On November 15, 2007, New Zealand customs changed their laws on small boat importation (Reference 80 Concession).

When importing a foreign-flagged vessel into New Zealand, ordinarily the owner must pay 19.7% of the value of his boat (12.7% GST + 7% Customs duty).

HOWEVER, prior to November 2007, owners of small yachts who wanted to live and work in New Zealand qualified for a CONCESSION exempting them from this fee, as long as:

1. They had owned the boat for at least 1 year,

2. They had spent the previous 21 months outside New Zealand, and

3. They signed a document agreeing not to sell the boat in New Zealand for a period of 2 years.

Since November 15, 2007, Reference 80 Concession has been CHANGED. The new law also requires that:

“The owner of the vessel holds a document (work visa or residency) entitling him to live and work in New Zealand AT THE TIME THAT THE BOAT IS IMPORTED”.

Basically, this means that if you intend to get a work visa while here, you need to HAVE IT IN HAND WHEN YOU ENTER NEW ZEALAND. The only loophole I can see in this law is that you could possibly enter on a tourist visa, apply for (and get) your work visa, then sail the boat to Australia and return immediately to NZ with your work visa in hand. Then you would owe no duty (though you might have spent several thousand dollars in diesel, provisions, and wear and tear on your craft!).

You can read more about the latest laws here

Antonia Murphy

SV Sereia