Parcel forwarding from France to New Zealand: prices, delays, customs
New Zealand is, with Australia, the end of the road. Here's how the price of a parcel from France is built, the delivery times we see, what customs collects — and the thing many people don't know: biosecurity, which holds more parcels than customs does.
Few French sellers ship to New Zealand, for the same reasons as Australia: the distance, the declaration, the delivery time. Yet the demand is there — clothes, beauty, secondhand, what never reaches the shelves of Auckland or Wellington. A French address, a well-filled box, and distance becomes a mere delay.
This guide explains where the price of a shipment comes from, how to bring it down, and what awaits you on arrival. The exact price of your own parcel to New Zealand is calculated live on our estimator, from its weight and size.
Two ways to get a parcel to you
You order yourself. On French sites that accept your card, you enter your FrenchShopper address at checkout. To the shop you're a French customer; the parcel lands at our warehouse, we receive it, and we forward it to you. The address is free and comes with your account.
We buy for you. On Vinted, Leboncoin, and any seller who only ships within France or rejects a New Zealand card, you send us the link: we check it, quote it, and once you've paid, we buy with our own French account and card. The details are here.
Either way, your items wait for free for 45 days in our warehouse so you can gather several — and everything leaves in one box, with one shipping charge.
How the shipping price is built
Our price covers transport, packaging and insurance, and it depends on two things: the weight of the box and its size. Carriers charge on whichever is higher, actual or volumetric weight — a big half-empty box is billed as if it were full. For every shipment to New Zealand, you see all the available offers, with their price and delivery time, before you pay.
The rule that matters: the price rises far more slowly than the weight. A lone 1 kg parcel is the worst ratio between what you get and what you pay; several orders in one box is the best. Estimate your parcel from its real weight, before you order anything.
The delivery times we see
On our measurements to Auckland, Chronopost Express shows delivery six days after handover to the carrier; FedEx International Economy about ten, and Colissimo International, the cheapest option, about a fortnight. The gap between postal and express is here one of the widest of all our destinations: if the date matters, express earns its keep. Each offer displays its own time before you pay.
What New Zealand Customs collects
A parcel from France is an import. New Zealand applies GST to imported goods, and duties on some categories — clothing and footwear can carry them — on the declared value. Below a certain amount of tax due, New Zealand Customs collects nothing; above it, it collects everything, with entry fees. The carrier advances those sums and claims them from you at delivery, with its handling fee. Thresholds and rates change: check them with New Zealand Customs before a large order.
What we do, and what we don't
- We declare the real value of your items, as it appears on your invoices. It's the law, and it's what protects you: our insurance covers the declared value.
- We never under-declare, even on request. An under-declared parcel can be held, taxed on an estimated value, or seized.
- Duties, taxes and handling fees are never in our price: they depend on New Zealand, not on us, and can only be known on arrival.
Biosecurity: what really holds parcels
New Zealand protects its farming and its nature with one of the strictest import controls in the world. The Ministry for Primary Industries inspects parcels, and holds or destroys anything that can carry a foreign organism:
- Food — even packaged, even dry, much of it is banned or must be declared.
- Plants, seeds, raw wood, untreated wooden objects, including some decorative objects and instruments.
- Used items that have touched soil — hiking boots, camping gear, bicycles, garden tools. They must be thoroughly cleaned, and declared. A little soil under a sole is enough to get a parcel opened.
For a box of clothes, town shoes or cosmetics, nothing to fear. For secondhand outdoor gear, tell us: we clean and declare what's needed.
Frequently asked questions
Is New Zealand GST included in your price?
No — it can't be. New Zealand Customs assesses it on arrival, on the declared value, with possible duties, and the carrier collects it at delivery with a handling fee. Our price covers transport, packaging and insurance, never destination taxes.
How long does a parcel from France to New Zealand take?
On our measurements, six days with Chronopost Express, about ten with FedEx International Economy, and about a fortnight with Colissimo International — customs clearance included. Each offer shows its own time before you pay.
Can I have secondhand hiking boots forwarded?
Yes, provided they're perfectly clean and declared: New Zealand biosecurity inspects anything that may have touched soil. Tell us, and we clean and declare what's needed.
Does French Vinted ship to New Zealand?
No. Vinted has no New Zealand version and French sellers almost never ship outside France. For anything on Vinted or Leboncoin, we buy it for you with our French account, then ship it with the rest of your finds.
