How to Buy Cook Islands ID Card: Simple Guide

Man, getting a Cook Islands ID card was a whole thing, let me tell you. First off, I had no clue where to even start. Did I need one? Was it like a passport? Turns out, no, it’s not a passport, which confused me even more. Cook Islanders use their birthplace as proof of heritage, and they usually have New Zealand passports, making them New Zealand citizens. Weird, right?

So, I dug around online, trying to figure out this ID card business. I found some websites talking about SIM cards, which wasn’t what I was after. Then I stumbled upon something about a “refreshed international arrival card” from the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation. That sounded closer to what I needed.

Confused about why the internet kept pushing SIM cards at me, I read that you can get a Vodafone Cook Islands Travel SIM card at the airport or their stores in Avarua. Okay, cool, but not what I’m looking for.

I kept reading and found out that while the local currency is New Zealand Dollars, most places also take Visa and MasterCard. Good to know, but still, not about the ID card.

Finally Getting Somewhere

• I learned the Cook Islands doesn’t issue passports, which is why everyone has New Zealand ones.
• The “arrival card” thing seemed to be the closest thing to an ID card for visitors.

Honestly, the whole process was way more confusing than it needed to be. I wish there was a clearer explanation online. But hey, at least I figured it out eventually, even if I ended up with a bunch of info about SIM cards and payment methods along the way. It felt like searching for a needle in a haystack, but I got there in the end. Now, I can say I’ve got a handle on the whole Cook Islands ID thing, even if it took a bit of a roundabout journey to get there!