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User-pays approach to fees

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) recovers the costs for biosecurity inspections and other services it supplies to importers. You may be charged by MPI or other service providers for services like:

  • permits
  • testing and sampling
  • laboratory analysis
  • cleaning and treating
  • travel costs for MPI inspectors
  • inspections of goods
  • destruction, transportation, re-shipment, or other disposal of goods
  • storage and quarantine of goods.

MPI may also charge you for its actual and reasonable costs in providing these services. This includes costs like courier charges, stationery and accommodation.

MPI's fees, charges, and levies for importers are prescribed by legislation. You can find out more on the NZ Legislation website:

Border clearance charges

MPI may inspect any imported products or animals to ensure they're safe to enter the country.

Biosecurity activities and services we may charge for include:

  • checking your documents
  • inspecting your products or animals
  • travel and callout costs.

For most commodities, MPI inspections are charged at an hourly rate. In a few cases, MPI will charge you a fixed rate. Fixed rates will be listed on the individual commodity pages.

Normal hourly rates for biosecurity and general inspectors, and veterinary inspectors

The hourly rates below apply when MPI staff work normal hours (that is, as part of a normal roster).

From 1 July 2024
Fee type Fee (excl GST) Fee (incl GST)
Biosecurity and general inspectors – hourly rate

$155.50 per hour

$229.25 per hour if a public holiday or Ministry holiday

$178.83

$263.64 per hour if a public holiday or Ministry holiday
Veterinary inspector for live animal inspections – hourly rate $186.30 per hour $214.25

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.
  • 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

$198.89 per hour

$228.72 per hour

Veterinary inspector – at double time

$236.67 per hour

$272.17 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

Delays and failing to cancel an unneeded booking

MPI may charge for waiting time when goods are not available for inspection at the scheduled time. Waiting time is charged at $155.50 per hour ($178.83 including GST) for a biosecurity or general inspector and $186.30 ($214.25 including GST) for a veterinary inspector.

MPI encourages you to let MPI know if a booking is no longer required. MPI may charge $46.575 if a booking with a veterinary inspector is not cancelled ahead of time if it is no longer needed.

Travel charges for MPI inspectors

If the MPI inspector or advisor has to travel, you may have to pay travel costs. Veterinary inspectors travel costs are charged at hourly rates. Biosecurity and general inspector travel costs are charged according to the following table:

From 1 October 2023
Type of charge Fee (excl GST) Fee (incl GST)
Travel within zone 1 – up to 4 km from base $53.00 $60.95
Travel within zone 2 – over 4 km and up to 10 km from base $107.57 $123.71
Travel within zone 3 – over 10 km and up to 25 km from base $166.10 $191.02
Travel within zone 4 – over 25 km and up to 50 km from base $226.84 $260.87
Travel more than 50 km from base Hourly rates, plus a mileage charge of $0.67 a kilometre. Other travel-related costs may also apply. Hourly rates, plus a mileage charge of $0.7705 a kilometre. Other travel-related costs may also apply.

Testing and treatment costs

You may face extra charges if your imported products need to be tested or treated. These services must be done by an MPI-approved provider. You may have to pay the costs of:

  • identifying any harmful organisms
  • moving your products to a transitional or containment facility
  • storing your products
  • destroying contaminated items.

If MPI has to re-inspect your products, we may charge you for these services, as well as for any other actual and reasonable costs we incur.

How much will it cost?

You'll find some of the fees for importing individual products on the fees and charges pages for each product, commodity, or animal. Costs will vary, depending on what you're importing and the amount of work needed to get MPI clearance.

Browse import categories

Food Importer levy

The food importer levy must be paid by registered food importers  

You can find more information on this levy at Food Act 2014 fees, charges, and levies

How to pay

You may need to pay MPI in advance for some services, like applying for an import permit. In other cases, like for an MPI inspector’s time or travel costs, MPI will send you an invoice.

You can pay by direct credit, cheque or credit card. You'll find more details on the relevant documents.

If you regularly import goods, it's easiest to set up a credit account with MPI.

Fees from other agencies

The New Zealand Customs Service (Customs) may require importers to pay GST and possibly other taxes on imports, as well as its own fees. As an importer you need to be aware of all the costs you may face from Customs and other agencies.

Who to contact

If you are applying for an import permit, contact plantimports@mpi.govt.nz

If you have questions about MPI's fees and charges for importers, email info@mpi.govt.nz

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