Take a look at the New Zealand Customs Service website for official information on bringing your clothing, personal belongings (such as jewellery), household goods, motor vehicles and boats to New Zealand.

If you are importing a motor vehicle (or vehicles), you’ll need to make sure that it complies with safety and design regulations. If it doesn’t, you won’t be able to register your vehicle in New Zealand. That means you won’t be able to drive it. The Land Safety Transport Authority can help you with this.

When your vehicle arrives here, it will be inspected.  It might need to be steam cleaned before you can drive it away – if it does, you’ll need to pay for this.

If you wish to import a left-hand-drive vehicle, contact the Land Transport Safety Authority before making shipping arrangements. This is because we only register some types of left-hand drive vehicles.

Change to household goods rules

The rules around the duty-free entry of household goods will change from 15 November. People who hold long-term temporary visas (such as long-term business and work to residence visas) will not have to pay any Customs duty on their baggage and effects, including ships, aircraft, motor vehicles, and household effects.

The full list of people who do not have to pay Customs duty on their baggage and effects, including ships, aircraft, motor vehicles, and household effects includes people who hold:

• a New Zealand passport
• an Australian passport
• a current New Zealand residence visa or permit, or current returning resident’s visa or permit
• a current permanent residence visa (including a resident return visa) issued by the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia
• a current work visa or work permit that was issued for a minimum of 12 months
• a current work visa or work permit, issued under the Long Term Business Visa policy, that was issued for a minimum of 9 months
• a current visitor’s visa or permit that was issued for a minimum of 3 years.

For more information go to the New Zealand Customs website.