MetEx House, 496a Great West Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW5 0TE  ·  Shipping since 1998
0800 096 38 39
🗻 & ✈ Shipping to New Zealand • UK’s NZ specialists • Since 1998

Shipping to New Zealand from the UK
Luggage, personal effects & household goods — by air or sea

Everything you need to ship to New Zealand in one place. We collect from your door anywhere in the UK, prepare the NZCS 218 customs paperwork and MPI biosecurity, and deliver to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and beyond. Air freight in 6–10 working days, or economical sea freight in roughly 8–14 weeks, subject to space and flight availability with the carriers. These sea transit times are approximate — the actual time depends on when your LCL container finishes loading and consolidating, the vessel’s sailing date and route, any transhipment hub before the final destination, and customs clearance, so please allow a week or two either side. Shipping to New Zealand since 1998.

Get a quote 📞 0800 096 38 39

After shipping personal effects to New Zealand since 1998, we’ve learned that a smooth arrival comes down to two things: qualifying for the duty- and GST-free concession on the right form, and packing to satisfy the strictest biosecurity regime on earth. Get those right and clearance is straightforward; get them wrong and your goods can be inspected, treated or destroyed at your expense. This guide brings together everything that actually matters for a UK–New Zealand move.

Every way we ship to New Zealand

Not sure which service you need? Start here — each links to full details, transit times and what’s included.

How shipping to New Zealand works, step by step

1
Quote & book

Tell us what you’re sending and where. We’ll give you a clear quote up front.

2
Door collection

We collect from your address anywhere in the UK. No need to get anything to a depot or the airport.

3
Pack & document

Goods are export-packed and we prepare your itemised inventory and the NZCS 218 customs and biosecurity declaration.

4
Ship by air or sea

Air freight from Heathrow, or consolidated sea freight to your nearest New Zealand port.

5
Customs & MPI clearance

NZ Customs assesses the concession; MPI assesses biosecurity. We prepare everything to clear cleanly.

6
Delivery or collection

Your goods are delivered to the New Zealand address, or ready to collect from the arrival depot.

The NZCS 218 form and the concession rules

New Zealand lets you bring your used personal and household effects in free of duty and GST — but only if you meet the concession criteria, declared on the right form.

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NZCS 218 (Unaccompanied Personal Baggage Declaration) is the mandatory customs and quarantine form for anything shipped separately from you. It’s completed by the owner and assessed by NZ Customs and MPI. We prepare it with you.
To qualify duty- and GST-free you must hold a valid NZ residence or work visa (or a visitor visa for three years or more), have lived outside New Zealand for at least 21 months, have owned and used the goods before arrival, and be importing them for personal use — not for sale.
Be in New Zealand before your goods arrive, or arrange an agent to clear them. Where the concession isn’t met, 15% GST and any customs duty apply on the value of the goods.
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Some things can’t ship unaccompanied: alcohol and tobacco must travel with you. Firearms need a NZ Police Permit to Import. Inherited heirlooms can qualify even if not owned for the usual period.

Read the full NZ customs guide ›

The strictest border on earth — and how to sail through it

New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) runs a zero-tolerance biosecurity regime to protect the country’s environment. Every personal-effects shipment is risk-assessed — some clear on the paperwork, others are sent for physical inspection. Clean packing and an honest declaration are what keep your costs and delays down.

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Clean and dry every outdoor item. Hiking boots, trainers, bikes, tents, fishing, camping and garden gear — scrub every crevice free of soil, seeds and plant matter. Soil is the single biggest red flag.
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Wooden & natural items get extra scrutiny. Timber, cane, bamboo and plant-based decorations are checked for pests. Food, plants, seeds and animal products should be left out entirely.
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Complete the supplementary declaration. It’s voluntary, but detailing what your items are made of helps MPI clear you on paper and can avoid a physical inspection — which typically runs from around NZ$295 to over NZ$840.
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If in doubt, declare it. Declaring is free; failing to declare risk items can mean treatment, re-export, destruction at your cost, or fines. Prohibited or contaminated goods found on inspection are not returned.

