If you are wondering why Australia and New Zealand have similar flags and you are flying between these countries soon, it is best to get to know the Australia–New Zealand relations.
The relationship between these two countries is also referred to as Trans-Tasman relations.
This relates to the extremely close relationship between Australia and New Zealand.
First – how long does the flight take?
As a tourist or an immigrant, you might be wondering how long it will take for you to fly between these two countries. You might think that with the history of Trans-Tasman connection and the free inbound and outbound travels of their citizens between these countries, that Australia and New Zealand might just be minutes or an hour away via airplane. You will be surprised to know that a flight from Australia to New Zealand and vice versa will take you 5 hours and 32 minutes.
Keep reading to find out why it takes so long.
Trans-Tasman Connections
There was a huge migration between Australia and New Zealand in 1973. The Trans-Tasman connection ensures Australian passport holders are given residence class visas in New Zealand, and New Zealand passport holders are given special category visas in Australia.
With these lenient policies on migration, significantly more people from New Zealand are migrating to Australia in comparison to the migration rate from Australia to New Zealand.
Visa Requirements
In 2001, there had been a change in migration regulations due to the increasing rate of migration from New Zealand to Australia. The New Zealanders that migrated to Australia had immediate access to Australian welfare benefits before, and with the new regulation, they would have to wait two years before being allowed to access such payments. The special category visas handed out to New Zealanders have been classed as a temporary residence. The special category visa is applicable to any length of stay in Australia and passed to their children. This means that people with special category visas are ineligible for loans, aids, and all types of government support in Australia.
Citizenship Issues
The new regulations of 2001 brought a stricter policy with regards to citizenship in Australia. According to the new citizenship policy, New Zealanders shall acquire permanent residency first before they can finally apply for Australian citizenship. These stricter requirements resulted in a drop in the citizenship application.
Are you still curious about more air travel info, like how to find out what type of plane you’ll be flying on? Head on over to our Flying Tips page to learn all there is to know about safe and efficient air travel.