Cruise passengers to pay $19.91 less per trip from July 2027
Customs Minister Casey Costello has announced cruise ship passengers will pay significantly lower Border Processing Levy rates starting 1 July 2027.
Cruise ship passengers will pay significantly lower Border Processing Levy rates from 1 July 2027, Customs Minister Casey Costello announced. From that date, cruise passengers will see a net reduction of NZ$19.91 per person through combined arrival and departure levy rate changes. The arrival levy for cruise passengers will fall from NZ$27.14 to NZ$7.20, while the levy for departing passengers will increase by three cents per person. The Border Processing Levy recovers costs related to Customs services for risk assessment, processing, investigations and compliance, and facilitates the safe and efficient movement of people across New Zealand's air and sea border. In contrast, air travellers will face a small overall increase of 32 cents per passenger. Customs Minister Casey Costello said the levy system is working as intended and that where forecast costs support a lower rate, travellers should receive that benefit. Border Processing Levy rates are reviewed regularly to ensure they reflect forecast costs and passenger volumes. The new rates will be set by the Comptroller of Customs and apply from 1 July 2027, with early notice intended to help the travel and tourism sectors plan ahead.
What it means
Cruise passengers travelling through New Zealand ports will pay NZ$19.91 less per person from 1 July 2027 as the arrival levy drops significantly while departure levies increase slightly. Air passengers will see a small overall increase. Travellers and tourism operators should use the early notice to plan their bookings and budgets accordingly.
From the document
Cruise ship passengers will pay significantly lower Border Processing Levy rates from 1 July 2027, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today.Customs Minister Casey Costello, 16 October 2026
From 1 July 2027, cruise passengers will see a net reduction of NZ$19.91 per person through the combined arrival and departure levy rate changes. The Border Processing Levy for arriving cruise passengers will lower from NZ$27.14 to NZ$7.20, while the levy for outgoing passengers will increase by three cents per person.Customs Minister Casey Costello, 16 October 2026
The levy system is working as intended. Where forecast costs support a lower rate, travellers should receive that benefitCustoms Minister Casey Costello, 16 October 2026
The Border Processing Levy recovers costs related to Customs services for risk assessment, processing, investigations and compliance, and to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of people across New Zealand's air and sea border.Customs Minister Casey Costello, 16 October 2026
New Border Processing Levy rates for air travellers, (technically, 'non-cruise travellers'), will result in a small overall increase of 32 cents per passenger.Customs Minister Casey Costello, 16 October 2026
Border Processing Levy rates are reviewed regularly to ensure they reflect forecast costs and passenger volumes and support the requirement for the levy accounts to balance over time. The new rates set by the Comptroller of Customs will apply from 1 July 2027Customs Minister Casey Costello, 16 October 2026
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