 New Zealand : Formalities
Arrival
Every yacht arriving from overseas must inform customs and agricultural quarantine officers by VHF radio (Ch. 16), telephone or e-mail (Yachts@customs.govt.nz) of one's intended ETA. This must be done at least 48 hours before arrival.
Russell Radio (see communications, Opua) will inform customs and immigration of a boat's arrival if this is requested by radio.
The New Zealand Border Agencies Information Pack for Yachts and Small Craft is available online at http://www.customs.govt.nz/Visiting+craft/Small+Craft+Arrival/default.htm and from yacht clubs around the Pacific.
Note: Text versions of the arrival notification form, and also the departure forms, can be accessed through the New Zealand Customs website
Once you have entered New Zealand territorial waters (12 nautical miles), the International Q-flag must be clearly displayed. All craft arriving in New Zealand from overseas must first report at a Customs port of entry.
On approaching the port of entry one should endeavour to confirm one's arrival. This can be done by VHF via Taupo Maritime Radio, which maintains repeaters along the coast. Alternatively, local port authority radio stations can forward an arrival confirmation. The arrival itself must be confirmed to the port on Channel 16.
If a yacht is not able to contact the authorities by radio and arrives unannounced, the captain must immediately contact customs or police by telephone (toll free numbers are available: Whangarei customs 0800 428 786). No one else must go ashore until clearance is complete.
Taupo Maritime Radio keeps continuous radio watch on 2182 kHz, 8291 kHz, 4125 kHz, 6215 kHz and 16420 kHz as well as VHF channel 16. They can also be contacted on Tel. +64 9 359 6655 or +64 25 961 375 (after hours). A telephone report may also be made to MAF in Auckland, Tel. +64 9 366 0345, +64 9 309 9093 or +64 274 975 171 (after hours).
Once your craft has arrived, Customs and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) quarantine officers will meet you. On arrival, every yacht must clear customs, immigration (via Customs) and undergo an inspection by a quarantine officer before clearance is complete.
The same entry and departure formalities apply to New Zealand yachts as to foreign vessels.
Departure
All craft departing overseas from New Zealand must depart from a Customs port of entry. A Customs officer will attend at the agreed time and place of departure.
You must advise the New Zealand Customs Service at least 72 hours before your intended departure to ensure that there is no delay. Once issued with a clearance certificate, yachts are required to go to sea within a reasonable time. Any delay should be reported to Customs.
The controversial Clause 21 of the Maritime Safety Act, requiring each pleasure craft departing New Zealand to obtain a Safety Certificate, has been repealed.
Last updated July 2009
MAF (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)
Tel:+64 9 256 8547
http://www.maf.govt.nz/quarantine/, enquiry@maf.govt.nz
Detailed information on quarantine inspection and regulations affecting pets on yachts visiting NZ.
New Zealand Customs Service
Marine Section, Box 29 , Auckland
Tel:+64 (0)9 307 6516 , Fax:+64 (0)9 359 6692
yachts@customs.govt.nz
Passports must be valid for at least three months beyond departure date.
Current details of immigration requirements for visitors arriving by yacht are online at http://www.immigration.govt.nz
British citizens may stay for up to six months on a visitor's permit. Pemission to stay beyond the maximum permitted period may be granted if the yacht need to undergo refitting or major repairs, or if crews wish to wait out the South Pacific hurricane season (October to April). Maximum length of stay is 12 months.
All crew are required to show evidence of funds of $400 NZ per month if living on the yacht. Anyone leaving the vessel in New Zealand may also be required to show an onward ticket, or sufficient funds to purchase one. The owner of the yacht must show evidence of owership and of adequate 3rd party insurance.
To contact an Immigration officer, phone the New Zealand Immigration National Contact Centre on Tel +64 9 914 4100 and dial "0" on receipt of the automatic response message for an Immigration officer, or fax the New Zealand Immigration National Contact Centre on Tel +64 9 914 4100.
