A beautiful, blue lake view after international removals to New Zealand

Container Shipping Schedule & Transit Times to New Zealand

Moving to New Zealand? On this page, you will find details of our current international container shipping schedules and transit times for our house removals services to New Zealand. Get a free quote from us to receive an estimate for your shipment in 24 hours.

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UK to New Zealand Container Shipping Schedule

Destination Vessel Name Last Moving Date to Meet Vessel Sailing Date Port to Port Transit Time
Auckland HMM Rotterdam 26/12/2024 09/01/2025 44
HMM Garam 02/01/2025 16/01/2025 44
HMM Gdansk 09/01/2025 23/01/2025 44
Berlin Express 16/01/2025 30/01/2025 44
Lyttelton / Christchurch HMM Rotterdam 26/12/2024 09/01/2025 45
HMM Garam 02/01/2025 16/01/2025 45
HMM Gdansk 09/01/2025 23/01/2025 45
Berlin Express 16/01/2025 30/01/2025 45
Wellington HMM Rotterdam 26/12/2024 09/01/2025 59
HMM Garam 02/01/2025 16/01/2025 59
HMM Gdansk 09/01/2025 23/01/2025 59
Berlin Express 16/01/2025 30/01/2025 59
A beautiful, blue lake view after international removals to New Zealand

Ready to Start Your Journey? Get Your Free International Removals Quote Today

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Restricted and Prohibited Items for Shipping to New Zealand

Planning a move to New Zealand or intending to ship your personal effects to this beautiful island nation? Understanding the import regulations of your destination is crucial to a smooth and hassle-free move. At 1st Move International, we're committed to keeping you well-informed and ready to meet the customs regulations of New Zealand. Here's a quick guide on what's permissible, restricted, and prohibited when shipping to New Zealand. See our full guide for a more detailed breakdown of New Zealand customs & quarantine rules, prohibited and restricted items.

Prohibited Items

New Zealand has strict guidelines on items that are prohibited for import, and violations can lead to severe penalties. Prohibited items include:

  • Knives and other weapons
  • Objectionable materials on videotapes or CDs
  • Equipment for drug usage

Always refer to the official New Zealand Customs Service website for comprehensive information.

Restricted Items

Certain goods require the necessary permits before they can be imported. These include:

  • Animal or Plant-Based Items: Items derived from plants or animals, such as ivory, and ornaments made from sea turtle shells, require a permit.
  • Live Species: You will need a permit for importing certain live species and carnivorous plants.
  • Children's Paint: Some substances in children's paint may be considered toxic, hence, restrictions apply.
  • Ozone-depleting Substances: Aerosols and refrigeration equipment fall under this category and have specific import guidelines.

Stay updated with the latest regulations to ensure compliance.

Packing and Paperwork

When packing for your move, partnering with a professional company like 1st Move International ensures your belongings are shipped securely and swiftly to New Zealand. We offer tailored packing services, adhering to stringent requirements for exporting from the UK and importing to New Zealand.

We'll assist you in creating an inventory list and completing all necessary paperwork for your items to clear New Zealand customs without any issues.

Declarations

After your inventory list is ready, you'll need to declare all items. This process can be carried out in advance before leaving the UK. Our team is at hand to help you, or you can use the online declaration system provided by the New Zealand government.

With 1st Move International, our team provides all the assistance and organization you require to ensure your move is a success. For more information on removals to New Zealand, or to get your free moving quote, get in touch today.

FAQ: Your Questions Answered

It takes an average of 6 to 8 weeks to ship a container from the UK to New Zealand (44 to 59 days), depending on you port of arrival in New Zealand.

Here are expected transit times to the main container shipping ports in New Zealand:

UK to New Zealand Container Shipping Transit Times
Port Transit Time
Auckland 44 days
Lyttelton / Christchurch 45 days
Wellington 59 days

Our faster shipping means we can get your belongings shipped faster, potentially saving you weeks or even months of waiting when using a typical mover who has fill a container with other customers' goods before shipping. Fast track your move with 1st Move International!

