Working out what is the right border facility for you
The type of facility you need depends on what you are importing.
Whether you're receiving full containers or loose goods by air or by sea, you'll need approval to run a transitional facility.
If you handle goods like nursery stock or live animals, you may need approval for a post-entry quarantine facility.
If you're dealing with restricted organisms or animals, like a zoo or a laboratory, you'll need approval to operate a containment facility.
How to get a transitional or containment facility approved
Find out about post-entry quarantine facilities
Points to note
Sometimes, you may need approval to run more than one type of facility.
Every transitional facility must have an MPI approved facility operator.
Find out the responsibilities of approved facility operators
If you receive goods in containers
- An accredited person (approved by MPI) must be available to check containers.
- Accredited persons must have completed and passed a basic container biosecurity awareness course.
- A person can be an accredited person and also be the facility operator.
What is a transitional facility?
Transitional facilities are approved by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to receive containers and goods that may pose a biosecurity risk. Goods or containers may need to be inspected or treated at the facility before they can be cleared for entry into New Zealand.
Transitional facilities may be approved to hold, inspect, treat, identify, or destroy and dispose of uncleared risk goods.
Types of goods that need to go to transitional facilities
The list of goods that transitional facilities (TFs) can handle includes:
- air and sea containers
- agricultural chemicals and veterinary medicines
- animals and animal products
- biologicals
- food products
- plants and plant products
- other organisms
- used machinery or vehicles
- wood and wood products.
To get approval to run a transitional facility, you must:
- have an MPI approved facility operator
- have an MPI approved accredited person available if you're receiving sea or air containers
- ensure all accredited persons have passed training requirements
- submit a completed application form.
Apply to operate a transitional or containment facility (or make changes)
Register to become a facility operator
Apply to become an accredited person [DOCX, 92 KB]
Multi-site transitional facilities
Importers who bring in low-risk sea containers – and don't want to have their own transitional facility – can apply for approval of a Multi-site Transitional Facility (MTF) System.
This allows them to have containers delivered to their business subject to certain conditions.
Find out about MTF System requirements
What is a containment facility?
Containment facilities are places approved for holding organisms that should not become established in New Zealand. For example, zoos are containment facilities. Some laboratories are also containment facilities because they import microorganisms for testing, which are never allowed general release into New Zealand.
Generally accepted practice in New Zealand Zoo containment facilities – Guidance document [PDF, 625 KB]
Zoo enclosure guidelines [PDF, 1.1 MB]
Zoo containment QMS template [DOCX, 131 KB]
What is a post-entry quarantine facility?
Post-entry quarantine (PEQ) facilities are places that hold plants or live animals that could have pests or unwanted organisms. Plants are held in PEQ until they are assessed, and a biosecurity clearance is granted if they meet criteria. Animals are held until an approved Veterinarian monitors the animal for signs of disease.
Find an MPI-approved PEQ facility
Read about MPI's plant quarantine facilities
Post-entry quarantine for plants (guidance document) [PDF, 535 KB]
Post-entry quarantine for plants: MPI example operating manual [DOC, 2.3 MB]
Who to contact at MPI
If you have any questions that you need to talk through with our biosecurity team:
- email tfsupport@mpi.govt.nz
- freephone 0800 222 018 (Option 3)
