FAQs about Personal Travel

If you have any prohibited or restricted items you no longer wish to keep, put them in the amnesty bins we've provided as you walk through the arrivals area of the airport. If you are bringing restricted items into New Zealand, choose the RED way out and give your declaration form to the MAFBNZ Passenger Clearance officer who will be there to help you. Any restricted goods will be checked, and if necessary, you'll be given the option of having them treated. It's helpful if you can pack any restricted items and certificates separate from the rest of your luggage, as this can shorten your wait considerably.

Items which could pose a risk include meat and meat products, eggs and egg products, dairy products, animal products such as wool, hides, hunting trophies, soil, seeds and plants, second-hand saddlery, animal remedies, some Chinese medicines, used vehicles, farm machinery and contaminated containers.

New Zealand is now party to a world-wide agreement designed to prevent trade in endangered, threatened or exploited species. It covers items such as ivory, turtle shell artefacts, clam shells, coral and products made from snakeskin or whalebone. Plants, animals or products covered by the agreement can no longer be brought into New Zealand, except with a special permit issued by the Department of Conservation.

Please remember your declaration form is a legal document. Any false declarations can lead to prosecutions resulting in a heavy fine or imprisonment - or both.

Quarantine Officers, assisted by an X-ray machine and detector dog, inspect all parcels entering New Zealand at the International Mail Centre. There are regular interceptions of risk goods, which include fresh produce, seeds, plants and straw items. Recipients of restricted items are given the option of having goods treated and returned to them at their expense.

Individuals not declaring quarantine goods can be fined up to $100,000 and/or face up to 5 years in jail.

All wood packaging material imported into New Zealand will be inspected on arrival in New Zealand for pests, evidence of pest infestation, for unwanted organic contamination such as soil or bark, or for evidence that they have been adequately treated for pests.

The pre-import treatments accepted by Biosecurity New Zealand with certification are listed in the import health standard for wood packaging material.

All wood products imported into New Zealand will be inspected on arrival in New Zealand for pests, evidence of pest infestation, or for unwanted organic contamination such as soil or bark.

Wood found to be contaminated with pests or soil or bark will need to be treated (if you want the items to enter New Zealand), re-shipped (sent back) or destroyed (incinerated). The treatment will depend on the contaminant found (e.g. fumigation for insects or bark, heat treatment for fungi).

All steps involved in your vessel's arrival are outlined here.

Ballast water is considered a significant pathway for exotic marine organisms into New Zealand. Click here for information relating to ballast water requirements.

If you have been on a farm or in a forest outside of New Zealand, there are a few things you need to do. Consult the Restricted Goods and the Restricted Items pages.

Footwear, outdoor and agricultural equipment can all carry soil-borne diseases, seeds (which can introduce noxious weeds) and fungal spores. Please clean all of these thoroughly before coming to New Zealand. Footwear is likely to be inspected on arrival and should be packed in an easily accessible place.

Football, hockey, golf and cricket boots may have soil on their soles. Golf bags may have seeds or other plant material inside. BMX and other off-road cycles may be contaminated with soil. Waders for fishing may have soil or aquatic plants sticking to them. Fly-tying equipment such as feathers or skins requires inspection and may require treatment.

Please thoroughly clean all dirty sports gear before you bring them to NZ.

The greatest risk to New Zealand's economy is foot and mouth disease. This virus is prevalent in many overseas countries and can survive for long periods in meat products. An outbreak would immediately halt our valuable exports of meat and animal products.

Fruit fly is established in many of our neighbouring countries, for example, Queensland, Australia. It would take only one infected mango to introduce this pest to New Zealand, but it would have a disastrous impact on our fruit exports and domestic production.

Although the shells appear empty, they could contain viable eggs. One of the biggest risks is the Giant African Snail. These snails have an attractive shell, similar to a sea shell and are often sought by shell collectors. Some grow to 200 mm long, although most are between 20 and 100 mm long.

This snail is an example of how just one contravention can have serious consequences. These snails are considered by authorities to be the most damaging land snail in the world. Each has an enormous appetite, and they have been recorded as attacking 500 different kinds of plants. They can also pass on disease to humans.

