Some foods, drinks, sports and outdoor equipment, and animal and plant products can carry harmful pests and diseases. If you’re unsure, declare your items when you arrive or put them in the bin, otherwise you can get a fine.
Biosecurity New Zealand has enhanced screening in place for travellers arriving in New Zealand from countries with foot and mouth disease.
To make sure your arrival in New Zealand goes smoothly:
Declared risk goods may be inspected to ensure it's safe for them to be brought into New Zealand.
Remember, if you fail to declare risk goods, you could face a $400 instant fine or be prosecuted.
Risk goods may be on your person (in your clothing or a small bag) or in your luggage. You must declare risk goods by completing a New Zealand Traveller Declaration. It's free to complete a digital declaration on the official New Zealand Traveller Declaration website or the NZTD app. A paper declaration form is available on arrival for travellers who cannot complete it online. All travellers into New Zealand must complete a declaration even if you don’t have anything to declare.
If you make a false or incorrect declaration – even by accident – you are breaking the law and you can be fined or put in prison.
New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) website
Official declarations – Customs Service
Information for travellers in languages other than English
It's not possible for us to list all the goods considered a risk. This is because an item's risk isn't always the same. It depends on things like the country it comes from, its ingredients, or packaging.
As part of the declaration process, an officer is likely to ask you questions to clearly establish what you are carrying. The answers you give in this interview are part of your declaration. If you give incomplete answers about your risk goods, you can still be fined or prosecuted if any are found during an inspection.
We've got a tool to help you quickly get an answer about whether your food or other item may be allowed into New Zealand. We don't have everything listed in the tool but it covers the food and other items we most frequently get asked about. The tool will also tell you whether there are any weight or quantity restrictions.
Go to the tool – Check if you can bring or send an item to NZ
Watch our biosecurity inflight video below. It will help you understand the importance of protecting New Zealand from unwanted pests and diseases.
Transcript – show/hide
This is an important announcement from the New Zealand Government regarding your biosecurity requirements when entering New Zealand.
Welcome to New Zealand.
With our beautiful lakes, rivers, sea, forests and land, our country is unique.
However, pests and diseases can affect our plant and animal life and hide in food and other risk items causing serious damage to our environment, our primary industries, our economy, and the activities we enjoy.
It only takes one risk item to harm New Zealand.
On arrival, your bags may be x-rayed and inspected.
Failing to declare a biosecurity risk item may result in an instant fine.
Our biosecurity officers are here to help you understand New Zealand’s strict biosecurity laws and what the risk items are.
These include; fruits, vegetables and eggs, meats, honey, cooking ingredients, herbs and seeds, or spices, anything made of plants or wood, and used outdoor equipment, including dirty boots and dirty shoes.
You will need to declare all biosecurity risk items. You can do this via your New Zealand Traveller Declaration.
Everyone travelling to New Zealand must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration. This includes on behalf of children and babies.
An easy way to do this is via the New Zealand Traveller Declaration app or website at travellerdeclaration.govt.nz
You can do this on board now using in-flight wi-fi if available. If there is no wi-fi, you need to complete this process before reaching passport control.
If you have already completed your declaration, nice one.
Before you exit the aircraft, take a moment to check your bags and belongings.
Make sure any food you've received in-flight or any forgotten food items in your cabin baggage are left on the aircraft.
When you land, use the biosecurity disposal bins in the airport to dispose of any risk items you're still carrying.
Or ask a biosecurity officer if you're unsure.
It only takes one risk item to harm New Zealand, and it's our job to find undeclared items.
If you fail to declare a risk item, even accidentally, you could receive an instant fine.
Thank you for your help in protecting our environment and our economy.
And our farmers, fruit growers too, and the outdoor activities we love.
[End transcript]
Here are some examples of the kinds of items considered a potential risk to New Zealand:
Note that:
Some of the risk items you declare may be allowed into the country:
However, some items may not be allowed into the country under any circumstances and may be confiscated or destroyed.
