nz travel food declaration

What you can and cannot bring with you into New Zealand

There are biosecurity and customs rules about what you can and cannot bring into New Zealand.

What you cannot bring into New Zealand ( NZ )

Some items are prohibited — you’re not allowed to bring them into NZ . There are also items that are restricted and you must have approval to bring these into NZ .

Check that you can bring your items in before your trip to NZ.

Prohibited and restricted items — New Zealand Customs Service

What you must declare

When you arrive in NZ you need to answer questions about your trip and what you’re bringing into the country.

If you do not declare restricted or prohibited items or you make a false or incorrect declaration, you could get an instant fine.

On your arrival — New Zealand Customs Service

Tobacco and alcohol

There are limits on how much tobacco and alcohol you can bring into NZ without paying goods and services tax ( GST ) and Customs duty.

If you bring in more than your allowance, you’ll have to pay GST, Customs duty and a fee.

Tobacco and alcohol limits — New Zealand Customs Service

There are restrictions and rules for bringing prescription medicines and controlled drugs into NZ .

Medicines — New Zealand Customs Service

Vehicles, boats or planes

If you’re planning to bring vehicles, boats or planes into NZ , you’ll need to meet the criteria for a tariff concession. If you do not have a concession, you’ll have to pay GST and possibly Customs duty.

Vehicles, Vessels and Aircraft — New Zealand Customs Service

Once NZ Customs have cleared your motor vehicle, a Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency ( NZTA ) approved agent must certify your vehicle for use on NZ roads.

If you’re bringing in a light vehicle, you’ll also need to hold a Clean Car Standard CO 2 account.

Importing a vehicle — Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

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Last updated 12 January 2024

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Date printed 26 April 2024

How to complete a Traveller Declaration form for New Zealand travel

Sarah Pollok

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What to prepare for your NZ Travel Declaration. Photo / Kevin Butz, Unsplash

Passport? Check. Wallet? Check. Traveller Declaration form…?

Pre-departure tests may get all the attention (and anxiety) among travellers but another requirement is just as critical for those flying into New Zealand; the Traveller Declaration form .

Introduced after the pandemic, the form is how people prove to the New Zealand Government they fulfil the Covid-19-specific criteria for entering the country. Like all government forms, it has its quirks. Here are 11 things every traveller should know.

1. Everyone has to do it. Yes, even New Zealand citizens and residents.

2. You can begin the form up to 28 days before your flight to New Zealand departs (and you should). There is only one part you can't complete a few days or weeks early; proof of a negative pre-departure test, which can only be uploaded once it is done 48 hours (for PCR) or 24 hours (for RAT) before departure. However, the rest of the form takes around 30 minutes to complete, then further time to be approved after submission. So, it is recommended you fill out the whole form in advance. Then, all you need to do the day before is upload the pre-departure result when it arrives and submit it right away.

3. Provide an email you have access to. This is where critical information regarding your form and submission will be sent.

4. Use Chrome on a computer . Travellers recommend completing the form on a computer instead of a phone and using the Chrome browser instead of Safari, which has trouble uploading documents.

5. A partly-complete form will be saved. If you start filling out the form and exit the page, it will be automatically saved, as long as you have completed the Your Passport information page. A code will be sent to whatever email address you provided, which allows you to reaccess the declaration. This is helpful for more time-sensitive parts of the declaration, such as pre-departure test results.

6. Have certain documents handy. The Travellers Declaration will require the following information: - Passport number - Travel history for 14 days prior to departure - First international airport of departure - Date and time of your first international flight - Date you will arrive in New Zealand - Flight number of your flight into New Zealand - Proof of Covid-19 vaccination - Contact details while in NZ - Emergency contact details (can be outside of NZ) - Proof of pre-departure test

7. Everything is digital. Since the form is done online, you will need your proof of Covid-19 vaccination and negative pre-departure test in a pdf, png or jpg format. Double-check that these are all correctly attached to the form before submission or else it will be denied.

