The lowdown on sending parcels to New Zealand

The journey from England to New Zealand is truly an adventure across the globe; you'd be hard pressed to find a longer one. However when you send a package or parcel, you expect your item to reach its destination with all the ease of hand-delivering a letter to your next-door neighbour.

Sending a parcel to NZ isn't quite as simple as shipping an item within the UK or EU. Posting a package half-way across the world only to get it sent back due to the prohibitions and restrictions in place can, for instance, put a dent in your best laid birthday present plans.

Despite the treacherous trip across land, air and sea, sending a parcel to NZ shouldn't be too onerous.

Customs duties

When sending a parcel to NZ, be sure to check how much the item is worth. Goods up to £270 require customs label CN22, signed by the sender and attached to the top left hand corner of the item. In addition, the sender's full name and address must be written on the front of the item.

Goods over £270 require customs declaration CN23 as well as adhesive plastic wallet SP 126.

Many countries don't allow currency to be sent through the mail; unfortunately, New Zealand is one of them. As a result, a courier cannot accept liability for loss or damage to mail items containing money sent to NZ. Drugs (which are not labelled and in prescription quantities), lithium ion and human remains are also not allowed into New Zealand. So, bad luck for those of you who wanted to send human remains.

Biosecurity

As agriculture and the natural environment is of paramount importance to NZ - the country relies on the two more so than any other developed country - biosecurity is extremely strict.

As a result, the following products are not permitted to be sent to NZ under any circumstances: live animals, animal manures, fish, crustaceans, whale products, vegetable products, sand, clay, earth, plants, plant seeds and anything that has come into contact with the aforementioned items.

Where some items are prohibited, others are merely restricted, which means senders must comply with a certain restriction. Most animals are banned but some - living bees, insects, insect eggs and more - require a permit to import from the Director, Animal Health Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

In addition as part of the Smoke-Free Environments Act 1990, NZ has strict controls on the importation for sale of tobacco which is suitable for chewing, or any other oral use other than smoking.

There are other rules and regulations, making sending parcels to New Zealand not quite as versatile as EU trading. However by following the right regulations and using a reputable courier to deliver your goods, recipients in NZ should receive your parcel is next to no time at all.

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Sending parcels to New Zealand