Honey is a product made by insects. It is completely natural and has not been through a sterilising process.
Honey is a potential carrier of bee diseases. New Zealand produces more than twenty million dollars worth of bee products each year - and the industry is worth a lot more to us. Fruit trees, flowers and vegetable crops rely on bees for pollination. If our bees became diseased it would have a severe impact on our agricultural and horticultural industries.

Please do not bring honey to New Zealand.

No. Popping corn in its natural form is a viable seed, and as such can introduce serious seed-borne diseases that might affect our maize and corn crops.

Popcorn in sealed microwave packs is allowed to come into NZ.

Yes. Cooked items such as cakes are of no quarantine significance.

New Zealand produce, once it leaves this country, is exposed to pests or diseases in a foreign country. By bringing it back to New Zealand, there is a risk that the produce has been contaminated and would introduce such pests as fruit fly.

Travellers sometimes think there is no quarantine risk when they bring back souvenirs that are commercially wrapped. This is not the case. Items such as pot-pourri can harbour pests and seeds. Depending on what's in the mixture, it may be allowed in after treatment at the owner's expense.

Because there are so many different types of food and animals products please contact MAF Biosecurity New Zealand Clearance Service directly.

When you bring risk goods to NZ, your goods will be inspected, treated if necessary, and you can collect them afterwards. Animal and plant products may be treated with Methyl Bromide and/or Formalin. Seeds, straw products and pine cones may be heat treated to destroy the viability of seeds and fungal spores.

The import requirements for live animals, for example pets, differ according to the animal and country of origin. For common Import Health Standards information relating to cats and dogs click here. Otherwise search for the appropriate Import Health Standard, or ask us.

The level of X-ray radiation emitted by the machine is so low that it will not damage films, cameras, personal computers or computer data. A number of tests have confirmed this.

These days you will rarely see MAF Biosecurity Clearance Officers spraying arriving aircraft before the passengers and crew disembark. This is because most airlines now either treat their aircraft with a residual insecticide or undertake spraying in-flight. Both methods are approved by MAF and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

You will need an Import Permit.

Contact:
Biosecurity New Zealand,
Plants and Plant Product Imports,
PO Box 2526,
Wellington.
Phone: +64 4 894 0832
Fax: +64 4 894 0662
Email: plantimports@maf.govt.nz

If you wish to take any animal or plant matter out of New Zealand, please contact the Consulate of the country of destination for up to date information on import requirements.

If the goods require a PC (Phytosanitary Certificate) Plants Phytosanitary Certification, you must bring the produce to the MAF Aircargo Clearance Centre.
Phone + 64 9 256 8691 or + 64 9 256 0145 for Plant/Produce enquires, or + 64 4 473 8996 for Animal/Animal Product enquires. These goods will be inspected and, if in acceptable condition, you will receive an IPC signed by an authorised Quarantine Officer to show to the Agriculture Department upon arrival in the country of destination.

All personal effects including household goods and unaccompanied baggage require quarantine risk assessment. A declaration is required on an official form, which is obtained from MAF Biosecurity New Zealand Clearance Service or the Agent handling the shipment.

Seeds and bulbs: Bulbs are regarded as nursery stock and can carry a variety of diseases. They can only come into New Zealand with a permit.

Contact :

Biosecurity New Zealand,
Plants and Plant Products Imports,
PO Box 2526,
Wellington.
Phone: +64 4 894 0832
Fax: +64 4 894 0662
Email: plantimports@maf.govt.nz

Restrictions on seeds vary depending on the type and species. All seeds must be commercially packaged and require their full scientific name printed on the packet. Some may be allowed in providing they are free of insect pests, others are totally prohibited or may require specific treatment. This is because of the risk of introducing foreign disease or the seeds or bulbs becoming a weed.

Nursery stock, cut flowers and cuttings: Depending on the species and country of origin, these may be allowed, restricted, or totally prohibited. If a phytosanitary certificate is obtained in the country of origin, these items may be allowed into New Zealand. It is not possible to get a certificate after arrival here. For more information ask us.

A number of steps need to be taken before used vehicles can be cleared for use in New Zealand. For more information see non-biological items in the 'Other imports' section the site.

There is an import health standard available for all used vehicles as well as a standard for treated used vehicles.