Declarable Goods for Arriving in Niue
Niue has a fragile ecosystem that the Niuean Government wants to protect. Niue operates a strict quarantine procedure for people travelling to Niue from overseas to protect the environment from harmful pests and diseases. Part of the procedure is for visitors to Niue to declare any potential risk items that they have packed or have in their possession. Declarations are made by completing the Niue Passenger Arrival Card, distributed during your flight or cruise to Niue.
Some aspects concerning health also need to be declared in order to protect the health of the residents of Niue. Customs declarations also need to be made concerning cash reporting and duty-free goods. So you know what to expect to have to declare when arriving in Niue, we’ve put together a list of declarable goods in the guide below.
For more information about customs, health and biosecurity in Niue, see Arrival Advice: Biosecurity and Customs in Niue. Plus, learn more about the arrival process into Niue with Everything You Need to Know About Arriving in Niue.
Tips for Declaring Goods and Health in Niue
- If you are unsure of an answer on the Passenger Arrival Card, tick “Yes” to declare it anyway! Even if the item didn’t need to be declared, you will simply be asked a few questions and not receive any penalty
- Any false declarations on your Passenger Arrival Card can lead to confiscation of goods, fines, prosecution, imprisonment and deportation, depending on how severe the false declaration is
- If you answer “Yes” to any of the health declarations, you may be required to undergo a medical examination by a Health Officer
- Just because you need to declare something, doesn’t mean that you can’t bring it into the country, such as certain foods and sports equipment.
(c) niuepocketguide.comDeclare Food!
It’s pretty common for some of us to pack a few snacks or some cheese to enjoy an in-room cheese platter during our stay. However, know that you must declare any food when arriving in Niue.
Any food must be declared when arriving in Niue, including food that is:
- cooked
- uncooked
- fresh
- preserved
- packaged
- dried.
Note that there are some food items that you cannot bring into Niue, including honey, home-grown vegetables, fruit, herbs and free-range eggs. Only meat and meat products that have been bought from a butcher may be brought into Niue, where receipts for these food items will be helpful for Biosecurity Officers.
(c) niuepocketguide.comDeclare Animal and Animal Products!
Animal and animal products also must be declared when arriving in Niue. The category of animal and animal products can cover a wide range of goods, from food made from animals to souvenirs made with animal materials.
Animal and animal products you must declare include:
- Meat including meat products
- Dairy products, including cheese, milk, milk powder and butter
- Eggs including egg products
- Honey including pollen, bee products, honeycombs and beeswax
- Fish
- Feathers, bones, tusks, furs, skins, stuffed animals and reptiles
- Biological cultures and organisms
- Coral, turtle shells and ivory
- Live animals, pets, birds, fish and insects.
(c) niuepocketguide.comDeclare Plant and Plant Products!
You must also declare any plant or plant products when arriving in Niue. This includes any food made from plants, such as vegetables, to items made out of wood, for instance.
Items relating to plant and plant products that you must declare include:
- Nuts including unprocessed and raw
- Herbs and spices
- Plants including live and dried flowers, seedlings, bulbs and leaves
- Mushrooms and fungi, fresh or dried
- Pine cones and pou pourri
- Wood carvings and artefacts, basketware and mats in any form
- Cane bamboo
- Rattan wood
- Straw.
(c) niuepocketguide.comDeclare Equipment!
It’s common for visitors to bring their own snorkelling, diving or other watersports gear to enjoy Niue’s waters. Many visitors also bring their own sports equipment for land activities, such as golf clubs or hiking shoes, for example. Because these items typically come in contact with soil and water, these too must be declared.
The equipment you need to declare when arriving in Niue includes:
- Riding equipment including clothing, footwear and grooming equipment
- Equipment and clothing used in association with farm animals
- Equipment used in association with gardening
- Equipment used in association with beekeeping
- Equipment used in association with fishing
- Equipment used in association with water sport or diving
- Items that have been used in the outdoors including boots, golf or sports shoes, camping gear, hiking and sporting equipment.
(c) niuepocketguide.comOther Things to Declare
There are some additional things to declare when arriving in Niue, concerning Biosecurity, Customs and Health.
Other Biosecurity Declarations
Additional items to declare concerning Biosecurity, include:
- Soil and water in any form
- Human remains (ash)
- Holy water
- If you have visited a forest, had contact with animals (except domestic cats and dogs), or visited properties that farm or process animals or plants within the last 30 days outside of Niue.
Customs Declarations
Items that you must declare concerning Customs if you are 18 years and over include:
- Goods that may be prohibited or restricted, including medicines, weapons, indecent publications, endangered species of flora or fauna, illicit drugs or drug paraphernalia
- Alcohol over the personal concession (3.5l of spirits or 3.5l of liqueur or 3.5l of wine or 8l of canned beer or a combination of the above provided that the total does not exceed 3.5l). See The Duty-Free Allowances for Niue for more information
- Goods including gifts and souvenirs obtained or purchased duty-free with a combined value of more than NZ$500
- Goods carried for business or commercial use or goods carried on behalf of another person
- A total of NZ$10,000 or more in cash (including bearer negotiable instruments*) or the foreign equivalent currency
On the Niue Passenger Arrival Card, you must also state the goods you have purchased duty-free.
*Bearer negotiable instruments include any type of bill of exchange, cheque, promissory note, bearer bond, traveller’s cheque, money order, postal order or similar order. Remember, you only need to declare if you carry that of or exceeds NZ$10,000.
Health Declarations
Finally, you need to declare some things concerning health. These include:
- A list of all of the countries you have been to in the past 30 days
- Any infectious disease you might be suffering, including AIDS, Chicken Pox, Chikungunya, Cholera, Dengue Fever, Ebola Virus, Influenza, Leprosy, Measles, Rubella, Typhoid, Yellow Fever, Zika Virus and any other disease declared from time to time
- Any of the following symptoms you have experienced in the last 30 days, including fever/chills, nausea/vomiting, coughing, vomiting, severe headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, blood in the stools, rash, pain in muscles/joints or bones, unexplained bleeding or bruising
- Any other symptoms experienced in the last 30 days must be stated.
More About What to Declare When Arriving in Niue
