New Zealand - Certification Requirements

Last update: February 14, 2013

Certification Requirements

Each shipment of fish and seafood products exported to New Zealand must be accompanied by a CFIA certificate.

  • For salmonids (non-trout): Aquatic Animal Health and Sanitary Certificate for the Export of Eviscerated (non-trout) Salmonid Products for Human Consumption from Canada to New Zealand (AQAH 1067)
  • For all other fish and seafood products (non-trout): Certificate of Origin and Hygiene (CFIA/ACIA 5003 (2002/05)).

There may be additional information on fish health requirements that apply to your product; this type of information is administered by the Aquatic Animal Health Division.

Other Information

Import Permit

In addition to a CFIA certificate, certain products require a Permit to Import, which is issued by the government of New Zealand. A Permit to Import will be granted on a single consignment basis only.

Importation of trout and trout products into New Zealand for commercial use is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to the following trout species, either dead or alive, or any product containing:

  • Brown trout (Salmo trutta)
  • Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
  • American brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
  • Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)
  • Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki)
  • Golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita)
  • Gila trout (Oncorhynchus gilae)
  • Apache trout (Oncorhynchus apache)
  • Mexican trout (Oncorhynchus chyrsogaster)

or any hybrid of a fish listed above.

Commercial consignments of commercially packaged (non-trout) salmonids exported to New Zealand must be for direct retail sale and human consumption and require no further packaging and/or processing prior to retail sale or use in institutional trade. Commercial consignments do not require a permit to import but they must have a CFIA certificate and must be eligible for biosecurity clearance at the New Zealand border.

The importation of salmonid products in bulk form (product which is intended to be further processed and/or packaged in New Zealand prior to retail sale or use in the institutional trade), requires a Permit to Import issued by the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries.

See details on the importation of salmonids into New Zealand.

Tolerances and Guidelines

Mercury (total): 0.5 ppm
Arsenic: 1.0 ppm
Lead: 2.0 ppm
Fluorine: 10.0 ppm
Zinc: 40.0 ppm
Selenium: 2.0 ppm
Cadmium: 1.0 ppm
Tin: 150.0 ppm
Antimony: 1.0 ppm
Copper: 30.0 ppm

(These apply to fish and fish products on a fresh weight basis.)

Current applicable guidelines, standards and restrictions that can be applied to Canadian fish and fish products may be found in the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries website.