8. Dissimilar details cause delays. Any information entered manually must perfectly match official documents, otherwise, the submission process may be delayed and it could be a few hours before an email prompts you to re-complete the form.

9. Submit ASAP...Then wait. NZTD does not state how long it takes for a declaration to be processed after submission. However, some travellers claim a successful form took five minutes. If it has been a few hours, double-check all details are correct and forms are attached. If you change any details, simply resubmit the form.

10. If approved, check your emails. This is where your Travellers Pass will be sent. This has a QR code you show at check-in to your NZ flight.

11. Having issues? Call the NZTD helplines. If you have issues uploading your test result, call the 24/7 toll-free helpline ASAP. If check-in is about to close and you can't attach your test result or the form is acting up, NZTD customer support may be able to issue a conditional approval which allows you to present a hard copy result. NZ: 0800 359 269. AUS: 1800 359 269. INT: +64 4 931 5799.

Travel regulations are constantly subject to change so always check official government websites like travellerdeclaration.govt.nz or covid19.govt.nz for up-to-date infromation.

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What to Declare When Arriving in New Zealand?

Nz pocket guide is 10 years old. thank you for trusting us with your trip for over a decade, what you can and cannot bring into new zealand.

New Zealand border control has strict rules on what you can bring into the country. The majority of restricted or prohibited items are those which pose a biosecurity risk to New Zealand’s fragile and unique environment. For this reason, it’s best to be mindful about what you pack in your luggage for New Zealand and know what you need to declare when arriving in New Zealand.

The guide below will go over examples of everything you need to declare when arriving in New Zealand . If you are unsure of something you are bringing into New Zealand, it doesn’t harm to declare it anyway. Failure to declare a risk item or falsely declaring an item will incur an instant NZ$400 fine, and either your item being sent for treatment at your expense, treated at the airport at your expense, or destroyed. To avoid this situation, take a look at the risk items mentioned below, as well as the New Zealand Traveller Declaration .

What Items You Have to Declare When Arriving in New Zealand

• Animals or animal products including food, souvenirs with animal products on, raw wool, etc
• Plants or plant products including nuts, seeds, medicinal products, etc
• Other biosecurity risk items including animal medicines, biological cultures, organisms, soil or water
• Equipment used with animals, plants or water
• Items that have been used for outdoor or farming activities
• Alcohol and tobacco over the duty-free allowance
• Prescription medicines
• More than NZ$10,000 in cash
• More than NZ$700 worth of goods not including your clothes, toiletries, etc.

What Food to Declare When Arriving in New Zealand

You must declare all food that you are bringing into New Zealand. This doesn’t mean you can’t bring food into New Zealand, but you must declare it. However, there are a few food items that you absolutely cannot bring with you into the country.

Food You Cannot Bring into New Zealand

• Fresh fruit and vegetables
• Fresh meat or fish
• Honey and bee products

Food That You Can Bring into New Zealand

For other food items, you can generally bring food into New Zealand that has been commercially prepared and packaged, is shelf-stable (i.e. is safe to eat within four months without being stored in a refrigerator), and unopened. Again, all food must be declared.

Baked goods are allowed as long as they don’t contain fresh fruit, raw nuts and fillings such as meat or whole egg.

Confectionery foods like sweets and lollies (candies) can be brought into New Zealand as long as they don’t contain:

• Liquid honey or other bee products , such as propolis
• Loose fresh fruit
• Loose raw seeds
• Citrus peel (candied citrus peel is Ok)
• Meat products .

Teas with no restrictions include common teas like Early Grey, English Breakfast, Green, Chamomile, etc. that can be either loose or in a sealed teabag. That also goes for Kombucha tea and herbal teas in a sealed teabag (not hand-tied). However, loose herbal teas and Canton Love-Pea Tea will require treatment at the border but this would ruin the tea. Tea containing honey powder needs to be shelf-stable and be limited to 50 teabags or less per passenger.

