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Thread: Valuables by container or airplane?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    NZ
    Posts
    852

    Default Valuables by container or airplane?

    We are only two weeks from departure to NZ! It's a bit tricky to plan since we don't know whether we will be transitioning from a visitor visa to a work visa during our stay, but this could be a one-way trip until our next "holiday" back to California.

    I've got our storage all packed up and ready to stuff into a container whenever I give the word (i.e. if we get legal residency while abroad), but I'm pondering what to do with our valuables during our (at least) 6 months in NZ.

    I'm thinking I'll leave my nicer jewelry and hubby's heirloom coin collection (not that huge, but weighs 28 pounds!!) with relatives until the next time someone takes a flight over. It feels a bit weird to bring them with us now (both logistically and in the eyes of customs). But I'm wondering about the limits of the immigration allowance for bringing personal belongings over. Is that a one-time thing, or can you leave and re-enter and still bring more valuables? And, could someone else bring them to us when they visit? Or would that be an odd thing for them to have to declare at the airport?

    The less desirable option is to keep everything in our storage unit and have the shippers load it in the container...

    I'm curious what other people have done :-)

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

    Default

    You might like to have a browse on the NZ customs website - see the links in the sidebar. https://www.customs.govt.nz/personal...nd-allowances/ You can see what your allowances are as a tourist, and/or when immigrating, and the requirements for applying the latter to your property being shipped to you.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    NZ
    Posts
    852

    Default

    Thanks, that's the site I was looking for. Based on what I'm seeing there, it's not a good idea to have anyone else transport valuables for you, because they need to declare (and probably pay duty for??) anything that's not their own personal effects, even "gifts."

    I don't see anything specific about time frame for bringing in your own stuff as a migrant, but I'm guessing it's the first time we travel to NZ with a residence visa. So I might have our relatives keep the heavy coin collection until the next time we visit them, then we could transport it ourselves in checked luggage (provided it's our first time re-entering NZ as migrants, I guess?). I'll have to check the weight limit for checked luggage, haha...

    Or I could risk it and just put it in the container. Some other stuff in the container is irreplaceable, too - so the risk isn't much different. I guess it's just the sentimental value that makes me hesitate.

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