Question about Electronic Travel Authorizations for Aus and NZ

[Shellbelle28]

My husband and I are cruising Australia and New Zealand in January on Norwegian. I received a message from NCL about visa requirements that says something that confuses me. Hopefully there are more experienced international travelers who can clarify! The message says "Once you receive the visas via email, please print them or have them saved and available on your phone to present at check in on embarkation day."  

 

What confuses me is that these are electronic visas and there is no paper visa "received via email" to print or save on my phone, just a reference number. For Australia, I at least got a confirmation email, but for New Zealand I have to go to the NZETA website, enter in my details and view the confirmation there. 

 

Is it just NCL using generic language, or am I missing something important? I've got the reference numbers for both countries and printouts showing the ETAs, but no emailed visas to print out and show!

 

How is that going to work?

Edited November 5, 2019 by Shellbelle28

[Ex-Calgarian]

You will receive an email confirming approval of your visa.  I printed that confirmation and have it ready to go in my travel portfolio.

 

That's my best guess as to what Norwegian is suggesting.

[Ombud]

Screenshoot the NZ eTA. Or print the screenshot

[Keith1010]

The reference number is all you need.  If they need to look it up that will give them what is required.

 

I would print it out.

 

Keith

[roothy123]

The Aus eTA I received for myself was a little bit different from the one I received for my husband,  purchased a day later.  However, they have different reference numbers, and both have a line which states we have eTAs, "No work - business visitor activity only" and that we paid AUD $20 for each, so I'm assuming they're fine.  I printed them out to show the cruise line (Oceania).   I'm assuming that Oceania cannot see it "attached" to our passport, although apparently airlines and Australian immigration authorities apparently can.  

 

The NZ ones show a little more information, and have reference numbers as well as our passport numbers.  I printed a copy to show Oceania.  I suppose I could have also photographed them on my phone, but I like the security of having a hard copy.      

[GeezerCouple]

We were concerned about the statement that the NZ eTA would be "attached" to our passports, given that we had no way to see that.

 

And then when we went to check into our flight from Newark to Singapore... trouble!

We had not been able to do online check in the night before, which was slightly worrisome.  However, that happened to me coming home from Scotland this past summer, and it turned out that I had the pesky "SSSS" designation from TSA/Homeland Security/The Powers That Be.

That just took a few more minutes at check in, and then a quick second screening of my hand luggage at the gate.  No big deal.

So we thought maybe we *both* triggered some alert or suddenly matched some profiles (?).

 

But nooooo...  Singapore Airlines also could *not* check us in, not even to get to Singapore, where we'd have more time to sort it out.  The gate agents (and a few supervisory levels, it seemed) made several lengthy phone calls to New Zealand (at least they knew who to call; we'd have been clueless), and finally... we were handed boarding passes.

 

We sort of expected difficulty entering NZ, but it was was of the fastest, easiest entries ever.

We still aren't sure "what happened", but we are grateful to those several helpful Singapore Airlines agents.

 

GC

[MMDown Under]

2 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

We were concerned about the statement that the NZ eTA would be "attached" to our passports, given that we had no way to see that.

 

And then when we went to check into our flight from Newark to Singapore... trouble!

We had not been able to do online check in the night before, which was slightly worrisome.  However, that happened to me coming home from Scotland this past summer, and it turned out that I had the pesky "SSSS" designation from TSA/Homeland Security/The Powers That Be.

That just took a few more minutes at check in, and then a quick second screening of my hand luggage at the gate.  No big deal.

So we thought maybe we *both* triggered some alert or suddenly matched some profiles (?).

 

But nooooo...  Singapore Airlines also could *not* check us in, not even to get to Singapore, where we'd have more time to sort it out.  The gate agents (and a few supervisory levels, it seemed) made several lengthy phone calls to New Zealand (at least they knew who to call; we'd have been clueless), and finally... we were handed boarding passes.

 

We sort of expected difficulty entering NZ, but it was was of the fastest, easiest entries ever.

We still aren't sure "what happened", but we are grateful to those several helpful Singapore Airlines agents.

 

GC

As Keith said all you need is the reference number.  However, since my daughter was asked for a copy by an Immigration Agent on a cruise ship, I take a copy which shows reference number.

SSSSS is a different thing altogether.  We were "blessed" with something similar on an Alaskan Air Pass and had all our hand luggage searched at every airport (pre Trump), when it was meant to be random searches.  Eventually I asked the reason we were searched every time, I was shown the SSSS on our ticket.  We don't know why it was on there, as we were frequent visitors to the US, with no special attention before or since (except for LAX).   Maybe someone in the field can explain how SSSS gets on your ticket in the first place.

[GeezerCouple]

10 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

As Keith said all you need is the reference number.  However, since my daughter was asked for a copy by an Immigration Agent on a cruise ship, I take a copy which shows reference number.

SSSSS is a different thing altogether.  We were "blessed" with something similar on an Alaskan Air Pass and had all our hand luggage searched at every airport (pre Trump), when it was meant to be random searches.  Eventually I asked the reason we were searched every time, I was shown the SSSS on our ticket.  We don't know why it was on there, as we were frequent visitors to the US, with no special attention before or since (except for LAX).   Maybe someone in the field can explain how SSSS gets on your ticket in the first place.

 

Goodness....

