A2.15 Unacceptable travel documents (26/07/1999)

If necessary, a visa or immigration officer may seek advice from the Border and Investigations branch regarding a person who holds an unacceptable travel document and applies for a visa.

1. Unless otherwise specified, any travel documents issued by the countries or sources listed in this section are unacceptable and visas or permits must not be endorsed in them.

A2.15.1 Countries not recognised by the New Zealand Government

Travel documents from the following countries are unacceptable because they are issued by regimes that the New Zealand Government does not recognise:

• Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
• Taiwan: diplomatic and official passports (but see A2.30).

A2.15.5 Unofficial sources of issue

The following is a non-exhaustive list of travel documents that are unacceptable because they have been issued by an unofficial source:

• 'World Service Authority'
• 'Maori Kingdom of Tetiti Islands'.

A2.15.10 Yugoslavian collective passports

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) is issuing a collective passport for up to 50 people which does not meet the requirements of the Immigration Act 1987 and is therefore unacceptable.

A2.15.15 Slovenian collective passports

The collective passport issued by the Republic of Slovenia does not meet the requirements of the Immigration Act 1987 and is therefore unacceptable.

A2.15.20 Kiribati investor passports

Kiribati investor passports are unacceptable because they neither:

1. confirm the nationality of the passport holder; nor
2. clarify the status of the passport holder.

A2.15.25 Tongan Protected Person's Passport (TPPP)

1. The travel document called a "Tongan Protected Person's Passport" ("TPPP"), introduced by the Tongan Government in 1983 is unacceptable because:
   1. it does not confirm the right of re-entry to the country of issue, and
   2. it does not confirm the holder's nationality.
2. Applicants must be informed that TPPPs are unacceptable to the New Zealand Government for the reasons given in (a) above.
3. However, applications from TPPP holders may be dealt with on the basis of the primary and residential status of the applicant.
4. If a visa application is approved in principle, the visa must be endorsed in an alternative acceptable passport or certificate of identity, but not in the TPPP.
5. The differences between TPPPs and standard Tongan passports are as follows:

1. The distinctions set out in paragraph (e) apply even though standard Tongan passports may be presented in two formats:
   • with soft cover and a green border pattern on the inside front cover (passports issued since mid-1984), and
   • with hard cover and no green border pattern (passports issued until mid-1984).

A2.15.30 Former USSR

The following passports are no longer valid:

1. standard passports and diplomatic and service passports with the former USSR symbol issued in Georgia (however, these passports can still be used to return to Georgia while they are valid); and
2. standard USSR passports and diplomatic and service passports issued in Kazakhstan; and
3. all USSR passports issued in Uzbekistan (however, such passports can still be used to return to Uzbekistan while they are valid); and
4. standard USSR passports; and
5. USSR diplomatic passports issued in Armenia.

A2.15.35 Somali Travel Documents

There is currently no authority in Somalia that is recognised by the New Zealand Government as being competent to issue passports on behalf of Somalia. As a result Somali passports are not acceptable travel documents for travel to New Zealand and visas or permits must not be endorsed in them. Endorsement should be made in a NZIS Certificate of Identity, or another acceptable travel document.

Effective 26/07/1999