[tigerlily]

So I noticed the following information on the customs website. This really stinks if you want to come to NZ before you have PR. What have all of you who have come to NZ before PR done with your things? Are you going to be paying the sometimes 20% on them? If you take that and shipping, I think it would just be cheaper to buy everything new.

We were thinking about entering on a student visa and a work permit, but that does not seem to be a good idea now. Since we did want to take our things along!

From their website:

Your household or other related effects (excluding motor vehicles, boats and aircraft) will be admitted free of duty and exempt GST for a reasonable time after your arrive, provided you can meet all of the following requirements:

you are coming to New Zealand with the intention and legal authority to take up or resume permanent residence

you have lived outside New Zealand for the whole of the 21 months before the date of your arrival in New Zealand

you have owned and used the goods before the date of your departure for New Zealand

the goods are for your own personal use and not intended for any other person or persons or for gift, sale or exchange.

The following goods will not qualify for duty free entry, unless you can establish that the items have had personal use prior to their arrival in New Zealand:

goods shipped directly after purchase to avoid local taxes in the country of export

replacement electrical equipment operating to New Zealand standards.

Goods of a commercial nature (such as factory plant and office equipment) do not qualify as household effects.





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[sarahw]

Hi Tigerlily,

This is a bit of a tough one for your situation...

I think as long as you have the 'intention' to get PR (say you have already submitted EOI and have been selected from the pool) you should be OK.

With regards to Students I don't know - it might be worth e-mailing Customs to ask...

Good luck :hopeso

[climbthehill]

I understand that if you havn't got PR but hope to get it you can pay a bond for the due GST which will be refunded when you get PR if that is within 12 months. (according to our removal company)

[tigerlily]

Good info- thank you. I do HOPE to have PR, but with the way that the points are always changing, who knows if we will have the points at the time we need. Will continue to look into it.

[veronica]

I'm pretty sure that if you have a valid work/student visa that it is classed as ok by the customs. And even if you do have to pay a bond I understand that is returnable when you get the said relevant visa.

[sweetpea]

I've been thinking/worrying about that for the past couple of days. I'm coming in on a student visa, and had planned on bringing everything I own, since my program lasts 5 years and I've managed to acquire quite a bit in my dozen or so years of adulthood.

I'll email/call customs and see what they say, and report back!

[Dave & Sandra]

You don't have to pay duty if you're here on a 2 year work permit. We didn't have to pay anything when our stuff arrived. So long as you have your permit before your stuff arrives you should be OK.

Sandra

[ruthyroo]

Just to confirmt he above, we arrived on visitor visas, got three year WP, and were not charged anything on our 15 tea chests that arrived a few months later. The only charge was $60 to MAF for checking boxes including a bike box. For most people I've met it's been the duty charged on anything that customs think you might sell on e.g. booze. One guy we know got hit with a $7000 duty bill becuase he brought in a lot of malt whisky he'd collected over the years, plus other oddments from the sale of his business and home. So watch out for any IKEA flat packs you want to bring in!

[Arlevien]

Are you also limited to the amount of money ( cash ) you can bring in if you have a WorkVisa/PR? whats suppose to be the maximum per person? Do you have to declare it?

[veronica]

there is a limit to the amount of physical cash type money you bring in to the country but no limit to what you bring in through the bank, not to sure about limits on travellers chqs. The exchange rate for cash isn't as good as for travellers cheques either.

[upandrunning]

I think that if your work permit is for at least 2 years that you can also import household and personal effects. I hope this is thecase because our stuff left felixstowe yesterday!