How much cash can you take to New Zealand?
There is no cap on what you may carry into New Zealand. At NZD 10,000 or more you must tell customs, which is free and takes a few minutes. The same figure applies leaving.
Entering New Zealand
NZD 10,000
or more — declare it
Leaving New Zealand
NZD 10,000
or more — declare it
Applies per person. Each traveller has their own figure. That does not make splitting a large sum across a group to avoid the threshold lawful — several countries treat that as an offence in its own right.
Check your actual route
The figure above is only one end of the trip. Add where you're coming from or going to for both.
Pick both countries to see the rules for each end of your trip.
The rule in New Zealand, in full
NZD 10,000 or more in cash (NZ or foreign notes/coins) or bearer negotiable instruments must be reported to New Zealand Customs when entering or leaving New Zealand. Same threshold both directions, per traveller. Non-reporting is a criminal offence — penalty up to NZD 500,000 and/or 5 years imprisonment.
Form: Border Cash Report (BCR) — online or paper. Get it from the authority at the border or their site — we don't mirror it here, because forms are revised without notice and a stale copy is worse than none.
New Zealand Customs Service (NZCS) Last checked 2026-08-10
Heading to New Zealand? The duty-free allowance page for New Zealand covers what you can bring in without paying duty.