Last updated July 2009.
Firearms must be declared to customs, and are normally kept in police custody until departure. If there is an onboard safe for firearms, this may be approved by the police.
Medicines should be accompanied by a prescription and be kept in their original packing.
The importation of weapons such as flick knives, swordsticks, knuckle-dusters, and any weapon designed to give the appearance of another article, is prohibited.
All foreign yachts entering New Zealand on a temporary basis fill in a Temporary Import form. The duty payable is assessed, and the amount secured by declaration on entry. Currently the rate totals 19.7%.
Departure must be within 12 months of entry. If not, this duty must be paid on the yacht and its equipment.
If planning to live and work in New Zealand, then the necessary visa must be obtained before arrival, otherwise the concession on the payment of duty will not apply. See the NZ Customs website (link below) for more details on this concession.
Extensions are normally not given beyond the 12 month limit unless the yacht is unseaworthy. The duty-free allowance for each person on arrival is 1 litre spirits and 4.5 litres wine or beer. Amounts in excess of this may be liable for customs charges.
All equipment other than fixtures must be declared, although these will not be subject to duty if remaining on board and re-exported on departure. Some may have to be sealed by customs. Items to be landed must be declared to customs on arrival. Goods imported into New Zealand such as radios and navigation equipment require a Temporary Import form and a deposit to cover duty and sales tax, which will be refunded on re-export. If imported permanently, they will be subject to duty.
Purchases made in New Zealand have duty paid on them, but if they are exported a refund of duty can be obtained from customs on proof of purchase and export.
Duty-free supplies vary from port to port. Purchases may be made from a Licensed Export Warehouse before departure, to be delivered just before departure and checked by customs.
A government sales tax of 12.5 per cent is charged on all goods and services. It can be avoided by yachts in possession of the "Temporary Importation" document, provided the taxable product is affixed permanently to the yacht by the vendor. Especially those having major work done on their boats should make sure that they are not charged this tax. As many non-food items are subject to tax, temporary visitors to New Zealand can claim a refund on all the tax and duty paid on such items which are going to be taken out of the country.
New Zealand Customs Service
If any firearms were detained on your arrival, contact the New Zealand Police to arrange for them to be delivered to your vessel prior to your departure. Make sure you allow sufficient time for the firearm(s) to be transported to your port of departure, particularly if this is different from your port of arrival.
To contact the New Zealand Police, phone 09 302 6400 between 0700 and 1630 Monday to Friday, and ask for the Arms officer.
Last updated July 2009.
Quarantine
New Zealand has very strict regulations on the importation of animals, animal and plant products, as it is a country so dependent on agriculture and relatively free from pests and diseases. On arrival, a quarantine officer from the MAF, who should be contacted before arrival, carries out an inspection. If that cannot be done, one should telephone MAF on arrival - they accept collect calls - or contact them through the local police. Until clearance is completed, nothing must be landed and the crew must remain on board. After clearance is completed, if it has been necessary to place any provisions under seal or if there are animals on board, regular inspections by an agriculture officer may be carried out. It may be more convenient to destroy on arrival any provisions that have to be sealed or stores that cannot be landed. Obviously it is advisable to arrive with a minimum of fresh stores.
Items that must not be landed are fruit, vegetables, plant products, foodstuffs, eggs and waste from these items, pot plants, meat and animal products. All waste must be disposed of through the proper garbage disposal system including egg containers. The quarantine officer will explain this on arrival. Until such stores are consumed or destroyed the yacht will be under surveillance and restricted to berthing at a wharf where these garbage facilities are available. Organic garbage should be disposed of before entering New Zealand territorial waters (12 mile limit). The quarantine officer may also inspect for pesticides, which must be of a formula registered in New Zealand. This can include insecticide sprays, cockroach traps and antifouling.
Bicycles, motorcycles and sporting equipment must be washed or cleaned before landing, for which a written authority is required.
