Common questions

​If the words used on your parcel’s status report are something like 'Customs Clearance', this does not necessarily mean that the New Zealand Customs Service is physically holding your parcel.

Customs does not normally hold goods themselves, but licenses certain premises to do so. These are known as Customs controlled areas (CCA) and include NZ Post, airlines, and various transport and freight companies.

Once you know your parcel is in the country, your first move should be to contact the carrier who brought it in: for example, New Zealand Post 0800 478 287 option 2 or – if your parcel was sent via Australian Post – DX Mail 0800 800 230.

Generally, you will be contacted by the carrier to arrange clearance as soon as your goods arrive. For postal items, you will receive either an assessment notice advising the amount payable, or a letter requesting that you arrange clearance, or produce further information.

Where an assessment notice has been issued, your goods will be released as soon as you pay the charges.

If you require clarification about a Customs matter in relation to your item please contact our National Contact Centre on 0800 428 786. We will require a Customs Reference number.

The basic requirement is the ability to do the job. For some jobs in Customs there may be medical or fitness tests.​

No, individual ports may not wish to receive electronic delivery orders from clients. You will need to contact the relevant port directly to obtain the code.

If you use EDI to lodge your export entries and reports, your software will most likely allow adjustments to be made.  Some brokers/exporters prefer to cancel and re-lodge an entry where adjustments cannot easily be made using their EDI software. Cleared entries and ECI reports made over the online declarations website cannot yet be adjusted.

​Customs is unable to answer any specific questions that relate to agricultural or biosecurity items eg, the types of foods you can bring into New Zealand. For this information you should contact the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

In general, however, any food or plant material whatsoever being brought into New Zealand must be declared on arrival to the Ministry for Primary Industries.

If you wish to know more go to Prohibited Imports, or contact MPI 0800 00 83 33, or via their email info.biosecurity@mpi.govt.nz, or visit the MPI Biosecurity New Zealand website.

​There are no restrictions for persons wishing to import a placenta, a human foetus, or human tissue. However please make sure you travel with relevant documentation to save any undue delay or problem at the border.

You need approval to bring firearms into New Zealand. A deposit may also be payable, but this will be returned if the rifle is re-exported within 12 months.

For further information and a Visitors Firearms License and Permit to Import  - see Importing Firearms on the New Zealand Police  website.

​Yes, but there are requirements. Prescription medicines may only be brought in if they fulfil certain criteria and meet certain conditions. If you need to know more about this, and about having medicines brought in from overseas, check out Prescription medicines in the Prohibited Imports section.

And if you are interested in finding out what sort of medical cover you can expect as a traveller in New Zealand, or what to do if you need to bring in medicine that contains narcotics and you wish to avoid arrest, see Medical tips in Tips for Visitors to New Zealand.

Remember, if you arrive in New Zealand carrying prescription medicine on your person or in your luggage you may only bring it in if you declare the medicine on your passenger arrival card.

Further information regarding the importation of medicines can be obtained from the Medsafe website, or via their email medclearance@moh.govt.nz, or by phoning +64 9 580 9141.

The New Zealand Customs Service is unable to provide information about the Customs requirements that apply in other countries. To source this information, contact the appropriate consulate or embassy representative - the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade can provide contact details. ​

There is no provision for drawback (refund) of GST for travellers purchasing goods in New Zealand.​

No. The importation of utensils that may be used to administer cannabis is prohibited. This includes new as well as used utensils, regardless of whether you intend to use them for smoking or ornamental purposes.​

Yes. There are no Customs, health or agriculture restrictions.

If you bring the ashes with you, or in your luggage, you are required to declare them and Customs recommends you bring a copy of either the death certificate or the cremation certificate.

​This is not dealt with by the New Zealand Customs Service but is a matter for The Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS). Please contact AQIS via their website http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis or telephone 0061 262 723 933.

However, if you would like to know more about the rules and regulations that govern taking food out of New Zealand, you should visit Taking food out with you.

​This is not dealt with by the New Zealand Customs Service but is a matter for HM Revenue & Customs in the United Kingdom.

However, if you would like to know more about the rules and regulations that govern taking food out of New Zealand, you should visit Taking food out with you.

Grandparents may travel with their grandchildren providing all have valid travel documents.

Working out fees and charges can be complex. Numerous factors need to be taken into account such as concessions, duty-free allowances, preferences, valuation, depreciation, and the goods and services tax (GST).

To understand the range of fees and charges, go to Types of duties, fees and charges.

To understand how fees and charges are assessed, and to see some everyday examples of calculations on commonly imported goods go to How to determine your fees.

For further assistance please contact our National Contact Centre on 0800 428 786 to enquire.​

​Yes. If you think you may already have a client code but are unsure, please contact our National Contact Centre on 0800 428 786 to confirm. If the code you require is for a business entity, please have your company’s GST and registration number available.

Due to an international agreement on carnets, carnet holders are not required to electronically clear a carnet consignment. On export, when the carnet holder lodges the carnet with Customs for stamping of the export counterfoil, Customs will create an electronic clearance number for the freight forwarder/carrier to record in their Outward Report. The carnet holder must present the resulting delivery order to the airline/freight forwarder with the bill of lading/air waybill. On import, the current manual process continues unchanged. ​

Ports and Air Cargo Terminals are required under their Procedure Statements to advise Customs if goods are not exported as entered.  Ports will need a valid Customs clearance for the new vessel or port of loading before they can load, thus you will need to amend the vessel name or port of loading on the entry or Consolidator's Outward Report to enable this. Some brokers/exporters may prefer to cancel and re-lodge the entry, depending on how easily adjustments can be made via your EDI software.   

Customs suggests that as soon as you confirm the other details required on the entry, you make an entry that omits container numbers and container status, and note in the "Remarks" field that the goods declared on the entry are to be containerised. This will at least alert Customs that you intend to export. As soon as you know the container numbers, adjust the entry by adding them. Some brokers/exporters may prefer to cancel and re-lodge the entry, depending on how easily adjustments can be made via your EDI software. Alternatively, you can take the risk that Customs will not require to examine the shipment, and wait till the container numbers are known before lodging the entry.​

Yes, empty containers for discharge in New Zealand, for transhipment in New Zealand, or in transit to the United States (whether as a destination or transit point) must be included in the inward cargo report.  

Fact Sheet 6B  – Completing an Electronic Cargo Information Report has more information on supplying the correct container status.​

If a sea freight consolidator lodges a consolidator’s outward report for a container, Customs will reconcile its clearance number with the freight forwarder’s bill number. Therefore, at this stage, all that is required is to retain advice of the clearance number and evidence that the freight forwarder’s bill number relates to the physical consignment. However, when more secure supply chain provisions come into force, tighter controls will be applied to freight forwarders who are not approved.