Yachts & small craft

The master of every craft en route to New Zealand must provide the following information to NZ Customs at least 48 hours before their expected arrival time (12 nautical miles from the coastline).

• Details of the craft.
• Estimated date and time of arrival.
• Customs port of entry at which craft will arrive.
• Details of all crew and passengers on board.
• The name of the originating port and any other ports visited on the voyage to New Zealand.

You can provide this information by downloading and completing the Small Craft Inward Report form (Form C1B) and the Yachts and Small Craft Arrival Advance Information form (Form NZCS 340). 

These can be completed and returned to Customs by: 

Facsimile: +64 3 358 0069 or Email: Yachts@customs.govt.nz..

Masters must also notify the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry/Biosecurity New Zealand. They should contact the local MAFBNZ office at or near the first port of call.

Once your craft has docked, you will be met by Customs and MAFBNZ officers.  

Unless there is an emergency, all persons and goods must remain on board until the officers have inspected the craft. 

You will need to present the following completed documents on your arrival. 

• An Inward Report (Small Craft).
• A  New Zealand Passenger Arrival Card for each person on board.
• A valid passport for each person on board.
• A Border Cash Report – if applicable.
• An Import Entry (Temporary) Yachts and Small Vessels form.
• Your last port clearance.
• A MAFBNZ Master's Declaration.

Go to Where to obtain a yacht pack for a list of outlets where you can obtain a New Zealand Border Agencies Information Pack for the Arrival of Yachts and Small Craft. To order your pack in advance, please get in touch with the New Zealand Customs Service National Contact Centre.

You will also find that these packs are available at a number of ports and marinas around the Pacific and include detailed descriptions of all the New Zealand Customs ports of entry.

The New Zealand Customs Service will provide immigration services on your arrival in New Zealand.  

The New Zealand Immigration Service publication Visitors Arriving by Yacht provides details of what owners and crew of yachts, small craft, and super yachts travelling to New Zealand need to do, as well as contact details for immigration offices off-shore. 

To contact an Immigration officer try one of the following.

• Phone the New Zealand Immigration Service National Contact Centre on +64 9 914 4100 if you are in Auckland or overseas.
• Call free on 0508 558 855 if you are in New Zealand but outside the Auckland call free area – and dial "0" when you hear the automatic response message for an Immigration officer.
• Fax the New Zealand Immigration Service National Contact Centre on +64 9 914 4119.

Visas are not required if both passengers and crew are leaving on the same vessel within 28 days.

If passengers and crew depart the vessel and intend to leave New Zealand by other means, they will need to hold either a valid passport from a visa free country or, if not, have in their possession a current visa. Supporting documentation such as airline tickets must be produced if required.

The above visa requirements are also needed if passengers or crew arrive in New Zealand to join the vessel. In this case, they may need to produce the vessel's onward passage details.

Your boat may be granted a stay in New Zealand of up to 12 months. It is important that you keep in touch with Customs during your stay and advise early if you want any changes. 

Your boat’s stay can be longer than 12 months, but the following conditions may apply.

• Customs may require that the vessel is imported permanently into New Zealand, at which point customs charges (duty and GST) will be payable.
• If your extended stay is for over 12 months, Customs may require a cash deposit or security to cover the charges that would be payable if the yacht was permanently imported into New Zealand. Provided the yacht is exported within the agreed period, though, this deposit would be returned to you once you leave. If a security has been accepted it would be released in the same way.

Vessels entered, or about to be entered, on Temporary Import Entry ie, small craft, pleasure craft, fishing vessels and survey vessels are only eligible to load duty free consumable stores when they are about to depart final.

Importing firearms is strictly controlled in New Zealand. All firearms must be declared to the Customs officer on arrival. Firearms on board will be taken and kept in safe keeping by the New Zealand Police who will hold them until the craft's departure.

The importation of weapons such as flick knives, swordsticks, knuckle-dusters, and any weapon designed to give the appearance of another article, is prohibited.

Further information regarding the importation of firearms and offensive weapons can be obtained from the New Zealand Police or by phoning +64 4 474 9499. 

Yachts and small craft entering New Zealand are technically subject to import clearance charges, Customs duty and goods and services tax (GST).  

If the craft is owned and operated by a bona fide visitor, however, and is in New Zealand only temporarily, it may be granted a Temporary Import Entry (TIE) – meaning Customs duty and GST charges are deferred.   

Customs will generally make the length of the TIE match the duration of your visitor’s visa – or for 12 months – whichever is less.  

If you manage to extend your visitor’s visa, you can apply to Customs for a similar extension to your TIE.  To get the TIE extension, Customs will need to be satisfied that your craft still meets all the necessary criteria. 

You should note that the conditions applying to a TIE include: 

• an agreement to export your craft by the expiry date of the TIE
• an undertaking that the craft will not be sold, offered for sale or otherwise disposed of in New Zealand
• an agreement to advise Customs at the port of arrival of any change relevant to the craft’s presence in New Zealand
•  the possible provision of a security by way of a cash deposit or letter of undertaking, should this be requested
• GST on purchases in New Zealand.

Most goods and services purchased in New Zealand attract a goods and services tax (GST) of 15%. Some taxable supplies are zero-rated which means GST is charged at a rate of 0 percent rather than the standard rate.

All requests for information regarding zero-rating for repairs or maintenance of overseas yachts and craft should be referred to:

Inland Revenue Department
Auckland Customer Services
Corner Wakefield and Rutland Streets
Auckland City
Phone: 0800 377 776

Maritime Safety Authority (MSA) charges

Yachts and small craft are not subject to Maritime Safety Authority (MSA) charges, but are subject to oil pollution levies if the craft is over 100 gross tonnes. However, if you decide to undertake a commercial operation while in New Zealand, you will be subject to both these charges, regardless of the size of the vessel. New Zealand Customs officials can discuss these charges with you at the time of your arrival. 

You can download a copy of the Yacht Pack (3.5MB) in PDF format or obtain a hard copy version from one of the outlets listed in the section Where do I obtain a Yacht Pack. below. Some of the individual forms and fact sheets are also available in other formats (Word, HTML, etc) on our fact sheets, forms, or corporate documents or technical lists & guides pages.   

The Yacht Pack contains the following documents:

New Zealand border agencies information  

Customs documents

Vunda Point Marina
(Marshall Sails Ltd)
12 Salala Point Rd
Lautoka

Yacht Help Fiji
Port Denarau Marina
Fiji

Sailing Safaris Ltd
Neiafu
Vava’u

For further information regarding New Zealand Customs Service formalities for yachts and small craft, contact: 

New Zealand Customs Service
Marine Section
PO Box 29, Shortland Street 
Auckland 1140
New Zealand

New Zealand freephone: 0800 428 786
Outside New Zealand phone: +64 9 927 8036
Fax: +64 3 358 0069
Email: feedback@customs.govt.nz
www.customs.govt.nz