Nelson - Clearance

Nelson is a Port of First Arrival for New Zealand.  The Customs requirements for international yachts entering New Zealand at the Port of Nelson are no different from any other Ports of Arrival into New Zealand.

For full details on clearing into and out of New Zealand see Noonsite/New Zealand/Formalities.  

Clearance Requirement Nelson:

It is the responsibility of the arriving craft/crew to contact Port Nelson to arrange an arrival berth. There is a Customs/Biosecurity Jetty but access to that is dependent on the size and draft of the craft, otherwise an approved berth within Port Nelson will be allocated to complete the arrival/clearance processing.

On approach to Nelson, contact Nelson Harbour radio on VHF Channel 16, then working channel 12 with an accurate ETA. You will then directed to the MPI/NZCS pontoon berth if your draft is suitable.  This berth has been cleared to berth a 12.5m mono-hull vessel with a draft of 1.5m. If the vessel is too deep or long then an approved berth will be found within the Port Nelson CCA area.

Biosecurity Requirements:

Vessel hulls must be clean when entering the Marlborough, Nelson, or Tasman regions. Ensure fouling on your vessel's hull and niche areas does not exceed ‘light fouling’ or Level 2 fouling on the Cawthron Level of Fouling scale, for example, small patches or isolated barnacles (1 - 5% coverage), unless:

• You're entering for a haul-out, which must happen within 24 hours.
• There's an emergency affecting the safety of the craft or people on board.
• There's a declared state of emergency.

This rule does not apply if:

• Your craft has met New Zealand's Craft Risk Management Standard for Biofouling within the past two months.
• Your craft is usually moored in the Tasman-Nelson region and leaves for no more than three days before returning.

Last updated:  January 2025