Health
Any visitors to New Zealand who have symptoms such as a temperature, rash, glandular swelling or jaundice, or who have severe diarrhoea or know of the presence of an infectious disease or symptoms should visit a general practitioner on arrival or if such symptoms arise during their visit.
As exotic mosquitoes are capable of carrying diseases of human health significance MAF inspects all yachts arriving in New Zealand to identify the presence of all life stages of mosquitoes or of potential breeding sites (such as pooled water). Persons on board yachts should be aware of the risk of carrying such insects to New Zealand and keep yachts free of potential mosquito breeding habitat.
The Agricultural Department (MAF) charges time and mileage to inspect boats and this inspection must be conducted immediately on arrival. Yachts may share the cost between them. Yachts may wait until office hours to clear customs and immigration.
There are fees for visas and extensions to the visitor's permit. There are also fees for quarantine inspections.
Marine Environment
Authorities urge you before leaving for NZ to clean your hull of fouling and slime growth, wash down any tenders, fishing gear or diving gear and flush out with fresh water any areas on the yacht that retain seawater.
While in New Zealand don't throw any marine organisms or material overboard that may contain live creatures, weed or even plankton. If you need to clean your hull you are urged to go to a facility that has some means of capturing the fouling material so that exotic organisms are not deposited on the beach or in the sea.
No untreated sewage may be discharged from your boat within 500 metres of the shore, a marine farm or a marine reserve, or in water less than 5 metres in depth.
Chartering
Both the yacht and the crew become liable for New Zealand tax if engaged in chartering. Normally one would have to set up a New Zealand based company through which to charter the yacht or to us a New Zealand based agent. These rules are under review.
It is illegal to use marine VHF handheld radios ashore.
The importation of products made from endangered species is prohibited, such as: ivory, tortoise shell, whalebone, coral, crocodile, lizard or snake skins.
New Zealand is a rabies-free country. The New Zealand authorities actively discourage animals arriving on yachts and the restrictions placed on those with animals on board are considerable.
The Master must place a bond of NZ$1000 for the secure custody of any pets aboard, and this will be forfeited if conditions are not met. Animals must be either placed in quarantine or securely confined and not landed. The Master is required by the bond to notify the MAF 48 hours before departure from a port, indicating the next port of call in New Zealand, and notification must be given even if only moving moorings.
After six months the animal/s must be reshipped from New Zealand or destroyed; if not the yacht must leave the country. In the event of an animal becoming ill, the MAF must be contacted immediately and private vets cannot be consulted
without MAF approval. If a pet dies, its body must be given to the agriculture quarantine officer for disposal
Boats with animals on board will be inspected every 48 hours and the inspector's time is charged to the boat owner at an hourly rate of $72.30. Boats may group together and the charges are then shared out. Charges are more expensive at outlying ports such as Opua. Any pets obtained in New Zealand must be added to the bond.
Cats and dogs coming from Australia, United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Hawaii,Singapore and the Republic of Ireland do not require quantantine but require a Health Certificate and a Rabies Vaccination Certificate and will be inspected for ticks on arrival. There is a specific "Dogs and Cats on Yachts Import Health Standard" for cats and dogs being brought into New Zealand, and any equipment associated with the animals must also comply with the relevant "Import Health Standard for Equipment Associated with Animals".
Pet Medication - a separate declaration is needed to import veterinary medicines for use on accompanied animals. A copy of the veterinarian's prescription label must be provided with the declaration. However, excessive amounts of veterinary medicines (generally more than 3 months supply) might not be given clearance. Consult the Agriculture and Veterinary Medicines Group if in doubt (Tel: +64 4 463 2500).
Biosecurity New Zealand, Pastoral House, 25 The Terrace, Wellington, New Zealand (PO Box 2526 Wellington, New Zealand. Office hours 0830-1700.
Tel: +64 4 894 0560. Fax +64 4 894 0720. Email: info.biosecurity@maf.govt.nz
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