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New South Pacific cruising and charter regulations have been published. The changes allow yacht crews to work tax-free in New Zealand for up to two years. The New Zealand Marine Industry Association (NZ Marine) has announced that the four main South Pacific yachting centres have agreed to loosen regulations, which will take effect in August 2022.
Under the new Temporary Import Entry (TIE) laws, foreign-flagged superyachts will be allowed to cruise each country’s seas for a minimum of two years on a revolving basis. Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, and New Zealand collaborated to implement new TIE regulations. These will go into effect after the final easing of pandemic-related restrictions.
“Technically the various countries got alignment with (TIE) periods and charter two years ago. However, due to Covid lockdowns, it is only from this August that visiting yachts can enter the South Pacific countries using the new relaxed rules of longer stay and chartering in all four countries.” – Peter Busfield, CEO of NZ Marine.
NZ Marine announced that a visiting yacht may now remain in New Zealand for up to 24 months without having to be legally imported; guests just need to request a TIE certificate from New Zealand customs ahead of arrival. When entering ports in New Zealand under the TIE certificate, superyachts exceeding 500GT will require the services of a pilot.
During the TIE duration, all items, equipment, and services acquired for yachts in the nation are tax-free. This includes berthage fees, repairs, and refitting work. Yacht crew are also exempt from paying tax if they are employed by a non-New Zealand person or corporation and have not spent more than 365 days in the previous two years in the nation
