MOVING TO NEW ZEALAND

Customs Regulations

Immigrants and New Zealand residents returning to resume permanent residence after 21 months or more overseas.

Household and Other Effects

Your household and other effects (excluding motor vehicles, boats and aircraft) will be admitted free of duty and exempt GST for a reasonable time after you arrive, provided you can meet the following requirements:

You are coming to New Zealand with the intention of taking up permanent residence
You have lived outside New Zealand for the whole of the 21 months before date of your arrival in New Zealand
You have owned and used the goods before the date of your departure for New Zealand
The goods are for your own personal use

Goods which usually qualify under this concession include furniture, radios, video equipment, television sets, household appliances, linen and bedding, chinaware, glassware, silverware, movie and slide projectors, cameras, non-motorised caravans. The production of an inventory of your household and other effects will assist Customs clearance.

Motor Vehicles

An Immigrant i.e., a person coming to New Zealand to take up permanent residence for the first time, is allowed duty and GST free entry of a motor vehicle, motor cycle and motor scooter under the conditions set out below. It is possible for more than one vehicle to qualify under this concession. To benefit from this concession you must be able to comply with all of the following requirements, supported by full documentary evidence.

You are coming for the first time to New Zealand to take up permanent residence for the first time ( That is, you have not lived in New Zealand before )
You must have personally owned and personally used the vehicle for at least one year before the date of your departure for New Zealand or the date of its shipment, whichever is the earlier.
You must be importing the vehicle for your own personal use and not for sale, gifts or disposal in any other way.
You must be prepared to give a written undertaking that if you sell or dispose of the vehicle within two years of the date of its importation, you will pay an amount equal to the duty and GST which would otherwise be payable.

Unless you can satisfy the Customs that all these requirements have been complied with, full duty and GST will be payable.

Note

Returning New Zealanders do not qualify for the above concession, save for those persons who can demonstrate that they have personally owned and personally used the vehicle or vehicles being imported, on or before June 21^st, 1979. In such cases the resale restrictions still apply

Left-Hand Drive Vehicles

Under the Customs Import Prohibition Order (No.2) 1952, there is a restriction on the importation of left-hand drive vehicles. Before shipping a left-hand drive vehicle to New Zealand you must obtain approval to import from the Ministry of Transport, Land Transport Division, P.O. Box 27459, Wellington, New Zealand Tel . (04) 828 300.

Steam Cleaning of Motor Vehicles

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries requires that all used vehicles entering New Zealand are steam cleaned to prevent the introduction of animal and plant diseases and pests, except used vehicles from Australia, if on inspection at the port of entry, they are found to be clean. To avoid delay in New Zealand, vehicles may be steam cleaned immediately prior to shipment and a "Certificate of Steam Cleaning" produced to the Agriculture Quarantine Service on arrival. An inspection of the vehicle is required before release to ensure that cleaning has been adequate. This will be carried out at an approved area. Vehicles not steam cleaned before loading, or found to be contaminated on arrival, will be cleaned in New Zeal and reinspected before release.

Boats and Aircraft

A concession is also available in respect of certain types of boats (mainly trailer sailers, and power boats under seven metres in length) and aircraft. It applies both to immigrants and to New Zealand residents returning to resume permanent residence after 21 months or more overseas. As this is a complex concession, if you are considering importing a boat or aircraft you should contact the Collector of Customs at the port of which you intend to enter the goods, for full details.

Prohibited and Restricted Imports

An important Customs function is screening out items harmful to New Zealand's interests. Importation of some goods is prohibited. Others may be admitted only after they have been subjected to treatment.

Agricultural Items

The following al asses of goods must be declared:

Food of any kind.
Plants or parts of plants (alive or dead).
Animals (alive or dead) or their products.
Equipment used with animals.
Equipment such as camping gear, golf clubs and used bicycles.
Biological specimens.

Domestic Pets

There are prohibitions and restrictions governing the entry of domestic pets, such as cats and dogs, into New Zeal and these are strictly enforced. Further information on agricultural requirements can be obtained by contacting the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Agriculture Quarantine Service, or the nearest New Zeal and Overseas Representative.

Firearms and Weapons

The importation of firearms is strictly controlled and a Police permit to import is required. The importation of certain types of weapons, such as flick knives, swordsticks and knuckledusters, is prohibited.

Medicines

If you require medicines containing habit forming drugs or narcotics (eq, diuretics, depressants, stimulants, heart drugs, tranquillisers sleeping pills) you should.

Have a prescription from your physician advising that the medicine is being used under a doctor's direction and is necessary for your physical well-being.
Carry the drug in their original container.

Indecent Articles

Articles such as indecent video tapes, films, records and publications are prohibited imported and will be seized