Read the full NZ customs & biosecurity guide ›

What we see most often — and how to avoid it

Most UK–New Zealand shipments clear without drama. The ones that don’t nearly always come down to the same short list of things:

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Outdoor gear that looks clean but isn’t. A bike with dried soil in the tread, boots with mud in the soles, a tent packed away damp — MPI treats these as live risk. Scrub and dry them and they sail through.
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The 21-month rule. The concession needs you to have lived outside New Zealand for at least 21 months. People returning after a shorter spell abroad are often surprised to find GST applies.
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Skipping the supplementary declaration. It’s optional — but the shipments that skip it are the ones that get pulled for a paid inspection. A few minutes of detail can save hundreds of dollars.
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Trying to ship the drinks or the pantry. Alcohol can’t travel unaccompanied, and food and plants are a fast route to a hold. Leave them out.

What a move to New Zealand actually looks like

An illustrative example of a common scenario — your quote is always to your exact shipment.

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A couple relocating to Auckland on a work visa with the contents of a two-bed flat — furniture, boxes, a bike and some camping gear — would typically go by shared-container sea freight to the Port of Auckland. We’d collect from their door, export-pack, prepare the NZCS 218 and supplementary declaration, and flag the bike and camping gear as items to clean thoroughly before collection. Transit is usually 8–14 weeks door-to-door, and with the paperwork clean the goods clear customs and MPI without a costly inspection. Anything urgent goes ahead by air so it’s there when they land.

Door-to-door across New Zealand

We ship to both islands. Here are our most popular destinations — each with local delivery detail, arrival ports and transit times:

Which is right for your move?

Air freight suits a few boxes, urgent items or anything you need within a couple of weeks — 6–10 working days, priced on weight and size. Sea freight suits volume — a room, a family’s contents or a whole home — at a fraction of the per-kilo cost, over roughly 8–14 weeks door-to-door. Many customers split the two: air for the essentials, sea for the rest.

Moving-to-New-Zealand shipping guide ›

Shipping to New Zealand — your questions answered

Should I ship my belongings or pay the airline for extra bags? +
For anything beyond one or two extra bags, shipping is usually cheaper than airline excess-baggage fees — and you’re not lugging the weight through the airport. We collect from your door, ship door-to-door and prepare the customs and biosecurity paperwork.
How long does it take? +
Air freight is typically 6–10 working days to the arrival airport, plus clearance. Sea freight is typically 8–14 weeks door-to-door depending on the port and sailing, plus customs and MPI biosecurity clearance.
Will I pay duty or GST? +
Used personal and household effects can clear duty- and GST-free under the NZCS 218 concession if you hold a valid visa, have lived outside NZ for 21+ months, and owned and used the goods before arrival. Otherwise 15% GST and any duty apply.
What paperwork do I need? +
An itemised inventory, a copy of your passport and visa, the NZCS 218 declaration, and (recommended) the MPI supplementary declaration. We prepare these with you.
What happens if MPI inspects my shipment? +
MPI risk-assesses every consignment and may inspect. Clean, clearly-listed goods usually clear; if a risk item is found it may be cleaned, treated, re-exported or destroyed at your cost. A good declaration and clean packing are the best way to avoid it.
Can I send electrical items? +
Yes — electricals and appliances are fine to ship. New Zealand uses 230V and the same plug type as Australia, so most UK items just need a plug adaptor.
Is my shipment insured? +
We offer marine transit cover — we’ll explain the options and cost when we quote. We always recommend cover for a long-haul move.
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Lak Kharod, Director
Excess Luggage Co. • overseeing UK–New Zealand shipping since 1998 • MetEx House, Hounslow, next to Heathrow

Excess Luggage Co. has shipped personal effects, luggage and household goods from the UK to New Zealand for over 28 years — through our own Heathrow-side warehouse and collection fleet. We know this route, its ports, and exactly what NZ Customs and MPI biosecurity look for. For a quote or advice on what to pack, call us on 0800 096 38 39.

Ready to ship to New Zealand?

Tell us what you’re sending and where it’s going. We’ll come back with a quote and a realistic transit-time estimate — before you commit to anything.