# can I bring my kitchen and bathroom with me?



## MrsRose

Ok, so not the_ whole_ kitchen...BUT...

I've looked online, and asked a few people here and there, and can't seem to get a definitive answer. I even called the biosecurity office for NZ and talked to someone but she seemed kinda wishy washy in her answer to me...

Items I would like to send over in our cargo from the United States to NZ:

-various multivitamins and all natural supplements like probiotics, krill oil capsules, vitamin c, etc...

-essential oils like peppermint, wild orange, and lavender oil

-canned, or unopened sealed foods like pastas, beans, rice, coconut oil, hemp protein powder, cacao powder, various spices, salt, etc...

-cosmetics, body lotions, toothpaste, etc (all of which are plant/fruit/vegetable based)


Are there any (all) items that any of you know in particular are definitely allowed or definitely _not_ allowed to be shipped to NZ in our cargo?

thanks all!


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## Kimbella

You can bring over the cosmetics and such, but no food items are allowed, and vitamin supplements, etc., are also not allowed for import. I'm not sure about the oils.


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## MrsRose

Kimbella said:


> You can bring over the cosmetics and such, but no food items are allowed, and vitamin supplements, etc., are also not allowed for import. I'm not sure about the oils.


ugh.  so I have to just throw away any unused vitamins when we move? They wont let me take them on the airplane and declare them or anything?


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## topcat83

I'd definitely leave the pasta, spices etc at home - and to be quite honest, I'd leave the cans as well.

Cosmetics should be no problem. Label them though so that Customs can find them if they want to.

With regards the multivitamins and oils - as long as they're for home use (and the contents of your 'normal' medicine cabinet) you'll probably be OK. I'd put them all into ice cream containers, again label them so they're easy for customs to get to if they want to, then put them on the itinerary as 'home medicine cabinet'. We had no problems bringing our stuff in. They're not after stopping the odd multivitamin - just the 'dealers'!


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## Kimbella

Check with customs on the quantity you are allowed to bring in. You CAN bring in a three month supply, but I am almost 100% certain that you would need to do that when YOU come to NZ, and not have it shipped with your belongings! And, it is tricky with supplements and vitamins because they are not labeled like prescriptions are. Customs will likely stop you and check your stuff out. They did on my last trip back from a California trip... they actually calculated out how many months of ibuprofen I had with me to make sure I wasn't "over" the limit. The customs official explained to me that even though some things are sold OTC (over the counter) here in NZ, they are still considered prescriptions, which is why you cannot by more than like 30 or so tabs at a time of anything...don't throw anything out until you get confirmation from customs.


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## MrsRose

well i certainly hope they'll let me bring my probiotics and omega oils then. Don't think we'll be seeing any probiotic dealers doing time in jail int the near future. haha! 

I guess I'll call and ask them about each specific item in my "medicine cabinet." 

And I guess I'll leave all the food items behind. :Cry::violin:


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## epicgb

You can get all that stuff over here anyhow. I almost wept when i had to throw the contents of my spice cupboard away. Managed to get just about everything I need though, had to produce my own hot sauce as no decent hot sauce here!


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## MrsRose

I did happen to find a website where I can order most of the health foods and natural products I use AND it ships internationally! woohoo!

Discount Vitamins, Supplements, Health Foods and Sports Nutrition - Vitacost


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## MrsRose

What about stocking up on toilet paper, or soap, or shampoo, etc? yay or nay? 

will we get charged extra for bringing over some new unused items?


