Coral & Seashells → 🇳🇿 New Zealand

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Coral & Seashells may require documentation or declaration. Enforcement in New Zealand carries fines from NZD 400 to NZD 5,000 under Biosecurity Act 1993 s.157, s.155; Customs and Excise Act 2018 (ordinary personal cases are handled as civil infringements). Restricted status means compliant carriage is achievable with the right paperwork and quantities; the practical risks are seizure, duty, and delay rather than criminal liability for a good-faith traveller. Arrival checks are carried out by New Zealand Customs Service (NZCS); when in doubt use the declare (red) channel — declared goods at worst attract duty or surrender, while undeclared goods attract penalties. Leaving New Zealand with coral & seashells is a separate question: restricted — Corals are CITES-listed — taking coral out of New Zealand requires permits, while ordinary non-protected seashells move freely in small quantities.

Leaving New Zealand with coral & seashells

All stony corals (and black coral) are listed in CITES Appendix II, so exporting coral from New Zealand — including souvenir pieces and jewellery — requires a CITES export permit; beach-collected fragments are covered the same as purchased items and are routinely seized at airports. Giant clams and queen conch are similarly listed. Ordinary non-protected seashells in small personal quantities generally move freely, though some origin countries protect specific species and destination biosecurity rules (Australia, New Zealand) require declaration of all shell material on arrival.

OFFICIAL SOURCES · VERIFIED 2026-08-22