About alternative import clearances
Most goods and cargo imported to New Zealand must comply with our standard import clearance procedures.
But sometimes our standard import processes are not suitable for specific types of cargo and equipment. For example, unusual, specialist, or time-sensitive consignments – situations when you might need the cargo to be cleared at a non-standard location or to be cleared faster than usual.
In those cases, you can request an alternative clearance method either:
- before the goods reach New Zealand (known as pre-border verifications), or
- after arrival using multi-transitional facility processing (known as onshore complex cargo clearances).
We explain more about these alternatives on this page.
These arrangements are only available in exceptional circumstances where standard import processes are not suitable. In all circumstances, you will still need to comply with the import health standards for the type of container, cargo, and its packaging.
If your application demonstrates that there is a reasonable requirement for your cargo to be managed differently from our standard importing processes, MPI may consider one of these alternatives.