Yes! Once booked, we will provide you with a unique container number and the name for the vessel that your shipment will be sailing on. This information can be used with our container tracking tool to track the progress of your shipment from the moment that it leaves the United Kingodm.

Here's a quick breakdown of the information in our shipping schedules:

  • Destination: These are the ports in New Zealand that we ship directly to. If your destination is not listed, fear not. We cover the whole of New Zealand and can provide a full door-to-door service to any town or city within New Zealand.
  • Vessel Name: Every vessel has a unique name which can be used to track from the moment it leaves the United Kingdom.
  • Last Moving Date to Meet Vessel: This is the last available moving date if you want to meet a particular vessel in time for its departure. We update our schedules every month and whatever your move date, there will be a vessel available for you. These dates are simply here for your information and to help with planning.
  • Sailing Date: The date on which the vessel is scheduled to depart.
  • Port to Port Transit Time: The estimated time, in days, it takes for the vessel to travel from the port of origin to the destination port.

If you would like to estimate and offset the carbon emissions produced by your container shipment to New Zealand, you can use a sea freight emission calculator such as the one provided by Sinay. This tool allows you to calculate the carbon footprint per TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit) of any given sea freight shipment.

To estimate the impact of your move, follow these steps:

  1. Visit the CO2 Calculator: Go to the Sinay CO2 calculator here.
  2. Enter Departure/Arrival Details: Input the departure and destination for your shipment/vessel.
  3. Calculate Emissions: The tool will calculate the CO2 emissions per TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit).
  4. How to Estimate for a Shared Container: For shared container shipments, use the volume of your packed belongings in cubic metres (m3) to estimate your share. We provide all of our customers with the precise volume of their shipment. Divide the emission figure per TEU given by the calculator by the total volume of a TEU (33.2 m3) and then multiply by the volume of your shipment. This will give you an accurate figure for the share of emissions generated by your move.
  5. How to Estimate for a Full Container: For full container shipments, simply multiply the emission figure per TEU given by the calculator by the number of containers that you are shipping, which in most cases will be 1. If you are using a 40ft container multply this figure by 2 instead.

Once you have your estimated emissions you can explore carbon offsetting options to mitigate your environmental impact. Common methods include participating in tree planting initiatives, investing in renewable energy projects, or purchasing carbon credits.

Still have a question? Let us know! Chat to our team live, give us a call or simply request a quote to learn more.

Trust Us with Your Move to New Zealand

With over two decades of experience in shipping personal effects and household goods to New Zealand via container, and as trusted members of British International Freight Association (BIFA) and the British Association of Removers (BAR), you can be sure that 1st Move International will provide an exceptional container shipping service tailored to your needs.

We're proud of our faster shipping & safer packing, ensuring reliable & secure container shipping to New Zealand.

Get a free, no-obligation quote for our container shipping and removals services today.

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Resources

Useful Information, Resources and Guides for New Zealand

International Removals UK to New Zealand

Find out about our services for international removals from the UK to New Zealand and up-to-date information on costs and shipping options.

Container Shipping Costs UK to New Zealand

Get the latest information on UK to New Zealand container shipping including costs and container ports.

Customs Guide for Shipping Personal Effects to New Zealand

We cover all the legalities of shipping household goods from the UK to New Zealand.

New Zealand Customs, Prohibited & Restricted Items

Check out our detailed list of prohibited and restricted items when shipping to New Zealand with details on how to declare and import duties.

Car Shipping to New Zealand

We ship cars too. Get more information on our car shipping service.

New Zealand Moving Guides

Whether you're looking for basic moving tips, city info, or full visa and immigration guides, we've got you covered.

Your Pallets Packed - Posted Live on Facebook

Your life, carefully wrapped, beautifully packed, and protected for the journey ahead.

We are extremely proud of our unique packing process. We are the only international removals company in the UK that uses this tried and tested method to ship your treasured personal possessions overseas.

Visit our Facebook page to find a snapshot of each shipment captured as the final pallet is wrapped.