Immigration, Customs & Biosecurity

Passport and visa

When you arrive in New Zealand, you’ll need to be carrying a passport that is valid for at least three months beyond your intended departure date. A visa may also be required, depending on your country of origin.

› More information about passports and visas.

On arrival

Arrival by aircraft

You will need to complete a passenger arrival card before passing through Customs Passport Control. A passenger arrival card will be usually be given to you during your flight; if not, cards are available in the arrival area.

After you’ve cleared passport control, you should collect your baggage and proceed through customs and biosecurity checks. Your baggage may be sniffed by a detector dog and/or X-rayed, and it may be searched to identify any risk goods you might be carrying.

Arrival by cruise ship

If you’re disembarking and not rejoining your ship, you will need to complete a passenger arrival card before processing by New Zealand Customs and MAF Biosecurity New Zealand. If you are rejoining your cruise ship, the ship’s purser will include your name on a transit passenger list.

Customs declarations/allowances

You don’t have to declare your clothing, footwear, jewellery, or toiletries. These are regarded as personal effects.

Duty free

If you are 17 years or older, your duty free allowance is:

• 4.5 litres of wine or beer (six 750ml bottles)
  
• three bottles(or other containers) each containing no more than 1125ml bottle of spirits, liqueur or other spirituous beverages.
• 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars, or a mixture of all three weighing no more than 250 grams.
• Other goods to a combined value of NZ $700. Please have purchase receipts available.

Customs prohibited and restricted goods

You should not bring the following items into New Zealand:

• Firearms and weapons (including sporting firearms), unless a permit is obtained from New Zealand Police on arrival at the airport. The New Zealand Police website has more information on importing firearms.
• Prescription medicines, unless accompanied by a doctor’s prescription.
• Pirated copyright goods.
• Objectionable (indecent) articles, such as DVDs and publications.

Biosecurity risk goods

New Zealand is free of many insect pests, plant diseases and animal infections that are common elsewhere in the world. We put a lot of effort into minimising the risk of these being introduced.

• Any food including cooked, uncooked, fresh, preserved, packaged or dried goods
• Plant or plant products including fruit, vegetables, leaves, nuts, parts of flowers, seeds, bulbs, fungi, cane, bamboo, wood or straw.
• Animals, animal medicines or animal products including meat, dairy products, fish, honey, bee products, eggs, feathers, shells, raw wood, skins, bones or insects
• Biological cultures, soil or water
• Equipment used with animals, plants or water
• Articles with soil attached, outdoor sport or hiking shoes, and tents
  

› Learn more about New Zealand's biosecurity policies restricted goods on the MAF Biosecurity New Zealand website.

› See comprehensive advice for travellers on the New Zealand Customs Service website.

Pets

Live animals may not enter New Zealand without meeting specific conditions, which are designed to prevent the introdution of insect pests and diseases. See the MAF Biosecurity New Zealand website for more details.

Departure fee

A departure fee of NZ$25 is collected from all adult international passengers upon departure from Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown airports. This can be paid by cash or credit card. There is no longer a departure fee charge from Auckland as of 1 July 2008. Some regional airports also have a small fee payable on domestic flights.