Finally, you can only bring honey into New Zealand if it was produced and packaged in New Zealand and the packaging is tamper-proof sealed. Maple syrup is fine as long as it does not contain honey.

How Much Food Can You Bring into New Zealand?

There are weight restrictions on food, which are as follows:

• Liquid food (such as fruit juice, soup, etc.) up to 10 l (338 fl oz).
• Concentrated liquid food (concentrated juice boxes or condensed soup, for example) up to 2 l (67 fl oz).
• Solid foods up to 10 kg (22 lbs).
• Moisture-reduced foods (such as freeze-dried meals) up to 2 kg (4 lbs).
• Spices up to 1 kg (2 lbs).

Declaring Animals and Animal Products

You can’t bring any live animals to New Zealand without a permit – read more about that in our guide to Bringing Pets into New Zealand . Souvenirs, ornaments, novelty items and jewellery that have any part made from animal fibres or feathers and/or animal hides and skins must be declared. It is likely that they will need to be inspected and they could require treatment.

There are also a few prohibited animal products that you should avoid bringing into New Zealand.

Animal Products You Cannot Bring into New Zealand

• Asian medicine
• Honey and honey products , including cosmetics, health supplements and medicines
• Shells and clams
• Turtle shell items
• Snakeskin or whalebone products.

Declaring Plants and Plant Products

All plant material needs to be declared. Many plants and plant products either need to be treated, need a permit or are strictly prohibited. Examples of the type of plant products you should declare include:

• Dried and fresh flowers
• Plant cuttings
• Items made of bamboo, cane, rattan, coconut or straw
• Items made of wood , such as drums, carvings, masks, weapons, or tools
• Any souvenirs made from plant material , such as items stuffed with seeds and straw
• Herbal medicines, health supplements and homoeopathic remedies
• Religious offerings .

Note that you can still bring souvenirs and items made of plant products to New Zealand if they have been adequately treated. See the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) for more information.

Declaring Used Outdoor Equipment

You must declare any items that have been used in the outdoors, such as fishing, gardening, hiking, camping, etc. This covers a broad spectrum of items, so if you are unsure about any of your outdoor gear, declare it anyway. We also recommend packing these items so they are easy to reach in your luggage in case they need to be inspected.

Used Outdoor Gear to Declare

• Footwear that has been used outside of urban areas , such as hiking shoes, gaiters and sports shoes. Footwear should be cleaned of soil and seeds before arriving in New Zealand
• Camping equipment including tents and camping food
• Hunting gear including backpacks and clothing
• Golf or sports equipment
• Any gear used with animals , such as horse riding equipment, farm footwear, vet supplies and shearing equipment and clothes used while shearing
• Gardening equipment
• Equipment used in horticulture, viticulture, apiculture, aquaculture, and forestry industries , including clothes, footwear and tools.

What Water Activity Gear to Declare

You should declare any gear that is used in water activities. This includes but is not limited to…

• Fishing gear including waders, fishing rods, lines, hooks and flies
• Swimming and diving equipment like wet suits and scuba equipment.

Restrictions on Water Activity Gear

There are strict restrictions on felt-soled waders , which are likely to be seized at the border. Plus, felt-soled waders are prohibited in freshwater in New Zealand.

While fly ties are allowed, non-artificial ties must meet the Import Health Standard, so could be seized for inspection, treatment or be destroyed.

All freshwater equipment and fishing gear must be clean and dried before you bring it into New Zealand. Wet gear will likely be treated or reshipped at your expense or destroyed with your authority.

Other Biosecurity Risk Items to Declare

Other items you have to declare include items you might be importing like machinery, a vehicle or machinery parts. Containers and cargo must also comply with the Import Health Standard .

