Christmas or New Year gift stuck at NZ Customs?
If a Christmas present, New Year gift or personal parcel has arrived in New Zealand and the courier, freight company, Customs or MPI has asked you for clearance information, Cusmode Customs Brokers NZ can help.
We assist with personal gifts and parcels arriving by international courier, air freight and sea freight, including shipments arriving through Auckland.
What we can help with
- New Zealand Customs clearance for personal gifts and parcels
- Courier and air-freight shipments
- Customs import entries where required
- Customs Number/client-code assistance where required
- Duty and GST assessment
- MPI biosecurity requirements for food, plant, wooden and animal-product gifts
- Documents requested by the courier, airline, Customs or MPI
- Urgent clearance where possible during the Christmas and New Year period
Gifts worth more than NZ$1,000
From 1 April 2026, gifts sent from overseas are treated under New Zealand’s low-value goods rules. Except for alcohol and tobacco, goods worth NZ$1,000 or less may enter without Customs collecting duty and GST. Gifts worth more than NZ$1,000 can be subject to applicable duty and GST and generally require a Customs Number and formal clearance.
A gift is not automatically treated as having no value simply because the recipient did not buy it. Customs valuation rules still apply.
Food, wooden items, plants and other biosecurity-risk gifts
Even when no Customs duty is payable, MPI biosecurity requirements can still apply. Food, plant products, seeds, wooden products, animal products and some souvenirs may be inspected, require documents or treatment, or may not be permitted into New Zealand.
If your parcel tracking says Biosecurity Assessment or MPI Import Entry Required, send us the notice and the details of the goods so we can check what is required.
Your parcel has already arrived?
Send us the invoice or evidence of value, tracking number or AWB, packing/details of the contents, and any notice you have received from Customs, MPI, NZ Post, DHL, FedEx, UPS or another courier.
We will check the clearance requirements and tell you what needs to happen next.
Don’t leave Christmas clearance until the last minute
December can be extremely busy for airlines, couriers, ports, Customs and biosecurity services. If you know a higher-value or unusual gift is on the way, contacting us before arrival can help identify missing documents early.
Cusmode Customs Brokers NZ
Customs and MPI clearance assistance for imports throughout New Zealand.
Leave a comment