Money

Any person carrying NZ$10,000 or more (or foreign equivalent) in cash on their person or in their baggage, into or out of New Zealand, must complete a Border Cash Report as part of entry or clearance procedures, under The Financial Transactions Reporting Act 1996. (The legislation does not prohibit the importation or exportation of cash sums of $NZ10,000 or more – it simply requires that these sums are reported.)

Cash does not include travellers’ cheques, postal notes, bearer bonds or money orders.

The New Zealand Customs Service forwards the completed forms to the Commissioner of Police.

Failure to complete a report or making a false or misleading report may result in a fine of up to $2,000. It is also an offence to wilfully obstruct a Customs officer while they are carrying out their duties relating to the reporting of cash at a border, punishable by imprisonment of three months or a fine of up to $1,000.