Thread: Bringing gear back into NZ?

Currently living in the UK doing the 'cliche' overseas experience and am beginning to find some really good deals on hunting related gear (scopes, boots, tents, lights etc).

What's the deal with bringing this type of gear (brand new) back into the country.... customs/gst etc?

Vietnamcam - suggested just removing the items from their original packaging and say that I took it outer the country in the first place with me. However, I'd rather leave the scope etc all packaged up in it's original box if possible to keep it safe on the journey home.

I would remove all price tags, but realistically what are the legalities here....?

Cheers,
Pop Shot

Post it to yourself with "warantee return" on the box. Or dent the box up a bit and say you took it with you. I've been through NZ customs like 30 times in the last few years and never been asked "excuse me sir do you have anything you bought overseas exceeding the value of $400" or whatever


Actually it might be on the incoming passenger card but I never actually read those, tick and flick

Bring back what you like, just don't what ever you do try and sneak in an apple!!!!!
They seemed too pre-ocuppied with fruit and vege to worry about much else......

Originally Posted by Bulltahr

Bring back what you like, just don't what ever you do try and sneak in an apple!!!!!
They seemed too pre-ocuppied with fruit and vege to worry about much else......

The concession is actually $700 and that is not total, it's for each item.

And Customs doesn't give a fat rats ass about your apple, that's MAF. $600 fine per item these days.

Always come through with scopes, stocks, magazines, internal gun parts... first few times I declared them and all i got was:

"No seeds, fruit, veg?"
"Nope"
"OK" #STAMP# "Have a good day"

I just walk on through with it now. So long as it's not an action etc. or over their GST limit, they really don't seem to give a damn. Hell, I leave the country with half a empty bag so i've got space to bring all the toys back!

They might want to gas your tent, check your walking/capming gear for dirt though.

Originally Posted by Grue

Always come through with scopes, stocks, magazines, internal gun parts... first few times I declared them and all i got was:

"No seeds, fruit, veg?"
"Nope"
"OK" #STAMP# "Have a good day"

I just walk on through with it now. So long as it's not an action etc. or over their GST limit, they really don't seem to give a damn. Hell, I leave the country with half a empty bag so i've got space to bring all the toys back!

They might want to gas your tent, check your walking/capming gear for dirt though.

Again, that was MAF not Customs, they probably missed your customs declaration or maybe you came through SmartGate and didn't answer the questions on the screen as declaring customs items and thus sent through the 'green' line...

Sorry to be the Nazi of this but it's a real bugbear of mine coming from this line of work

Don't take the risk, just send them to me as a GIFT (a new tent and boots would be good).

Originally Posted by Dougie

Again, that was MAF not Customs, they probably missed your customs declaration or maybe you came through SmartGate and didn't answer the questions on the screen as declaring customs items and thus sent through the 'green' line...

Sorry to be the Nazi of this but it's a real bugbear of mine coming from this line of work

Absolutely no worries mate. I WANT to do the right thing after all! But no, not the smart gates, yes declared them on form, yes went to the red line.... and they 3 out of 3 times no interest what so ever. Be keen to know what should have happened!

Originally Posted by Raging Bull

Don't take the risk, just send them to me as a GIFT (a new tent and boots would be good).

Tent + Boots = Over three and a half kilograms already!

Originally Posted by Grue

Always come through with scopes, stocks, magazines, internal gun parts... first few times I declared them and all i got was:

"No seeds, fruit, veg?"
"Nope"
"OK" #STAMP# "Have a good day"

I just walk on through with it now. So long as it's not an action etc. or over their GST limit, they really don't seem to give a damn. Hell, I leave the country with half a empty bag so i've got space to bring all the toys back!

They might want to gas your tent, check your walking/capming gear for dirt though.

That's the thing - I can almost guarantee it will be. Might just send it home as a gift after all.

When I was coming back from overseas fairly regularly(10 years ago at least) I used to get my quota of duty free whiskey and smokes and one time I noticed the chick in front of me had about 8 bottles of vodka. Once threw customs I caught her up and quizzed her on it and she said "just buy as much as you want, if you get pulled up you pay duty on the extra". Ever since then i had a grands worth of whisky and never got a sideways look.
Now I cant even afford one cheap bottle of crap let alone a trip!

Came back from america with a new rangefinder and a few other toys and walked straight through no questions asked, this was in June.
I went through 4 americain airports and 3 nz ones to get home and never had an issue with the 7 spent cases in my pocket until christchurch