Declaring Water Products

You must also declare anything associated with water like salt or freshwater products. This could include:

• Any fish and shellfish
• Seaweed, algae, aquarium plants, and seeds
• Micro-organisms
• Diving, swimming, and fishing equipment .

Declaring Endangered Species Products

New Zealand is part of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) agreement. Items from endangered species will not be allowed in New Zealand, including items such as:

• Turtle shell artefacts
• Snakeskin products
• Whalebone products
• Chinese medicines .

What Else Do You Need to Declare at Customs?

While all of the above covers the items that need to be declared for Biosecurity , there are other items that need to be declared to Customs so that you can go through the necessary procedures.

Duty-Free Allowances

You can bring alcohol and tobacco into New Zealand if you are 17 years old and above. If you bring alcohol or tobacco into the country which is above the duty-free allowance then you will need to pay duty for the remainder. Duty-free items must be for personal use, not for commercial use.

• Alcohol duty-free allowance – 4.5 l (152 fl oz) of wine or beer, and 3 bottles of spirits or liqueur, each bottle can hold up to 1.125 l (38 fl oz)
• Tobacco duty-free allowance – 50 cigarettes, 50 g (5 oz) of tobacco products, 50 g (5 oz) of cigars, or a mixture of all three, as long as it’s not more than 50 g (5 oz). 
• Other duty-free goods – No more than NZ$700 worth of goods bought from a duty-free retailer in New Zealand or overseas.

If you have more than the duty-free allowance for New Zealand, you have to pay duty fees or the Goods and Services Tax (GST) .

Prescription Medicines

You will need to declare any prescribed medication or “controlled drugs”. You will be able to bring prescribed medication into New Zealand as long as you have a copy of the medicine’s prescription or a letter from your doctor stating that you or someone that you’re travelling with is being treated with the medicine, and if the medication is in its original pharmacy container with your name and strength and dosage details shown on the label.

You can bring no more than a supply for three months, except oral contraceptive pills can be up to six months’ supply. See How to Get a Medical Prescription in New Zealand for more on the subject.

If you have more than NZ$10,000 or the foreign equivalent in cash, you will need to declare it. It is likely that you will need to fill out a Cash Border Control form.

More on Arriving in New Zealand

That’s it for our guide on what to declare when arriving in New Zealand. For more tips on planning a smooth arrival, check out more of our insightful guides:

• Arrival Advice: Biosecurity and Customs
• Arrival Advice: Passport Control and Immigration
• A Guide to the NZ Traveller Declaration
• Visitor Visa : Do You Need a Visa to Visit New Zealand?
• A Complete Guide to the NZeTA & IVL

Finally, if there’s anything we’ve missed, you’re likely to find it in our complete guide to the subject; Arriving in New Zealand: Airport Customs, Biosecurity & Arrival Process .

The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across New Zealand and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:

• Tourism New Zealand (General travel advice - Updated [2024])
• Immigration New Zealand (Visa and immigration advice - Updated [2024])
• New Zealand Customs Service (Customs and Biosecurity - Updated [2024])
• New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD online platform - Updated [2024])
• Tiaki Promise (Care for people place and culture - Updated [2024])
• Safe Travel (NZ travel advisories - Updated [2024])
• Stats NZ (Statistics and travel data - Updated [2024])
• Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (Road and transport tips - Updated [2024])
• DriveSafe (Road safety - Updated [2024])
• Council websites and freedom camping maps (Local travel advice region by region - Updated [2024])
• AdventureSmart (Know before you go - Update [2024])

Our editorial standards : At NZ Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.

About The Author

This article has been reviewed and approved by Robin, who is the co-founder of NZ Pocket Guide. With more than 15 years of experience in the New Zealand tourism industry, Robin has co-founded three influential tourism businesses and five additional travel guides for South Pacific nations. He is an expert in New Zealand travel and has tested over 600 activities and 300+ accommodations across the country.

