When entering New Zealand, you must comply with the most current entry and import regulations. We explain the entry process, all necessary documents, and the most important rules for bringing goods to New Zealand.
In order to be allowed to enter New Zealand, you will have a short conversation with the border officials at the border crossing and present some documents. These include:
Depending on your personal situation, other supporting documents may be required to prove the legitimacy of your travel as well as your intention to leave the country after your residence permit expires.
To be allowed to enter New Zealand, your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the date of your intended departure.
Your New Zealand Electronic Travel Authorization (NZeTA) or visa must have been issued for the purpose for which you are actually entering and be valid at the time of your entry.
When proving sufficient funds for the duration of your trip, a rule of thumb is 1,000 New Zealand dollars per person per month. This amount does not include your accommodation - so this must already be paid for or added on top.
Depending on the situation and the impression the border officials have of you, they may also ask for proof of your medical condition upon entry.
Both airlines and New Zealand border officials are careful to ensure that all young people are safe during their travels. Therefore, if you are traveling alone with minors, we recommend carrying some documents:
Your entry permit to New Zealand is subject to certain requirements and depends solely on the decision of the responsible border officials on site. The following criteria will affect your entry clearance at the border crossing:
To enter New Zealand, you will need to provide important data for security and customs issues. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) gets your APP (Advance Passenger Processing) and PNR (Passenger Name Record) data before you even board a plane or ship.
PNR data is already collected when you book your flight or cruise. These include:
When you check in for your flight, your airline will ask you to submit APP information. This includes:
The New Zealand Traveller Declaration is an online system you can use for customs declaration before traveling to New Zealand. However, the use of the online customs declaration is not mandatory and a card (Passenger Arrival Card) will still be handed out for the handwritten declaration.
You will be given a Passenger Arrival Card to complete during your journey but at the latest in the arrival lobby in New Zealand.
On the Card, you must declare any goods you are bringing with you that have been deemed risky goods by the New Zealand government. Risky goods when entering New Zealand include food, plants, wood products, soil, water, outdoor equipment, and all animal products.
Customs and/or strictly regulated goods that you must declare on the Passenger Arrival Card include medicine, weapons, alcohol, tobacco, commercial products, means of payment, duty-free goods, and things you are transporting for other people.
Travelers can now complete a digital arrival declaration instead of a paper passenger arrival card. However, a paper declaration form will still be available.
There are no mandatory vaccinations for travel to New Zealand. However, standard childhood vaccinations are recommended, as well as vaccinations against hepatitis A and B.
There are no insurance policies required for entry into New Zealand. However, we recommend that you purchase travel health insurance to provide you with adequate protection while you are there.
Entering New Zealand is normally done in the following order:
The border guards in New Zealand may ask you a number of questions concerning your resume as well as your character and the reason for your trip to New Zealand. If your English is not good enough, let the officials know, and they will consider this.
As of 2019, most visitors to New Zealand are required to pay a $ 35 visitor levy. The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) is invested within New Zealand in projects that create sustainable tourism growth while protecting the environment.
New Zealand Customs officers and MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries) staff may search your luggage and carry any items. The main purpose of this is to avert agricultural risk from introduced organisms, viruses, bacteria, and fungi (biosecurity). However, they will also search for goods that need to be cleared through customs.
Phone calls, filming, and photography are prohibited throughout the border area. If you need to contact someone, inform the officials at the border and wait for their permission.
Imported goods carrying pests, diseases, and seeds pose a threat to New Zealand's environment and wildlife. However, contaminants such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi are often invisible to the naked eye. Therefore, you must declare all goods on your Passenger Arrival Card.
| New Zealand entry: goods that require a declaration | |
|---|---|
| Food (cooked, fresh, preserved, packaged, or dried) | Fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, seafood, dairy products, mushrooms, honey, seeds, nuts, spices, herbs |
| Animals or animal products | Meat, dairy products, fish, honey, bee products, eggs, feathers, shells, raw wool, hides, bones, insects cosmetics, dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals, mollusks, and shellfish, ivory, turtle shell, coral, snakeskin |
| Plants or plant products | Fruits, flowers, seeds, bulbs, wood, bark, leaves, nuts, vegetables, plant parts, mushrooms, reeds, bamboo, straw, plant cuttings, reeds, rattan, coconut, pine cones, medicines, food supplements, homeopathic remedies, cosmetics |
| Items with biosafety risk | Biological crops, organisms, soil or water, equipment used with animals, plants, or water - including footwear, tents, camping, hunting, hiking, golf, or sports equipment |
The importation of the following goods into New Zealand is prohibited and subject to prosecution:
Some medicines, especially controlled drugs, are also prohibited from entering New Zealand. However, prescription drugs can be brought in most cases along with a valid doctor's prescription.
Importation of the following goods into New Zealand must be approved in advance by MPI: