New Zealand cuts the duty-free stay for visiting yachts to 21 months
New Zealand Customs has shortened the maximum stay under a Temporary Import Entry for foreign yachts from 24 to 21 months, effective 1 September 2026. Boats that stay longer face duty and GST.
Law NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH
New Zealand Customs has reduced the maximum period a foreign pleasure craft may remain in the country under a Temporary Import Entry, or TIE. Since 1 September 2026 the limit is 21 months instead of 24. Trans-Ocean, the German bluewater cruising association, reported the change on 16 September 2026.
Customs gives the south-west Pacific cyclone season as the reason. The shorter period is meant to give vessels a safe departure window outside the recognised cyclone months. For many cruisers New Zealand is where they sit out the tropical storm season.
A craft that remains after its TIE expires must be permanently imported, according to Customs. Duty and GST then fall due on the boat. Staying beyond 21 months is only possible with permission from Customs.
The Customs page does not say whether the shorter limit also applies to yachts that arrived before 1 September 2026. Owners already in the country should ask Customs directly rather than rely on the old 24 months.
What this means for owners
An earlier departure from New Zealand can mean more months in tropical waters or in another country than the original plan allowed for. The point to check is whether the cruising area and the seasonal limits in your contract still fit the new route, especially for the cyclone months. Sailing yachts and catamarans on a Pacific circuit are the ones affected, occasionally long-range trawlers too. Raising it with your insurer before leaving the last port is far easier than afterwards.
This paragraph is our view as an underwriting agency, not part of the news. What your own policy covers is written in your own terms; when in doubt, call us.
Where this comes from
The text above is our own. The sources listed supplied the facts and the figures, not the wording.