At a glance
- Check whether all food and used outdoor gear—including hiking boots, tents, fishing equipment, and water-sports gear—must be declared on your NZTD.
- Remove dirt and seeds from outdoor gear, dry it completely, and keep it somewhere easy to inspect.
- Even an accidental failure to declare can result in an immediate NZ$400 fine or prosecution, so declare an item if you’re unsure.
Day by day
Suggested itinerary
See each day's route, highlights, background and stay together in one place.
Wash soil and plant matter off hiking boots, tents, bicycles, and fishing gear, then let everything dry completely.
Check food, medicines, plant and animal products, and outdoor gear by item type. Declare anything you’re unsure about.
Keep declared items and cleaned gear easy to reach, and follow the biosecurity officer’s questions and inspection instructions.
How to fit it in
When you pack, make a list of your food and outdoor gear, and pack those items where you can easily take them out for border inspection. Answer the declaration questions based on what you’re actually carrying.
Reality check
Biosecurity processing times vary depending on your bags and how busy the airport is, so leave extra time between arrival and airport pickup, a domestic connection, or a long-distance shuttle.
Allow time before departure to clean and dry your gear. On arrival day, account for possible delays at passport control and inspection by scheduling fixed bookings later.
Failing to declare an item may result in an instant NZD400 fine. Declaring an item and having it inspected are separate from permission to bring it in. If you’re bringing used gear, include time for cleaning, drying, and inspection in your itinerary. Bringing less food can also reduce disposal costs or the need to buy replacements locally. If you rent gear locally, compare the booking price separately from transportation costs for pickup and return.
Declare all required items and follow officers’ instructions during inspections. Check airline baggage rules separately for dangerous goods such as cleaning products and fuel.
If plans change
Don’t pack it wet and try to hide it. Declare whether it was used and its condition, then follow the officer’s instructions. Before you leave, compare local rental options for gear you don’t need to bring.
Let your airport pickup provider know about the delay. Don’t try to skip inspection; adjust your next leg according to the change policies for your domestic flight or shuttle.
Small tip
Declaring an item doesn’t mean you decide whether it can enter the country. Don’t hide anything; describe it so an officer can inspect it and make the decision.
Final check before departure
- Add time to your arrival preparations for cleaning and drying gear, and keep food in its original packaging with ingredient labels intact.
- Pack items for inspection where they’re easy to reach, and answer the NZTD questions about food, plant and animal products, and outdoor gear.
- Check your booked airport transportation provider’s waiting policy for delayed arrivals, rental car hours, and airline dangerous-goods rules separately.
Verified as of 2026-07-30. MPI requires all food and used outdoor equipment to be declared. Whether an item is allowed is determined by a quarantine officer based on its origin, ingredients, and condition.
Information checked: 2026-07-30