Completing your declaration Te whakaoti i tō whakapuakanga

You can complete your declaration online or on the NZTD app.

How to start a declaration

You can start and complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration:

  • on the NZTD online form New Zealand Traveller Declaration
  • on the NZTD app, which you can download at the App Store or Google Play Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play

Once you have started your declaration, you will be emailed a reference number that you can use to review, complete or make changes to your declaration. Take note of this reference number, just in case you need it on arrival into New Zealand.

Please note: The NZTD app is only available at this stage for air travellers, or cruise ship travellers if invited on a trial basis. Other maritime travellers can use the online form .

Information you need to provide

  • Passport details
  • Contact details in New Zealand (if staying in multiple locations, use the first address you will be at in New Zealand)
  • Travel history from the last 30 days
  • Flight or voyage details
  • Information about what you are bringing into New Zealand, including checked-in luggage and carry-on bags
  • Immigration status including your visa or NZeTA, if you need one.

What you need to declare

Some items can carry harmful pests and diseases and need to be declared. This includes things like some foods, used outdoor equipment, animal and plant products. You also need to declare medicines, tobacco, alcohol and if you are carrying $10,000NZD or more cash (or equivalent) into New Zealand.

Your travel declaration is a legal document. False declarations can lead to penalties including confiscation of goods, a minimum instant fine of $400NZD, prosecution, imprisonment, and deportation from New Zealand.

If you’re unsure about what you can and can’t bring into New Zealand, check out the Biosecurity online tool.  

Check if you can bring or send an item to NZ – Manatū Ahu Matua Ministry for Primary Industries

How to declare items when arriving in New Zealand – Manatū Ahu Matua Ministry for Primary Industries

Submitting your declaration

For air travellers, the earliest you can submit your declaration is 24 hours before you start your trip to New Zealand.

For sea travellers, the earliest you can submit your declaration is 24 hours before departing the vessel’s last foreign port prior to arriving in New Zealand.

Once you have submitted your declaration, you will receive an email that includes information on what you need to know to enter New Zealand, based on what you have told us.

You do not need to print anything out.  

Changing your declaration

You can use the reference number that has been emailed to you to review, complete or make changes to your declaration.

You will need to resubmit your declaration if you make any changes to it. 

You can no longer make any changes to your declaration after you have gone through passport control or been processed by a border officer in New Zealand. If you have forgotten to declare something, you will need to talk to a border officer.

If you are carrying a restricted or prohibited item and do not declare it, you may be fined or prosecuted.

Support completing your declaration

If you are having trouble with your declaration, you can ask someone you trust to help you or to fill it out on your behalf. There is a paper declaration form available on arrival, if needed. You do not need to fill in a paper declaration form if you have completed a digital declaration.

Remember the declaration is free to complete. Get in touch with our contact centre if you have questions.

Long-haul journey and stopovers

Travelling with a stopover.

If you have a stopover (you leave the airport and take your bags with you), the earliest you can submit your declaration is 24 hours before your flight leaves your stopover location for New Zealand.

For example, if you are flying from London to Auckland via Singapore, and are staying the night or leaving Singapore airport and taking your bags with you, you can submit your declaration 24 hours before your flight leaves Singapore for Auckland.

Travelling without a stopover

If you are travelling long-haul (on multiple flights without a stopover), the earliest you can submit your declaration is 24 hours before you start the first leg of your journey to New Zealand.

For example, if you are flying from London to Auckland via Singapore, you can submit your declaration 24 hours before you leave London, as long as you (and your bags) are not leaving the airport in Singapore.

Travelling on multinational passports

Please enter the details of the passport you will use to enter New Zealand when completing your New Zealand Traveller Declaration.

For example, if you are using a UK passport to leave Europe but a New Zealand passport to enter New Zealand, enter the details of your New Zealand passport in your declaration. 

Changes to your flight or voyage

If you make a change to your flight booking, you need to update your digital declaration to reflect your new flight details. Please make sure you resubmit your declaration.

If your flight is cancelled or changed by the airline, you do not need to do anything if you are flying on the same day. If your flight arrives on another day, you will need to edit your declaration to show this.

If you are travelling by sea and the date of your arrival or details of the vessel you are travelling on are changed, you will need to edit your declaration to reflect this.

Travellers who do not need to complete a declaration

Air travellers who are transiting through New Zealand and stay in the transit area of an airport do not need to complete a declaration.

Travellers unexpectedly arriving in New Zealand due to an emergency may not need to complete a declaration. This includes people who arrive in New Zealand after having been medically evacuated, rescued at sea, or on a temporary basis due to weather conditions.

Group or family declarations

If you’re travelling in a group or as a family, individual declarations need to be completed for each person travelling.

Returning to New Zealand

Everybody entering New Zealand needs to complete a declaration, including New Zealand citizens and residents. For example, if you’re returning to New Zealand from Australia, Fiji or any other country, you’ll need to complete a declaration.

Support and resources

The traveller factsheet is available in multiple translations.

Travelling by sea

For more information about arriving into Aotearoa by sea.

Get in touch if you have any questions or need more information.

New Zealand Traveller Declaration: Completing your declaration (short version)

Here are the things you need to complete your New Zealand Traveller Declaration.

This will take you around 10 minutes.

  • flight details
  • contact information
  • recent travel history
  • immigration status including your visa or NZeTA, if you need one
  • information about what you are bringing into the country, including what’s in your checked-in luggage and carry-on bags.

Some foods, used outdoor equipment, animal or plant products, can’t be brought into New Zealand. They can carry harmful pests and diseases.

You may need to declare any medicines, tobacco, alcohol, and 10,000 New Zealand dollars cash and over, or equivalent.

If you’re unsure about what you can and can’t bring into New Zealand, check out the online tool.

It’s okay to get someone to help you complete your digital declaration. Or you can fill in a paper declaration form on arrival.

You do not need to fill in a paper form if you have done a digital declaration.

Once you start your digital declaration, you will get an email with a reference number. You can use this to make any changes up until you reach passport control in New Zealand.

You will need to resubmit your declaration if you make any changes to it.

You do not need to print anything out. Your New Zealand Traveller Declaration will automatically be checked when your passport is scanned at the eGate or by a border officer.

Go to TravellerDeclaration.govt.nz for more information or to start filling in your digital declaration.

Support and resources in other languages .

Last updated: 12th March 2024

IMAGES

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  6. A Guide to the NZ Traveller Declaration & Passenger Arrival Card [2022

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COMMENTS

  1. Completing your declaration

    Everyone entering New Zealand needs to submit a declaration. It is free and takes about 10 minutes. You can do it on the NZTD app or online form, using your phone or computer. For air travellers, the earliest you can submit your declaration is 24 hours before you …