Can I Bring Honey Into New Zealand?

No, you cannot bring honey into New Zealand. Overseas honey and most bee products are prohibited because they can carry diseases that threaten New Zealand's bee population. Declare any honey on your Traveller Declaration or dispose of it in an amnesty bin — undeclared honey risks an instant NZ$400 fine.

Key restrictions

Overseas honey is prohibited — it will be seized at the border.

The ban covers most bee products, including honeycomb, pollen, propolis, and beeswax items.

All food, including honey, must be declared on the NZ Traveller Declaration.

Failing to declare honey risks an instant NZ$400 fine, even if it was a gift.

Dispose of honey in airport amnesty bins before reaching biosecurity if in doubt.

Why this matters

New Zealand's bees are unusually healthy by world standards, and the country intends to keep it that way. Honey can carry bee diseases — American foulbrood is the big one — and pests that could devastate local hives. With a manuka honey industry worth hundreds of millions of dollars and crops that rely on bee pollination, overseas honey is treated as one of the highest-risk food items a traveller can carry.

That makes honey different from most food you might pack. It is not a "declare it and you can probably keep it" item. It is prohibited, full stop, whether it is a sealed jar from a supermarket or a gift from a relative's backyard hive.

Restrictions

Honey from overseas is prohibited and will be taken from you at the border.
The rule extends to most bee products: honeycomb, raw pollen, propolis, royal jelly in some forms, and items made with beeswax can all be stopped.
Like all food, honey must be declared on your NZ Traveller Declaration even though it will be confiscated. Declaring keeps you out of trouble; hiding it does not.
If you realise you are carrying honey after landing, use the amnesty bins before you reach the biosecurity checkpoint.
Undeclared honey is a classic instant-fine item: NZ$400 on the spot, and serious cases can be prosecuted.

What the official guidance says

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) lists honey and bee products among the items travellers must declare or dispose of, and its guidance is that honey from overseas generally cannot be brought in by passengers. Biosecurity officers at the airport make the final call on any specific product. When in doubt, declare it — the worst outcome of declaring is losing the jar, while the worst outcome of not declaring is a fine and a flagged travel record.

Frequently asked questions

Why is honey banned in New Zealand?

Honey can carry bee diseases such as American foulbrood and European foulbrood. New Zealand's beekeeping and manuka honey industries depend on keeping these out, so overseas honey is treated as a serious biosecurity risk.

Can I bring sealed, commercially packaged honey?

No. Commercial packaging makes no difference for honey — the prohibition applies to retail jars, sachets, and homemade honey alike. Declare it and biosecurity officers will dispose of it.

What about honey-flavoured products like candy or cereal?

Processed products that contain honey as an ingredient, like candy or biscuits, are usually treated differently from actual honey, but you still must declare them and let officers decide.