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Jump right in:

• Bringing belongings with you in person
• What items are prohibited or restricted in New Zealand?
• What are the customs allowances in New Zealand?
• How to ship household items & belongings to New Zealand
• Storage options in New Zealand
• Moving to New Zealand with pets
• Which pets cannot be brought into New Zealand?
• Importing other pets into New Zealand

Bringing belongings with you in person

Everyone arriving in New Zealand must complete the New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD). With the declaration, you’ll need to provide passport and travel details, and answer questions about what you are bringing including any restricted items or goods over certain limits.

If you can, it’s easiest to fill out the declaration digitally before you travel. It’s free to do so via the or app.

What items are prohibited or restricted in New Zealand?

Some items are strictly forbidden to import into the country. Others may require a permit, and some are listed as restricted items, which means you will have to declare them to avoid being fined or even prosecuted.

Prohibited items:

• Objectionable material on items like videotapes, films, records, CD-ROMs, or other publications
• Equipment to be used for drug consumption or smoking
• Weapons such as flick knives, butterfly knives, swordsticks, or knuckle-dusters
• Things that can be used to commit a crime

Some items are not forbidden, but entry in the country is restricted. For these, you’ll need a permit or an exemption, and in some cases an appropriate treatment, like fumigation.

Restricted items:

• Products made from protected wildlife (bones, ivory, shells, animal skins) from animals or plants listed under such as big cats, crocodiles, turtles, certain orchids
• Carnivorous plants, certain cactus and orchid species
• Firearms and ammunition
• Goods made in Russia
• Plant material, seeds, or wooden items that may carry pests or disease. They must meet MPI’s biosecurity requirements and sometimes require import health standards

Other items may be listed as risk items. These must all be declared on your passenger arrival card (NZTD); otherwise you may be fined or prosecuted:

• Food (fruits and vegetables, meat, other foodstuffs)
• Plants or seeds
• Wooden items
• Animals or animal products
• Traditional or herbal medicines
• Any shoes, sports, or outdoor equipment that has been previously used

What are the customs allowances in New Zealand?

You are allowed to bring alcohol and tobacco with you, as long as you’re 17 or older. There is a limit to the amount that is duty-free, but you can surpass that limit if it is for personal use only and you pay a duty fee.

The duty-free allowance on alcohol is:

• 4.5 liters of wine, champagne, port, or sherry
• 4.5 liters of beer
• 3 bottles of spirits or liqueur — each bottle can hold up to 1.125 liters (If you bring more than 3 bottles of spirits or liqueur, you have to pay a fee, even if it is under the stipulated amount.)

As for tobacco, you may bring up to these quantities duty-free:

• 50 cigarettes, or
• 50 grams of tobacco products, or
• 50 grams of cigars, or
• a mix of all 3, provided it’s not more than 50 grams in total

You can find more information on  by visiting the official government website.

Importing medicines, money, and other goods

Medication that does not require a prescription does not have to be declared, but all prescription medications do. You should have:

• The prescription, or a letter from your doctor stating that you are being treated with the medication
• The medicine in its original packaging
• No more than 3 month’s supply (or 6 months for oral contraceptives)

If you wish to bring cash into New Zealand, any amount over 10,000 NZD (5,905 USD) or equivalent in foreign currencies, you must complete a .

Also, if your goods are worth more than 700 NZD (413 USD) (excluding your clothes, jewelry, and toiletries), you need to declare them and pay duty fees or Goods and Services Taxes (GST).

There are also restrictions on the use of wood packaging for shipping goods, so it is a good idea to check the  in New Zealand, to make sure you do not have any setbacks with this part of the relocation process.

How to ship household items & belongings to New Zealand

Considering New Zealand’s geographical isolation, the consequentially high shipping costs, as well as the strict regulations on what can and cannot be imported in the first place, we recommend you have a serious think about what items you want to bring — and what you could do without or simply purchase again in the country.

For anything you want to ship via air or sea, you’ll need to declare the content of your household goods with the necessary documentation:

• The form , completed
• A copy of your passport and evidence that you are allowed to live in the country
• A full inventory of the items you are bringing into the country
• If you are bringing any risk items, a  (recommended)
• Treatment certificates for goods that have been cleaned, fumigated, or heat treated
• Any required permits such as for firearms, medicines, or protected species
• Shipping documents, like the Bill of Lading or Airway Bill

You need to email these documents to your nearest .

If your shipment requires clearance based on your provided documentation, you must notify MPI of the location of the transitional storage facility where it is held after entry.

Additional requirements apply if you’re bringing in a full container of your household goods; .

What shipping options are there?

You can choose between air freight and sea freight depending on your budget, timeline, and the size of your shipment.