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Bringing and sending items from India

If you're travelling to New Zealand from India, you might have something special that you want to bring (like food ingredients, sweets, and cultural items). Find out what you can bring in to New Zealand so that you avoid a $400 fine.

Watch our in-flight video

English with hindi subtitles (1:25).

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. Used outdoor equipment is a problem too.

[New shot of the New Zealand Traveller Declaration app, website, and paper card.]

If in doubt, declare it for inspection on the New Zealand Traveller Declaration website or app, or on a paper arrival card. 

[Shot changes again to the biosecurity officer speaking to the camera.]

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.]

[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.

घोषित की जाने वाली चीज़ें (Hindi)

What you must declare

Your New Zealand Traveller Declaration 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 New Zealand Traveller Declaration. 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 New Zealand Traveller Declaration

All passengers entering New Zealand must complete the New Zealand Traveller Declaration.

The traveller declaration contains questions about what biosecurity risk items you are bringing to New Zealand. You must declare the items you're bringing into the country. 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.

Learn more about the New Zealand Traveller Declaration

Copies of the NZTD paper declaration form are available to view on the New Zealand Customs Service website:

• Hindi version of the traveller declaration
• Punjabi version of the traveller declaration

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. 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.

Examples of risk items

Food and cooking ingredients.

All food items that you bring into New Zealand need to be declared. This includes raw ingredients for cooking. Food items include:

• pickles (including pickled meat and fish)
• dried mushrooms and fungi
• seeds for human consumption and for processing into food
• Rice, Sundal (boiled pulses mixed with spices), milk, Panchamirtham (fruits, honey, jaggery, nuts, spices mixture), sugar candy, nuts, pepper, salt, sand from ant hill, Tulsi leaves, Powa (pounded rice mixed with coconut and sugar)
• nuts, spices, herbs
• dried, cooked, or preserved fruit and vegetables (including pickles).

Sweets and wafers

You can bring sweets, snacks, and wafers from India to New Zealand. But make sure you declare them when you arrive in New Zealand.

Plants and plant products

All plant material must be declared. This includes any offerings, like flowers from temples. Examples of plants and plant products that you must declare include:

• dried and fresh flowers (including those from temples used for offerings)
• religious offerings
• plant cuttings
• items made of bamboo, cane, rattan, coconut, straw
• items made of wood
• any souvenirs made from plant material (like corn and straw, including items stuffed with seeds and straw)
• herbal medicines, health supplements, and homeopathic remedies.

Animal products

This could include novelty items, souvenirs, and ornaments. Our staff need to inspect all animal products.

Animal products include:

• traditional medicines
• honey and honey products (including cosmetics, health supplements, and medicines)
• shells and clams
• turtle shell items
• products made from snakeskin or whalebone.

Novelty items, souvenirs, and ornaments should be declared if they have any parts made from:

• animal fibres or feathers
• animal hides and skins.

Used outdoor equipment

We need to inspect all equipment that you used for hiking, sporting, and camping. This type of equipment can carry soil and plant material from other countries into New Zealand. That material may carry pests, diseases, and seeds. All of these can pose a threat to our environment and wildlife.

You can buy many Indian products in New Zealand

Many Indian food ingredients are easy to get in New Zealand, at speciality supermarkets and stores. You can find New Zealand stores that sell Indian food ingredients by searching on the internet.

For your convenience, we've compiled a list of stores in New Zealand's main cities.

A list of Indian supermarkets in New Zealand [PDF, 459 KB]

Help us protect New Zealand

New Zealand has a natural environment that is well-known internationally. We're home to horticultural and agricultural industries that export goods all around the world. As a visitor to New Zealand we ask you to play your part to help protect our country from pests and diseases.

You must follow the law around what is allowed into New Zealand, or you may be fined at least $400.

Find out more

Use our online tool to find out what you can bring or post to New Zealand

Biosecurity resources for people from India coming to New Zealand

Contact us 

If you have questions about what you can bring into New Zealand, email  [email protected]

MPI business units

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