Yachts and other recreational vessels

Your first place of arrival in New Zealand must be a port or marina that has been approved to receive yachts and other recreational vessels from overseas. These are called 'places of first arrival' (POFAs). In some cases you may need to contact the POFA directly to pre-arrange your arrival.

All arriving yachts or recreational vessels need to contact the marina before arrival to make sure there is a Quarantine berth available.

The POFAs approved to receive all types of recreational vessels are:

• Opua Marine Park, Opua
• Marsden Cove Marina, Whangārei
• Northport
• Viaduct Marina and Silo Marina, Auckland (approved for “superyachts” for pre-arranged clients only)
• Westhaven Marina, Auckland (pre-arranged clients only)
• Vessel Works Marine Precinct, Tauranga
• Port Marlborough, Picton
• Nelson Port
• Lyttelton Port of Christchurch, Lyttelton.

Arriving elsewhere is only permitted if there is an emergency, or if the vessel operator has applied for and received prior approval from MPI to arrive at another location. Approval from MPI will have biosecurity conditions that you must follow.

Find out about getting approval to arrive at a port that isn't a POFA

Changes to places approved for small recreational craft

To manage biosecurity risks associated with small recreational craft, POFAs approved to receive yachts must have access to an MPI-approved transitional facility for haul out and decontamination. Because of this, the number and location of MPI-approved POFAs for small recreational craft has changed.

Find a current list of all MPI-approved seaports

Make sure you meet the biofouling requirements of the Craft Risk Management Standard (CRMS) for Vessels. Most yachts and recreational vessels arriving in New Zealand fall under the CRMS long-stay category. That is, they are staying 29 days or longer, or visiting areas not approved as ports of first arrival.

Long-stay vessels should meet the CRMS requirements by providing evidence that the entire hull, including niche areas, has been cleaned less than 30 days before arrival.

Find out about biofouling management for recreational vessels arriving to New Zealand

If your vessel has ballast water you will also need to meet requirements for ballast water management.

Find out about ballast water requirements

Your vessel should be free of ants, mosquitos, termites, vermin and other hitchhiking animals. You need to check if your vessel is a high risk for specific pests such as flighted spongy moth complex.

Check if your vessel is high risk

Once inside New Zealand waters, make sure any garbage is put in bags for disposal by the inspector. An MPI officer will dispose of your rubbish when you arrive.

Send a completed Advance notice of arrival (small craft) form to Customs at least 48 hours before you arrive. Full details of Customs requirements for yachts and small craft arriving in New Zealand are on the Customs website.

• Advance notice of arrival (form NZCS 340) – Customs website
• Yachts and small craft – Customs website

Email your completed form to Customs. It will be forwarded to MPI.

• Email yachts@customs.govt.nz

As well as sending the form, you should also radio ahead – at least 48 hours before you plan to arrive, or when your vessel is 12 nautical miles from the coastline. When you arrive in New Zealand waters, tell us by calling Maritime Radio on one of these frequencies:

• 2182 kHz
• 4125 kHz
• 6215 kHz
• 8291 kHz
• 12290 kHz
• 16531 kHz
• VHF Ch 16

On arrival, you will be met by an MPI quarantine officer and a Customs officer. All people and goods on board must remain on the vessel until cleared for entry into New Zealand. 

You (the vessel master) will be given biosecurity documents to complete for the vessel. In addition, each person on the vessel must complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration, which includes declaration of biosecurity risk items in their possession.

An MPI quarantine officer will review these documents:

• Master's declaration for full biosecurity clearance [PDF, 202 KB]
• New Zealand Traveller Declaration website

And if carrying ballast water:

• Biosecurity Pre-Arrival Report Part 4 [PDF, 2.1 MB]

All risk items will need to be handed over to the quarantine officer to be destroyed (or treated). The officer will inspect the vessel for any undeclared risk items (such as food items listed on the declaration form) and pests, and may inspect the hull for biofouling.  After removal of risk items the vessel should be cleared to travel freely in New Zealand.