Sea freight:

• Most common and cost-effective option for large household moves
• Can take several weeks
• You can book a full container load (FCL) or a shared container (LCL) for a smaller amount of belongings

Air freight:

• It’s faster
• Significantly more expensive
• Ideal for smaller shipments

To get an estimate, it’s a good idea to request quotes from several international moving or freight companies that handle shipments to New Zealand. Some companies:

Storage options in New Zealand

When first arriving in New Zealand, you may find yourself in need of short-term storage (e.g., if your new home is not ready yet).

If you are staying in some of the biggest cities, such as Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, or Hamilton, you should find many storage companies, with many options to choose from.  Some offer rooms, others have modules or stainless-steel containers.

All companies should have security measures in place to protect your home goods, such as pin codes, locks, or alarms. Some companies may offer extended services, such as 24-hour access to your storage unit, or flexible leases for long-term or short-term storage.

It can be a good idea to consider getting insurance for your belongings in New Zealand. Although storing your home goods generally means these will be safe, the country is prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and volcano activity, and insurance should cover any such damages.

Remember that the prices will vary depending on the size of the unit you need, and most storage services work on a quote basis. In general, prices Zealand range from about 100 NZD (60 USD) per month for very small units to 700 NZD (410 USD) or more for larger units.

Some companies that offer storage units:

• (Auckland, Hamilton)
• (Auckland)
• (Christchurch)
• (Wellington)
• (Wellington, Christchurch)

Moving to New Zealand with pets

The regulations for moving to New Zealand with pets are quite strict. From some countries, you’re not allowed to have a pet imported into New Zealand at all, while most other cases require a permit and quarantine to do so. Also, not every type of animal can be brought along, regardless of where they come from.

To import pets into New Zealand, your pet must come from an .

If your country is not on the , you’re not allowed to bring your pet into New Zealand. If this is the case, you have two options:

• You can move your pet to an approved country on the list, where it will have to stay for six months and meet the necessary requirements for the veterinary certificate of that country.
• You can submit a request to include your country or territory on the list of approved countries, but keep in mind this is a long process involving some bureaucracy on the part of both governments and success is not guaranteed.

Besides cats and dogs, the animals that are allowed to enter New Zealand are:

• Chinchillas from Great Britain
• Rabbits from Australia
• Guinea pigs from Australia
• Ornamental fish and other aquatic animals
• Horses

What are the required documents for your pet to enter New Zealand?

You should contact New Zealand Customer Service prior to your pet arriving in New Zealand and send these documents:

•  
• Copy of your photo ID
• Proof of purchase or ownership
• Air Waybill
• Veterinary Certificates (required by MPI)
• (if required)

What are the general requirements?

All the requirements to import pets into the country are set by the Import Health Standard (IHS). Here is an overview of the general rules:

• All pets have to be inspected upon arrival in New Zealand, regardless of where you come from.
• Every pet must have a microchip that meets the ISO standards.
• Every time your pet is examined, vaccinated, or receives treatment, the microchip needs to be scanned and recorded.
• You’ll also need a permit and a minimum of ten-day-quarantine (unless you are moving from Australia or Norfolk Island).
• Your pet must have proof of a current rabies vaccination that was administered after the microchip was implanted (except Category 1 countries).
• Your pet will need a rabies titer test administered 30 days after the rabies vaccination (except Category 1 countries).
• Once the vaccinations and titer test have been completed, a licensed veterinarian in the country of origin must complete the export pet health certificate within ten days of travel.
• A government-approved facility must be booked for pets from Category 2 and 3 countries.
• Pets from Category 3 need an official veterinarian declaration.

Which pets cannot be brought into New Zealand?

You can’t bring certain animals into New Zealand:

• Live birds
• Ferrets
• Guinea pigs (except from Australia)
• Mice and rats (except laboratory animals)
• Snakes and other reptiles

Some dog breeds are also strictly prohibited from entering the country:

• Brazilian Fila
• Dogo Argentino
• Japanese Tosa
• Perro de Presa Canario
• American Pit Bull Terrier

All hybrid (or mixed) breeds are also prohibited, with the exception of Bengal cats for which you will need a document that proves five generations of ancestry.

Further restrictions apply if you are entering from a so-called Category 3 country.

For more information about bringing your cat or dog into New Zealand you can check .

Importing other pets into New Zealand

As mentioned above, chinchillas from Great Britain and rabbits and Guinea pigs from Australia are also allowed into the country, provided they have been born and bred in captivity and are identifiable by a permanent tag, tattoo, or microchip.

If you are an owner of one of these pets, you must:

• Comply with the respective import health standard (IHS)
• Use a pet exporter — this is recommended by the MPI
• Provide original veterinary certificates and supporting documents from the exporting country, signed and stamped
• Apply for a permit from the MPI at least 6 weeks before your animal leaves for New Zealand
• Declare any medication your animal takes
• Pay the fees and charges that apply to your type of animal

Consult the official government website for all the  to New Zealand.

You may also bring  from a list of approved countries and some  into New Zealand, which have their own importation requirements.