Watch our in-flight video
English with Hindi subtitles (1:23)
Transcript - show/hide
[Video begins. There are several shots of New Zealand landscapes. A narrator speaks while the video plays.]
Narrator: Welcome to Aotearoa. Our country. Our lakes, rivers, lands, and seas. Our home. This fragile place is all we’ve got. It’s vulnerable to pests and diseases.
[Shot changes to a biosecurity officer in uniform speaking to the camera. There is a detector dog beagle with her.]
Biosecurity officer: That’s why we guard it as if our way of life depends on it. Because it does. But we need your help.
[New shots show types of banned items that people can be fined for.]
Narrator: Fruits, vegetables, and eggs like this can’t be brought into New Zealand. Nor can most meats, honey, cooking ingredients, herbs, and seeds or spices. Anything made of plants or wood can carry unwanted pests or diseases that could destroy our natural environment.
Put any items you aren’t sure about in the airport amnesty bins.
[Shot changes again to the biosecurity officer speaking to the camera.]
If in doubt, declare it for inspection on the arrival card. Or ask a biosecurity officer like me.
Because once you arrive, your bags may be x-rayed and inspected, and if you haven’t declared, you’ll be fined $400.
[Shots of people walking in nature in New Zealand.]
Narrator: As a visitor here, I’ll be asking one thing of you: Look after it. Protect it.
[Words appear: Declare or dispose risk items. Avoid a $400NZD fine. And please double-check your carry-on bags. This includes airline food.]
[The logo appears: ‘Biosecurity New Zealand – Ministry for Primary Industries – Manatu Ahu Matua’, followed by the logo: ‘Ko Tātou This Is Us – New Zealand Government – Biosecurity 2025]
[Video ends]
Information available in other languages
Information on this page is also available in Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi, and Gujarati.
ਐਲਾਨੀਆਂ ਜਾਣ ਵਾਲੀਆਂ ਵਸਤਾਂ (Punjabi)
घोषित की जाने वाली चीज़ें (Hindi)
What you must declare
Your Passenger Arrival Card has a list of the items you must declare. Be sure to declare any of the following items:
- fruit and vegetables
- plants and plant products
- animal products including fresh (uncooked meat or fish)
- honey and bee products (including tonics with honey such as Chyawanprash, or Panchamirtham mixtures containing honey)
- flowers and seeds
- sweets and wafers
- food and cooking ingredients
- used outdoor equipment.
If you are unsure whether an item is allowed into New Zealand, declare it on the arrival card when you land. Border staff will then check what you have – many items may still be allowed into the country. Doing the right thing will save you at least a $400 fine for not declaring.
You can also dispose of your items which may pose biosecurity risks in the Biosecurity Bins upon arrival if you don’t want to have them inspected.
Find out more about these types of risk items
Completing your Passenger Arrival Card
All passengers entering New Zealand must complete the Passenger Arrival Card.
The card contains questions about what biosecurity risk items you are bringing to New Zealand. You must declare the items you're bringing into the country on the card. This helps us check whether these items pose a threat to New Zealand. If we find that you have undeclared biosecurity items, you will be fined at least $400.
Copies of the cards are available to view on the Customs Service website:
- Hindi version of the Passenger Arrival Card
- Punjabi version of the Passenger Arrival Card
- English version of the Passenger Arrival Card
You must declare all the items you are carrying with you or in your luggage.
What happens when you declare risk items?
Many items you declare can still enter New Zealand but it will depend on the packaging and how they were processed. Our quarantine officers may need to inspect these items to make sure they are safe to enter the country.
Our biosecurity staff (quarantine officers) will assess your declared items by asking you more questions and inspecting them. Some biosecurity risk items you declare may be allowed into the country if:
- a quarantine officer is satisfied your items don’t pose a risk
- they have been treated by us at the border.
However, some items may not be allowed into the country no matter what. We may confiscate or destroy these.
If your items need to be treated, we'll send them to a private independent treatment company. You can collect these items at a later date. Treatment costs may apply.
