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Customs and Excise Act 2018

Entry and exit of goods, persons, and craft - Prohibited imports and prohibited exports

95A: Prohibition on importation of tobacco and certain tobacco products

You could also call this:

"Rules about bringing tobacco into New Zealand"

Illustration for Customs and Excise Act 2018

You cannot bring certain tobacco products into New Zealand. This includes tobacco leaf, manufactured tobacco, and tobacco refuse. There are some exceptions to this rule, such as cigars, cigarillos, chewing tobacco, snuff, and snus. You can import these products if you have a permit from the chief executive, granted under Schedule 3A, and you follow the conditions of the permit. You can also import these products if they are in the possession of certain people, or if they are not being unloaded in New Zealand and are going to another country, or if they are being transhipped internationally and you have made a transhipment request under section 87(2) and it has been granted by the chief executive.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS373879.

Topics:
Health and wellbeing > Public healthTransport and travel > Border control
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96: Prohibition on other imports or exports by Order in Council, or

"Government can stop certain goods from entering or leaving New Zealand for public safety"

Part 3Entry and exit of goods, persons, and craft
Prohibited imports and prohibited exports

95AProhibition on importation of tobacco and certain tobacco products

  1. The importation of the following goods is prohibited:

  2. tobacco leaf:
    1. manufactured tobacco, excluding the goods specified in subsection (2):
      1. tobacco refuse.

        1. The prohibition in subsection (1) does not apply to the following goods:

        2. cigars:
          1. cigarillos:
              1. chewing tobacco:
                1. snuff:
                  1. snus.

                    1. The prohibition in subsection (1) does not apply if—

                    2. the person importing the goods—
                      1. has a permit granted by the chief executive under Schedule 3A, allowing the goods to be imported; and
                        1. complies with any conditions of the permit; or
                        2. the goods are in the possession or under the control of a person specified in section 30(1)(a); or
                          1. the goods—
                            1. are not unloaded in New Zealand and are destined for a point outside New Zealand; or
                              1. are to be, or are being, transhipped internationally, and are covered by a transhipment request made under section 87(2) and granted by the chief executive.

                              Notes
                              • Section 95A: inserted, on , by section 6 of the Customs and Excise (Tobacco) Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 16).
                              • Section 95A(2)(c): repealed, on , by section 4 of the Customs and Excise (Tobacco Products) Amendment Act 2022 (2022 No 28).