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What our fees cover

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) calculates fees on a cost-recovery basis. Activities and services we charge for include:

  • registering as an exporter
  • unit fee charges for bees exported
  • official assurances (export certificates)
  • hourly rate and mileage charges for MPI employees.

Not all the fees on this page may apply to you and there could be other charges not listed here.

Registering as an exporter

Activity type Charge (excl GST) Charge (incl GST)
Annual exporter registration fee  $135 $155.25
Renew listing as an export beekeeper $67.50 $77.63

Unit fee charges

The live animal export system requires constant review and maintenance to ensure that the certification issued for the export of live animals, including bees, is accepted by the importing country. The unit fees help you to continue to export smoothly.

A unit of live bees is either:

  • a package of worker bees with a queen (each kilogram)
  • a queen bee with a small number of attendant bees
  • a bumble bee.

Unit charges for live bee exports

Type of unit Charge (excl GST) Charge (incl GST) 
Queen bee, including a small number of attendant bees $0.32 $0.368
Bumble bees – each bee $0.32 $0.368
Honey bees, including a small number of attendant bees – each kilogram $0.32 $0.368

Hourly rate charges

You'll be charged the hourly rate for MPI employees doing specialist activities on your behalf. These services include:

  • specialist functions and activities needed to export live bees
  • negotiating alternative measures for meeting access requirements with importing countries
  • negotiating new access requirements for overseas markets. (exporters of cats and dogs are not charged for this type of work).
Charge type Charge (excl GST) Charge (incl GST)
MPI employee – hourly rate (except for final part hour) $186.30, with a minimum charge of $93.15 $214.25, with a minimum charge of $107.12
MPI employee - charge for each 15-minute block in a part hour $46.575 $53.56

After-hour rates

If the MPI staff have to work outside their normal hours, after-hour charges may apply. These charges include the following:

  • Callout charges for when an inspector needs to return to work having completed their normal hours. A minimum of three-hours are charged when an inspector is called-out.
  • Overtime rates for when an inspector works extra hours on top of their normal roster (for example, additional hours after the end of a rostered shift).
  • Penal rates, which are additional hourly rates where staff need to work unsociable hours (for example, very early morning).

Call-out charges

Biosecurity and general inspectors – at time-and-a-half

$164.66 per hour

$189.36 per hour

Biosecurity and general inspectors – at double time

$192.34 per hour

$221.19 per hour

Biosecurity and general inspectors – on a public holiday or a Ministry holiday

$442.90 per day plus $136.98 per hour

$509.34 per day plus $157.53 per hour

Veterinary inspector – at time-and-a-half

$198.89 per hour

$228.72 per hour

Veterinary inspector – at double time

$236.67 per hour

$272.17 per hour

Veterinary inspector – on a public holiday or a Ministry holiday

$604.44 per day plus $161.11 per hour

$695.11 per day plus $185.28 per hour

Overtime rates

Veterinary inspector – at time-and-a-half

$236.67 per hour

$272.17 per hour

Veterinary inspector – at double time

$287.04 per hour

$330.10 per hour

Penal rates

Veterinary inspector – at penal 0.5

$50.37 per hour

$57.93 per hour

Veterinary inspector – at penal 1.0

$100.74 per hour

$115.85 per hour

Veterinary inspector – at penal 2.0

$201.48 per hour

$231.70 per hour

Other fees

MPI may charge you for assessment work we do on your behalf. This includes the time of MPI employees, or anyone else we ask to do this work. 

Activity type  Charge (excl GST) Charge (incl GST) 
Assessment work – hourly rate (except final part hour)  $186.30 $214.25
Charge for each 15-minute block in the final part hour  $46.575 $53.56

Failing to cancel an unneeded booking

MPI encourages you to cancel a booking if it turns out that it will not be needed. MPI may charge $46.575 if you do not cancel a booking you have with a veterinary inspector if it is no longer needed.

Mileage rate charges

Charge type Charge (excl GST) Charge (incl GST)
Mileage charge, for each kilometre travelled $0.67 $0.7705

Official assurance

If there is an overseas market access requirement for the country you're exporting to, you'll likely need an official assurance, or export certificate, before you can send your bees.

Activity type Charge (excl GST) Charge (incl GST) 
Issue of an official assurance  $46.575, plus an hourly rate of $186.30 after the first 15 minutes $53.56, plus an hourly rate of $214.25 after the first 15 minutes
Reissue of an official assurance if replacement assurance demanded by an importing country $405, plus an hourly rate of $186.30 after 2.5 hours of assessment, plus disbursements at cost $465.75, plus an hourly rate of $214.25 after 2.5 hours of assessment, plus disbursements at cost

Charges for market access work

MPI will charge you for market access work that is not covered by unit fees. The market access decision tree shows you when you may be charged for this work.

You'll need to give MPI your formal written agreement before we start market access work on your behalf.

Download the form to request services from the animal exports team [PDF, 284 KB]

Download the market access decision tree for fees and charges [PDF, 58 KB]

Fee waivers

If you wish to apply for a waiver for the export of live bees, email animalexports@mpi.govt.nz

Set out your details, the proposed export(s), fees, purpose for export, and your reasons for seeking a waiver. Make your application at least 20 working days before the fees will be incurred.

Find out more

Who to contact

If you have questions about MPI's fees and charges for exporting bees, email animalexports@mpi.govt.nz

MPI business units