APEC card - New Zealand vs Australia?

[crm911]

I am a dual NZ/AU passport holder so I compared both country forms:

• http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/business/_pdf/form-1390.pdf
• http://www.immigration.govt.nz/NR/r...37857/0/APECBusinessTravelCardApplication.pdf

Crikey! The NZ form is two pages; no certified true copies needed; no requirement to show 4 trips in the past 12 months and is ~$55 cheaper (NZ$150 vs AU$200). While I haven't lived in NZ for 33 years, I can still apply from Oz. Only downside is that I'll have to use my NZ passport for entry into the APEC countries to get the shorter queues.

Are there any downsides of using the NZ passport to enter the APEC region when flying out of Australia? I used mine regularly until about 10 years ago and can't think of any.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Definitely go with the NZ option.

There's on difference between APEC cards issued in any country.

 

[FlashKiwi]

With dual passports you are supposed to leave and arrive back in Australia on your Australian passport. This may make it problematic leaving Australia on one passport and entering another country on another. For countries that just offer fasting processing at immigration (USA, Canada and Thailand spring to mind) you just flash the card - they dont check that the passport details match. For those countries that you use the APEC card as a Visa (China, Vietnam, Indonesia) then card needs to match passport.

Getting a NZ APEC card is much easier, and as you note cheaper. The only problem is trying to match the 5 years passport expiry date with the 3 year APEC card expiry.

FlashKiwi

 

[crm911]

Good point, FlashKiwi. Had forgotten about the 5-year uruwhenua, so could be worth less for a renewal.

I am not sure about the need for returning on the Aussie passport bit because for some years after leaving the RAAF I did not have a regular Aussie passport (in the 1990s) and only used the Kiwi one. Conversely, my family don't have a current NZ passport, so they enter NZ as Aussies. Hence one can be a dual citizen with only one current (Kiwi) passport, yes?

 

[FlashKiwi]

Someone more informed than me can probably answer but AFAIK if you possess a 'current Australian Passport' you must use that to leave and enter the country. If you are a citizen but dont have a current passport then I dont think it is a problem. Again I am sure there is someone the forum that is much more knowledgeable on this subject.

I would get the APEC card for just getting through LAX. Last Sunday 16 min from 'door open' to T4 security (and that includes a good 12 minutes walk on a dodgy leg).