Ship boxes from United Kingdom to New Zealand
1 to 10 boxes, collected from your door in United Kingdom and delivered to the door in New Zealand. Price up front, customs paperwork prepared for you.
- Typical transit
- 4–7 business days
- Duty-free up to
- NZ$1,000 (about US$570) per shipment
United Kingdom → New Zealand
Enter a weight to see your price.
Who ships on this route
- Expats and people relocating for work
- Households moving a few boxes, not a whole home
Long distance increases service value.
Leaving United Kingdom
Sending boxes out of United Kingdom
Sending your own belongings out of the UK is straightforward for everyday things. The courier prepares the export paperwork from your packing list. The UK rules that matter most are export licenses for antiques and art, and the import rules where the boxes land.
Documents
- Itemized packing list with a fair value for each item, marked as used personal effects or gift
- Sender's passport or ID
- The receiver's tax or ID number if the destination requires one
- A UK export license from Arts Council England for any object of cultural interest that needs one; a digital copy is attached to the export declaration
Can't leave United Kingdom
- Objects of cultural interest, such as antiques and artworks, need a UK export license to leave Great Britain for any destination outside the UK. Arts Council England runs licensing, including an Open General Export Licence, and can confirm whether an item needs its own license.
- From Northern Ireland, cultural objects going directly to non-EU countries need an EU export license, and those going to the EU need a UK license. Arts Council England issues both.
- Medicines containing controlled drugs: other countries have their own import laws, so check with the destination's embassy before sending any.
- Items made from protected species (CITES), such as exotic leather, furs, or some wooden instruments, may need permits. Check with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) before you ship.
- Couriers won't carry cash, weapons, or dangerous goods.
Arriving in New Zealand
New Zealand customs, in short
- Duty-free threshold
- NZ$1,000 (about US$570) per shipment. Customs collects no duty or GST on a shipment worth NZ$1,000 or less, except on alcohol and tobacco, which are taxed at any value. Several orders from the same supplier that arrive on the same day count as one shipment. Since April 1, 2026, gifts have no separate concession: a gift worth NZ$1,000 or less comes in free, and one worth more pays duty and GST like any other goods. On low-value shipments the courier pays a small goods levy (NZ$2.21 plus GST by air, about US$1.50) and may pass it on.
- Import tax
- GST at 15% on the value of the goods plus duty, freight, and insurance. Duty depends on the item, where it was made, and where it was sent from: for example 0% on books, computers, and phones, 5% on bed linen, crockery, cosmetics, and toys, and 10% on footwear, menswear, and womenswear. Shipments over NZ$1,000 also pay the Customs and MPI goods levy, NZ$51.81 plus GST (about US$34 in total) for an air shipment.
- Who pays
- Shipments are sent DAP. The receiver pays any duties and taxes before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee.
- Moving there?
- Used household and personal effects come in free of duty and GST if you are moving to New Zealand for the first time or returning after living abroad for the whole 21 months before you arrive. You need a document authorizing residence, such as a New Zealand or Australian passport, a residence visa, or a work visa issued for at least 12 months, and you must have owned and used the items before you left. They must be for your own use, not for someone else or to give away. Student visas don't qualify, and new items are taxed. File form NZCS 218, and expect a goods levy on each shipment.
Not allowed into New Zealand
- Aerosols, spray cans, and compressed gas cylinders
- Flammable liquids and solids: fuel, lighter fluid, paint, nail polish, matches
- Loose or spare lithium batteries and power banks not installed in a device
- Cash, gift cards, checks, and other negotiable items
- Firearms, ammunition, replicas, and weapon parts
- Perishable food, and meat, dairy, or fresh produce
- Cannabis, CBD, and THC products, even where they are legal at origin
- Objectionable publications and material
United Kingdom to New Zealand: questions
How long does it take to ship boxes from United Kingdom to New Zealand?
Typically 4 to 7 business days door to door after pickup, plus any time customs in New Zealand takes to clear the shipment.
Do I pay duty on used belongings sent to New Zealand?
NZ$1,000 (about US$570) per shipment. Customs collects no duty or GST on a shipment worth NZ$1,000 or less, except on alcohol and tobacco, which are taxed at any value. Several orders from the same supplier that arrive on the same day count as one shipment. Since April 1, 2026, gifts have no separate concession: a gift worth NZ$1,000 or less comes in free, and one worth more pays duty and GST like any other goods. On low-value shipments the courier pays a small goods levy (NZ$2.21 plus GST by air, about US$1.50) and may pass it on. Shipments are sent DAP. The receiver pays any duties and taxes before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee.
What paperwork do I need to send boxes from United Kingdom?
A commercial invoice listing what's in each box and what it's worth today. Onvoyo prepares it from your contents list for you to review and approve. Sending your own belongings out of the UK is straightforward for everyday things. The courier prepares the export paperwork from your packing list. The UK rules that matter most are export licenses for antiques and art, and the import rules where the boxes land.
Can I send gifts to New Zealand duty-free?
Yes, if the whole shipment is worth NZ$1,000 or less and has no alcohol or tobacco. Since April 1, 2026, gifts have no special concession, so a gift worth more than NZ$1,000 pays duty and GST like any other goods.
How much will the receiver pay above NZ$1,000?
Duty at the item's rate (often 0%, 5%, or 10%) on the value of the goods, plus 15% GST on the value, duty, freight, and insurance, plus a goods levy of NZ$51.81 plus GST for an air shipment. A NZ$1,300 box of clothing comes to about NZ$404 (about US$230) before GST on the freight.
Do I pay GST on household items when moving to New Zealand?
Not if you hold a residence document, lived overseas for the 21 months before you arrive, and owned and used the items before you left. A goods levy still applies to each shipment.
Official sources
Export rules for United Kingdom and import rules for New Zealand, checked against these official pages. Customs makes the final decision on every shipment.
- 1.Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Animal and Plant Health Agency, and Border Force · Bringing food into Great Britain (opens in a new tab)
- 2.Home Office · Travelling with medicine containing controlled drugs (opens in a new tab)
- 3.Department for Culture, Media and Sport · Exporting or importing objects of cultural interest (opens in a new tab)
- 4.New Zealand Customs Service · Receive items from overseas (opens in a new tab)
- 5.New Zealand Customs Service · Duty and allowances (opens in a new tab)
- 6.New Zealand Customs Service · TSW Fact Sheet: Importing goods for personal use (opens in a new tab)
- 7.New Zealand Customs Service · Changes to duty-free entry of heirlooms, inherited goods and gifts (opens in a new tab)
- 8.New Zealand Customs Service · Goods levies and hourly rate (opens in a new tab)
- 9.New Zealand Customs Service · Household effects (opens in a new tab)
- 10.New Zealand Customs Service · NZCS 218: Bring personal household items into New Zealand (opens in a new tab)
- 11.Medsafe (New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority) · Importing Medicines (opens in a new tab)
Going the other way? Ship boxes from New Zealand to United Kingdom