New Zealand has biosecurity controls as strict as Australia. MPI Quarantine Service fee is mandatory per consignment. No food, no plant material, no soil, no untreated wood. Items may be inspected, treated or destroyed at your cost if they fail biosecurity.
✈ Air freight to New Zealand: 5-9 working days, subject to space and flight availability with the carriers from UK door collection • ⚓ Sea freight: 8-14 weeks door-to-door (subject to your destination) • Price confirmed before we collect • Freephone 0800 096 38 39
These items are not automatically refused but face restrictions, duties, inspections or require specific documentation. Check before you pack.
All food items including packaged, dried and processed goods. Very strictly enforced.
Seeds, dried flowers, plants, wood products without treatment certificates, straw, bamboo.
Any soil residue on boots, garden tools or outdoor equipment. Thoroughly clean all items.
Hides, feathers, bones, shells without MPI approval. Honey and bee products restricted.
Controlled substances require Ministry of Health approval. Many UK medications restricted.
Cultures, specimens, biological samples require MAF permits.
Must have heat treatment certificate (ISPM 15). Untreated wooden items may be refused.
Subject to strict biosecurity controls and MPI permits.
The following items are prohibited on all services — air freight, sea freight and door-to-door (subject to your destination). Do not pack them. Items found during inspection will be confiscated, and you may face penalties.
Customs clearance at destination is your responsibility as sender — who must also be the receiver for personal effects classification. Have these documents ready before we collect.
If customs or inspection issues arise at the destination — including holds, queries or inspections — you must respond promptly. Failure to respond, or submission of incorrect documentation, will result in storage charges accumulating at the destination warehouse at your cost.
You are liable for storage, inspection fees and any duties that arise where:
If you are unsure about any item, its declared value, or the documentation required for your destination — call us before you pack. We would rather spend ten minutes on the phone with you than have your shipment held at customs for two weeks while fees accumulate.
After more than two decades on this route, we know exactly what causes shipments to be held, delayed or refused at New Zealand customs. These are the practical tips that make the difference.
Clean all outdoor gear, hiking boots and sporting equipment thoroughly — no soil tolerance at all.
MPI fees are mandatory and payable in New Zealand — budget for this before you ship.
Items failing biosecurity may be treated, fumigated or destroyed at your cost. Declare everything.
Wooden items including carvings and furniture must have ISPM 15 heat treatment certificates.
Auckland and Christchurch are our main door-to-door (subject to your destination) destinations. Wellington rates on request.
“We collect your luggage ourselves. We check it is properly packed, wrapped and secured before it leaves your door. After 28 years we know what arrives safely and what doesn’t. That happens before the bag is in the air — not after.”
Your UK shipping quote does not include the following destination charges. These are levied by governing bodies and government agencies at the arrival country and are payable by you directly at destination:
These charges are mandatory, set by the destination country’s governing bodies, and outside our control. We will advise you of known destination charges for your route at the time of booking so you can budget accordingly. If you have questions about what to expect at your destination, call us on 0800 096 38 39 before you book.