Counterfeit Goods → 🇳🇿 New Zealand

Full details

Counterfeit Goods import prohibited. Quantity guidance for New Zealand: Any quantity prohibited under Trade Marks Act 2002; Customs NZ seizes even single personal items. Documentation: No permits available; Customs NZ seizure receipt issued. Enforcement in New Zealand carries fines from NZD 5,000 to NZD 500,000 and imprisonment up to 7 years in aggravated cases under Customs and Excise Act 2018 s.388; Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. Because counterfeit goods is prohibited rather than restricted, there is no permit route for an ordinary traveller — attempted import is treated as smuggling regardless of intent. 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 counterfeit goods is a separate question: prohibited — Counterfeit goods are unlawful to export from New Zealand — trademark and customs law applies on departure as well as arrival, and carriage risks seizure and fines.

ENFORCEMENT

Active — Customs actively enforces this rule.

Leaving New Zealand with counterfeit goods

Exporting counterfeit goods from New Zealand is unlawful under trademark and customs legislation — counterfeits are contraband in both directions, and customs authorities seize them at exit as well as entry. Travellers carrying obviously fake branded goods (even for personal use) risk confiscation universally and fines in many jurisdictions; the EU, US, and others also seize inbound personal counterfeits. Market purchases of imitation goods should be assumed seizable at any border crossed.

OFFICIAL SOURCES · VERIFIED 2026-08-22