Cook Islands resident permit holder
• Must not have tested positive for COVID-19 prior to departure. And if you have, that you have health clearance that you are no longer a risk
• Must not be awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test that was undergone during the 14-day period

NO. So long as you have not been outside of New Zealand for 14 consecutive days prior to departure or have not been in contact with anyone who has contracted COVID-19, you will not require to self quarantine.

YES. Aitutaki and Atiu are the two most visited sister islands in the Cook Islands. They, and our other sister islands, are accepting visitors from New Zealand. Please visit www.airrarotonga.com for information on flight schedules to these islands. You may be required to complete a health survey and have your temperature taken upon check in.

Entry restrictions for Cruise Ships, Yachts and Leisure Crafts will remain in effect until 30 June 2020. A temporary ban on the entry of all cruise ships, yachts and leisure crafts to the Cook Islands territorial waters on public health grounds.

CookSafe is a simple and secure contact tracing system which enables all residents and visitors to be issued with a personal QR card. These cards are used to Tag In at all Businesses and Government Departments who have registered for CookSafe and set up their Tag In stations. The CookSafe database is then only accessible by the Ministry of Health.

You can register and collect your CookSafe QR cards from Chamber of Commerce office, Tourism Visitor Information Centre, Vodafone office and Prime Foods. Your information (name, address, contact number/email address) is secured through an encrypted database only accessible by selected staff within the Ministry of Health. This information will only be used for the purpose of contact tracing for COVID-19

1. Carry your QR card with you (take a picture of your QR code and store it on your phone) and Tag In at all participating Businesses or Government Departments that feature a CookSafe Tag In Here sign.
2. Tag In by holding your card or code clearly within the scanning area of the device.
3. The screen will appear green and the device will normally make a sound after a successful Tag In.

CookSafe+ is an added security Contact Tracing app using smart phone Bluetooth technology. CookSafe+ is designed for people located in the Cook Islands, but is compatible with the NZ Covid Tracer app. Bluetooth tracing allows you to receive an alert if you have been near another app user who tests positive for COVID-19.

Once you have turned CookSafe+ Bluetooth tracing on, it works by sending out a private and secure random ID code. The Bluetooth tracing function records how close the other phone was, and for how long. The phones you come into contact with will need to have Bluetooth tracing turned on as well. This means that when someone tests positive for COVID-19, they can send an anonymous notification containing all the random IDs their phone has sent out over the past 14 days. If your phone recognises any of these IDs, and you had been close enough for long enough to be at risk of exposure, you’ll receive an alert. This alert will advise you on what to do to keep yourself and your family safe.

The current CookSafe does not require an individual to carry a device, only a QR card. People ‘Tag-in’ to public premises, and their number is timestamped and uploaded to a secure database. Tracing of contacts requires inspection of that database by the Ministry of Health, to identify other individuals present at the specified premises during the same time period. The current CookSafe does not directly record casual contact between individuals

Yes. Bluetooth tracing is not intended to replace our existing contact tracing processes or the CookSafe QR codes. You still need to scan your QR codes to keep track of where you’ve been. Bluetooth tracing is an added tool — it helps keep track of the people we’ve been near.

The CookSafe+ app is currently available for free download to your smartphone from either the Google Play Store or Apple App Store Ensure that your device has the most up to date operating system for the app to function properly. 

When you enable Bluetooth tracing, your privacy is always protected — it cannot share your location, your name or anything else about you. Bluetooth tracing also does not record who you have come into contact with, or where you were. This means if you receive an alert because you came into contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, no one but you knows you have received it. All the contact tracing information you collect with the app is held securely on your phone, and it’s always your choice what information you choose to share.

Only one can operate at a time. If you have another Bluetooth contact tracing app on your phone (e.g NZ Covid Tracer App), first turn off Bluetooth tracing on that app, before turning on Bluetooth tracing in CookSafe+ . There is no need to uninstall other apps. If you are a visitor to New Zealand or the Cook Islands you should switch to the app of the country you are visiting, to ensure that you receive relevant health advice and contact details. Contact history and notifications will continue even if you switch between the NZ Covid Tracer app and CookSafe+.