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## Kimbella

You might consider stocking up on shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, etc. And especially make-up if you wear any. A tube of foundation runs about $30 here. I use Max Factor, which I used to order from the UK for about $16 since it was no longer available in the US. It is available here, but the cheapest I've found it for is $33. Cover Girl also runs over $20, mascara is about $10-$15 a tube, face-powder can run past $20, etc. Dry hair spray (the type that you spray in your hair to absorb oils) runs around $18 a can, etc. You would potentially get charged duties on them if you bought items explicitly to bring here. If you just buy them on sale with the intent to use them in the US, that's what you put in your customs forms: purchased for personal use, not yet opened, or something to that effect. Some places you might want to explore prices at are: Briscoe's (household items), The Warehouse (closest thing we have to a Walmart here but smaller and with less items), check out eletronics at Dick Smith's, The Power Store, Noel Leeming; the main grocery stores are: Countdown, New World, Pak N Save, and Fresh Choice. Home improvement stores are Bunnings and Mitre 10 Mega. You should be able to google all their websites to see if they have price listings for things so you can get an idea of what you'll be budgeting for. Also, TradeMe is the kiwi version of an online trading site that is like a cross between Ebay and Craiglist--you can purchase stuff people have for sale, and also look at what rentals are available at what prices, etc. There is also a similar site called Wheedle, although it is pretty new, and I'm not sure how it works, or how reputable it is. You can also usually open up your overseas NZ bank account with just a little work; I opened my Westpac account a few months before arriving. Best of luck!


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## anski

Whenever I go to the US I stock up big on meds from Costco & bring them in my case on the plane. The meds I buy are Aspirin, (2 years supply cost the same as 1 months supply here!) also buy meds for pain relief, colds. Brought tinned & bottled food items & never had a problem.


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## anski

Some more additional information.

Prohibited Imports

Because of the importance of agriculture and horticulture to the New Zealand economy, it is illegal to import most foodstuffs (meat, meat products, honey, fruit and dairy). Customs and agricultural officers view any breach of the laws extremely seriously and travellers are fined on the spot. Take care when importing wood products, such as golf clubs, shoes and items made from animal skin and feathers. For further information, contact the nearest embassy, high Commission or consulate. The import of the following items is also prohibited: drugs, counterfeit goods, firearms and weapons (unless a special permit is obtained from the New Zealand police), ivory in any form, tortoise or turtle shell jewellery and ornaments, medicines using musk, rhinoceros or tiger derivatives, carvings or anything made from whalebone or bone from any other marine animals, cat skins or coats, and certain drugs (eg diuretics, depressants, stimulants, heart drugs, tranquillisers, sleeping pills) unless covered by a doctor's prescription. The New Zealand Customs Service website (New Zealand Customs Service : Home) contains comprehensive advice for travellers and details all restricted items. There are heavy fines in place for those caught breaking these rules.


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## MrsRose

anski said:


> Whenever I go to the US I stock up big on meds from Costco & bring them in my case on the plane. The meds I buy are Aspirin, (2 years supply cost the same as 1 months supply here!) also buy meds for pain relief, colds. Brought tinned & bottled food items & never had a problem.


You brought tinned and bottled stuff in your cargo or your case on the plane?


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## Kimbella

anski said:


> Whenever I go to the US I stock up big on meds from Costco & bring them in my case on the plane. The meds I buy are Aspirin, (2 years supply cost the same as 1 months supply here!) also buy meds for pain relief, colds. Brought tinned & bottled food items & never had a problem.


I would just be cautious. The last time I returned from California was this past April. I had surgery while in CA and returned with 2 bottles of 500 tabs of Ibuprofen (nurofen), and a bottle of generic benadryl, and customs DID stop me and search my bags. I did declare them on my forms, but she checked the amounts, I quickly said I take (4) 200mg tabs 4 times a day (max daily dose in the hospital), and thankfully I am a nurse by profession so could relay this, or she would have had grounds to confiscate them. Not because she was unkind--she wasn't, she was nice, but she explained that by law only a few months supply is allowed in at a time. She let me go on, but made sure my bottles had not been opened, and after she calculated out that my dose would only last a few months. I did bring back some sealed foodstuffs, and they were fine: over-sized marshmallows for the kids, jelly beans, candy, etc. It was all allowed as long as it was factory sealed. It might just depend on the customs agent you get. My very first trip over I brought about 6 months worth of different medications, with a doctor's note, and they didn't bother to look at anything...


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## anski

MrsRose said:


> You brought tinned and bottled stuff in your cargo or your case on the plane?


In my cargo, but not enough to stock a supermarket though. LOL


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