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Applying for an excise Customs-controlled area licence

Applicants for a Customs-controlled area (CCA) licence need to provide Customs information about the area and intended operations. This enables Customs to assess whether the area meets the requirements to be licensed as a CCA.

You can use Business Connect to apply for an Off-Site Storage (OSS) licence or to become a Licensed Manufacturing Area for alcohol products.

You must use TSW to make applications for other types of CCA licences.

The Business Connect application form is designed to guide you through providing the information required to submit your application. Experienced TSW users may choose to apply via TSW instead.

How to apply for a CCA licence

  1. Log in to the Business Connect website.
    • If you are registering as a new user, you will be prompted to use a RealMe login. Select the option to create an unverified RealMe login if you don’t already have one.
  2. Navigate to the CCA application form - this link will display the CCA application form at the top of your Business Connect homepage.
  3. Complete the Business Connect application form for a Customs-controlled area licence.
  4. A Customs licensing officer will review your application and may contact you to request further information and arrange a suitable time to visit your site.
  5. Customs will use the information you provided in your application to register your organisation and CCA in TSW.
  6. A Customs licensing officer will provide your licence and licence holder guide.
  1. Prepare the supporting documents you will need for your application. You can find details in the TSW excise client registration and application for a CCA licence guide (PDF, 453 KB).
  2. Log in to TSW or register to be a TSW user.
    • If you are registering as a new user, you will be prompted to use a RealMe login. Select the option to create an unverified RealMe login if you don’t already have one.
  3. Follow the application for a CCA licence guide (PDF, 453 KB) to apply using Trade Single Window. This includes registering your organisation and premises in TSW if they are not already registered. 
  4. A Customs licensing officer will review your application and may contact you to request further information and arrange a suitable time to visit your site.
  5. A Customs licensing officer will provide your licence and licence holder guide.

Customs must be satisfied that an applicant is a ‘fit and proper person’ to hold a CCA licence.

Customs requires declarations to inform fit and proper person assessments. You must submit a declaration if any of the following apply: 

  • You are applying for a Customs-controlled area licence, either for yourself or on behalf of a company or organisation.
  • You are a director or senior manager at a company or organisation that is applying for a Customs-controlled area licence, and you have been directed to provide a fit and proper person check by a Customs officer.
  • You are employed by a person, company or organisation that is applying for a Customs-controlled area licence, and you will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the proposed Customs-controlled area.

In accordance with section 60 of the Customs and Excise Act 2018, Customs considers a range of matters when determining whether an applicant satisfies the criteria of a ‘fit and proper person’. This includes:

  • any serious or repeated failure to comply with the Customs and Excise Act 2018 or the Biosecurity Act 1993
  • any conviction for an offence under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, the Immigration Act 2009, the Civil Aviation Act 2023, the Wine Act 2003, or the Maritime Transport Act 1994
  • any current or previous bankruptcy under the Insolvency Act 1967 or the Insolvency Act 2006
  • any conviction in New Zealand or in another country for an offence involving dishonesty or drugs
  • whether the applicant is or has been prohibited, under section 382, 383, 385, or 386A of the Companies Act 1993, from being a director or a promoter of, or from taking part in the management of, a company
  • any other matters that Customs considers relevant.

Note: previous offences or convictions do not always disqualify you from being considered a fit and proper person for the purposes of CCA licencing.

Clean Slate Act  

You may be eligible under the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act 2004 to state that you have no criminal record even if you do have convictions. For more information, refer to the Ministry of Justice.

How to submit your fit and proper person declaration

Prepare your documents

You are required to provide your criminal record when submitting your fit and proper person declaration. You will need to provide both of the following:

  • a New Zealand Ministry of Justice criminal record, dated within three months of the Customs Controlled Area licence application
  • a criminal record history from any overseas country you have resided in for more than 12 consecutive months within the last five years.

You may also submit any supporting documents you want Customs to review for your fit and proper person status.

Complete your fit and proper person declaration

For fit and proper person declarations related to CCA applications, complete Customs’ C12 form. You can submit the C12 form by downloading it, completing it, and emailing the completed form to Customs at excise-licensing-national@customs.govt.nz. If you have no convictions and no other records of non-compliance to declare under the acts listed above, you may instead choose to submit the C12 form online.

For fit and proper person declarations related to an existing CCA, download the NZCS 265 (PDF, 639 KB) and email the completed form to excise-licensing-national@customs.govt.nz.