 

We had the numbers.  We had physical prints of the confirming emails and also of screen saves during the process!

No one even suggested that was the problem.

 

Indeed, NO ONE had a clue what the problem was.

We still don't know.

 

We were prepared to pay for another eTA, given our "first" ones were almost instantaneous, to see if that would be better.

 

But finally Auckland authorities somehow cleared us.

 

GC

 

[MMDown Under]

4 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

Goodness....

 

We had the numbers.  We had physical prints of the confirming emails and also of screen saves during the process!

No one even suggested that was the problem.

 

Indeed, NO ONE had a clue what the problem was.

We still don't know.

 

We were prepared to pay for another eTA, given our "first" ones were almost instantaneous, to see if that would be better.

 

But finally Auckland authorities somehow cleared us.

 

GC

 

How frustrating!  Maybe you could contact the NZ Authorities and ask why you had problems.

[roothy123]

Well, it's my understanding that NZ has only required these eTAs since the beginning of the month, so maybe they're having some bugs...hopefully not everyone will have this problem...argh....

 

It's a little disconcerting with these new "things" that get attached to people's passports.  I was afraid that when we first got our Global Entry electronic approvals attached to our passports, we'd have trouble.  But when we got to the airline counter, the agent told us she could see the approval, so all was OK. 

Edited November 22, 2019 by roothy123

[mchell810]

3 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

As Keith said all you need is the reference number.  However, since my daughter was asked for a copy by an Immigration Agent on a cruise ship, I take a copy which shows reference number.

SSSSS is a different thing altogether.  We were "blessed" with something similar on an Alaskan Air Pass and had all our hand luggage searched at every airport (pre Trump), when it was meant to be random searches.  Eventually I asked the reason we were searched every time, I was shown the SSSS on our ticket.  We don't know why it was on there, as we were frequent visitors to the US, with no special attention before or since (except for LAX).   Maybe someone in the field can explain how SSSS gets on your ticket in the first place.

 

The SSSS designation is usually totally random; airline systems are designed to randomly select a certain number of people each day.  If you get it every time you fly there probably is some list you've gotten on, or someone with the same name who is meant to be watched.  There are ways to get a known traveler number to avoid the latter. 

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, mchell810 said:

 

The SSSS designation is usually totally random; airline systems are designed to randomly select a certain number of people each day.  If you get it every time you fly there probably is some list you've gotten on, or someone with the same name who is meant to be watched.  There are ways to get a known traveler number to avoid the latter. 

Thank you for your explanation.  We always wondered why a senior couple were selected for special attention.  It was on one Alaskan air pass, with lots of different airports. It was very inconvenient, because we were in and out of security depending on weather conditions.  We have an uncommon surname.  We didn't buy another airpass, and didn't have the problem again.  

[GeezerCouple]

17 hours ago, mchell810 said:

 

The SSSS designation is usually totally random; airline systems are designed to randomly select a certain number of people each day.  If you get it every time you fly there probably is some list you've gotten on, or someone with the same name who is meant to be watched.  There are ways to get a known traveler number to avoid the latter. 

 

A known traveler number won't help one avoid a random (or - worse - a non-random!) SSSS.

I've had a known traveler number for a few years (along with Global Entry, etc.).

But when coming home from Scotland, I was surprised with an SSSS.  We assume it was one of the random ones, and it didn't happen again (yet!?  ).  IF I was on one of those lists, I definitely would get SSSS each time, until it was cleared up, including as described next...

 

I think you must mean a "redress number", which would be needed if one "got on one of those lists" IN ERROR (e.g., similar name to someone who "deserves" to be on one of those lists).  Getting one isn't an automatic process.

 

GC

[GeezerCouple]

19 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

How frustrating!  Maybe you could contact the NZ Authorities and ask why you had problems.

 

I guess if we were going to be traveling here frequently, we'd do something like that, somehow.  Or maybe "if it happened again"?

 

For now, we had been sure we'd *never* tackle those long flights again, but that was before the flights.

We flew Singapore Air business class, and it was SO pleasant!  It was an amazing surprise.  (Even the food was good, and I cannot believe I'm saying that about "airline food"; I haven't said that about F food in some other airlines!)

 

My point is... we may indeed return to this area, and spend more time 

And in that case, while planning, we'd probably at least try to find out from NZ authorities (immigration, I guess) whether we need to do something in advance.

Thanks!

GC

[mchell810]

15 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

A known traveler number won't help one avoid a random (or - worse - a non-random!) SSSS.

I think you have misunderstood what I wrote. I never said it would.  I gave alternate reasons one could get an SSSS desgination -- there are many more, I don't think it necessary to list everyone.

 

Quote

I've had a known traveler number for a few years (along with Global Entry, etc.).

But when coming home from Scotland, I was surprised with an SSSS.  We assume it was one of the random ones, and it didn't happen again (yet!?  ). 

I agree

 

Quote

  IF I was on one of those lists, I definitely would get SSSS each time, until it was cleared up, including as described next...

 

 

Quote

I think you must mean a "redress number", which would be needed if one "got on one of those lists" IN ERROR (e.g., similar name to someone who "deserves" to be on one of those lists).  Getting one isn't an automatic process.

 

GC

Yes, "redress" may be a better term. I never said one is guaranteed to get one; clearly, the person who is meant to be watched wouldn't get the number.

Edited November 23, 2019 by mchell810