New Zealand Customs Service · NZTD
The New Zealand Traveller Declaration, made simple
Every arrival into New Zealand must complete the NZTD — a free digital declaration covering customs, immigration and biosecurity. It replaced the paper arrival card, it is linked to your passport, and it must be done before passport control. We review it and file it for you.
How our service works
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Tell us the trip
Passport, arrival flight, your first address in New Zealand, and what you are bringing in. One short form.
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We check and file
Names and passport numbers against the document, the biosecurity answers reviewed, and the declaration submitted before you reach passport control.
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You arrive ready
Your declaration is linked to your passport, so it is checked automatically at the eGate or by an officer — nothing to print or scan.
Written for the New Zealand specifics
The NZTD is short. What catches travellers out is New Zealand: famously strict biosecurity, the eGate, and the tangle of NZTD, NZeTA and the visitor levy. These guides cover exactly that.
All articles →What the New Zealand Traveller Declaration is
The New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) is a free digital form that every traveller must complete before arriving in New Zealand. It replaced the paper Passenger Arrival Card and gathers your travel, customs, immigration and biosecurity details into one online declaration run by the New Zealand Customs Service.
Who needs it
Everyone arriving in New Zealand, including New Zealand passport holders, and one for every traveller — babies and children included. It is an arrival declaration only; there is no departure version.
When and how
You can submit it from 24 hours before you start your journey, and it must be finished before you reach passport control. You complete it on the official website or the NZTD app. There is no QR code to show: the declaration is linked to your passport and checked automatically at the eGate or by a border officer.
It is not a visa or the NZeTA
The NZTD is separate from the NZeTA (a paid travel authority some nationalities need before flying) and from the IVL visitor levy. Depending on your passport you may need all three — but only the NZTD is the arrival declaration, and only the NZTD is free.
What we do
The NZTD is free on the official site, and you can complete it yourself. We are an independent agency; our fee covers the work around it — checking your details against your passport, reviewing the biosecurity answers, and filing it in time. The official site is linked at the foot of every page here.
Quick answers
Is the NZTD mandatory?
Yes. Every traveller arriving in New Zealand must complete one, including New Zealand citizens, babies and children — one declaration per person.
What does it cost?
The NZTD is free on the official government site. Our fee is for optional assistance, and we say so on every page.
Is there a QR code to show?
No. The declaration is linked to your passport and checked automatically at the eGate or by an officer, so there is nothing to print or scan.
When can I submit it?
From 24 hours before you start your journey to New Zealand, and it must be finished before you reach passport control.
Is the NZTD the same as the NZeTA?
No. The NZeTA is a separate, paid travel authority some nationalities need in advance. The NZTD is the free arrival declaration everyone completes.
Do I need it just for a stopover?
If you pass through New Zealand's border you generally need it. Rules differ for transit — check the official site for your route.
What if I don't complete it before arriving?
You may be able to finish it at the airport, but that means delays. It is safer to submit it before you fly.
Do I really have to declare food and hiking boots?
Yes. New Zealand's biosecurity rules are strict and fines are instant. When in doubt, declare it — declaring is free and never a penalty.
Every arrival into New Zealand must complete the NZTD — a free digital declaration covering customs, immigration and biosecurity. It replaced the paper arrival card, it is linked to your passport, and it must be done before passport control. We review it and file it for you.
Start my declaration