Items that require treatment are sent to private independent treatment companies. You can collect items sent for treatment at a later date.
Declare even the smallest amounts and ingredients for cooking.
All food items brought into New Zealand, even the smallest amounts and ingredients for cooking, need to be declared. Food items include:
If you're importing large quantities of food items for commercial use, you'll need to follow the rules and regulations for importing those products.
All animal products brought into New Zealand need to be inspected and may need treatment or permits. Some items will not be allowed into New Zealand.
Animal products include:
Novelty items, souvenirs, and ornaments should be declared if they have any parts made from:
Find out more about importing animal products
These products must be declared. They can contain animal dung and plant materials that may carry pests and diseases. If you are carrying any of these types of items, make sure you declare them or you can be fined.
Find out more about importing these types of products
Declare all plant material. Some types of products are prohibited.
All plant material must be declared. Items may need treatment or an import permit, and some products are prohibited. Examples of plants and plant products that must be declared include:
If you bring wood products, fruit, vegetables, other plant products, micro-organisms or laboratory specimens into New Zealand, you must comply with the requirements for importing those items.
For more information refer to the steps to importing:
Anything used outdoors – on farms, for hiking, camping, fishing, gardening and the like.
Used equipment, like sporting and recreational equipment, must be declared on your traveller declaration.
This type of equipment can transfer soil and plant material from other countries into New Zealand that may carry pests, diseases, and seeds – all of which can pose a threat to our environment and wildlife. Some contaminants such as viruses, bacteria and fungi are not visible and may be present on used equipment that appears clean to the naked eye.
Equipment might be inspected on arrival so it should be easy to reach in your luggage.
If you are unsure about whether or not your equipment needs inspecting – declare it.
Used equipment includes:
If you're bringing used freshwater fishing equipment into New Zealand, it must be clean and dry.
If MPI officers suspect your equipment isn't completely dry (even if you cleaned it before coming), you'll have to either:
Download the IHS for used equipment associated with animals or water [PDF, 416 KB]
Refer to 'Check, Clean, Dry' information for instructions on cleaning sporting and camping equipment before coming to New Zealand.
Once in New Zealand – you can continue to protect our environment and wildlife by:
There are other items imported into New Zealand that could introduce pests, diseases, or unwanted organisms. These items must comply with a relevant import health standard.
Non-biological items include:
For more information read about:
When you enter New Zealand, you'll need to declare all salt and freshwater products and equipment. This includes:
Live animals can be carriers of pests and diseases and you'll need the correct documentation when bringing them into New Zealand. Find out about:
Be aware of products covered by the CITES agreement.
Many endangered species are needlessly destroyed to make souvenirs for travellers. By supporting the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) agreement and deciding not to buy goods made from endangered species, you can help save these rare plants and animals from extinction.
New Zealand is party to the CITES agreement. It covers items like:
Any plant, animal, or product covered by the CITES agreement is not allowed into New Zealand, unless it is accompanied by a CITES permit(s). If you try to bring in items under the CITES agreement without appropriate permits, they'll be seized.
Find out more about endangered species and permitting requirements by visiting the:
MPI quarantine officers will make a risk assessment of your declared items by asking you more questions or through a visual inspection. Sometimes they will need to refer to legal documents called import health standards. In general, if there is not an import health standard (IHS) for your item, it can't be brought into the country. (Import health standards are not generally for specific items but are more generic. For example, there is not an import health standard for milk but milk is covered in the IHS Specified foods for human consumption containing animal products as a "dairy product").
For items that are covered by an IHS, the standard gives information including:
Note that import health standards can change without notice. For example, if there was a disease outbreak overseas.
Find out more about import health standards
People failing to declare biosecurity risk goods – even by accident – may be instantly fined an NZD$400 infringement fee. Anyone caught smuggling a prohibited or risk item could:
Make sure you declare or dispose any risk goods. If in doubt, ask a quarantine officer when you arrive at the airport.
Why you're fined for failing to declare
If you have questions about what to declare, email info@mpi.govt.nz
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