Arriving in NZ

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Arrival at the Airport

Your first hours in New Zealand will probably be spent at the airport. Here is some important information to make the process of arrival easier and more pleasant for you.

Arrival Cards
When you arrive in New Zealand, you will need to present your passport and a completed Passenger Arrival Card. You will usually get this card on the plane before you arrive in New Zealand. You have to supply information related to immigration, biosecurity and customs requirements. The card is available in a number of other languages at the airport and from the New Zealand Customs website.

Customs
New Zealand is free of many insect pests, and plant and animal diseases common elsewhere in the world. At ports and airports, a lot of effort is put into minimising the risk of these being introduced.

You’re required by law to “declare” all plant and animal material you bring with you. You must fill out an “Agriculture and Customs Declaration” when you arrive.

You must declare if you have any of the following:

• food of any sort
• plants and parts of plants (alive or dead) 
• animals (alive or dead) or products of animals 
• equipment used with animals 
• camping gear, golf clubs, recreation gear (e.g. used hiking boots) and used bicycles 
• biological specimens 
• certain items cannot be brought into New Zealand at all or can only be brought in with written permission given beforehand. These include fruit, meat, honey, bird nests and reptiles.

If you declare restricted items you won’t be charged with any offence. The goods will simply be taken from you and you can go on your way. Some items (e.g. tents, shoes) may be treated (for example, fumigated) and then returned to you.

You should not bring the following items into New Zealand:

• firearms and weapons, unless a permit is obtained from New Zealand Police on arrival at the airport ( this includes sporting firearms)
• ivory in any form; tortoise or turtle shell jewellery and ornaments; medicines using musk, rhinoceros or tiger derivatives; carvings or anything made from whalebone or bone from any other marine animals; cat skins or coats.

Transport

Tauranga has a regional airport with daily flights to and from Auckland and Wellington. You can take a public bus or taxi to your accommodation. Depending on your destination, taxis can cost between NZ$20 and NZ$60.

Inter-city coach services operate to and from Tauranga on a daily basis. Coaches stop in the Tauranga city centre:

• InterCity Coachline  
• Newmans Coach Lines

Shuttle Services will take you from the airport to your accommodation:

• Luxuary Airport Shuttles 

Transport from Auckland International Airport
If you require shuttle transportation from Auckland International Airport, please give at least 5 working days notice. Email or fax your request for Accommodation and Shuttle to +64 07 544 2386 (fax) and mark to the attention of Pam Simpson, international@boppoly.ac.nz.

We will contact you or your agent to confirm that a booking has been made for you and we will include instructions on how to meet your shuttle. Do not leave the airport with anyone else. Please ring Pam Simpson on 0275544989 if you are unable to connect with your shuttle service – she will be available 24 hours.

You can contact Luxuary Airport Shuttles at +64 7 574 9600 or +64 7 574 9609. Luxuary Airport Shuttles operate from Auckland, Hamilton and Rotorua Airports. Your shuttle will take you to your accommodation. If you are making your own arrangements with accommodation, please advise us of the address. 

Getting to Campus
Public buses run daily to both Bongard Centre and Windermere campus. Find out more about transportation to campus and Campus maps.