Information on import requirements for travelers to Tonga

Tonga quarantine import requirements for the importation of meat (animal products and by-products) as accompanied passengers' baggage (imported with air passengers, aircraft/sea passengers or aircraft/ship's crew entering Tonga].

The import requirements should ONLY apply to non-commercial consignment of food products of animal origin (such as fresh or frozen meat) as accompanied passengers' baggage [usually with air-passenger entering Tonga] from New Zealand, Australia, USA or Vanuatu.

No imports from Sāmoa or Fiji are allowed.

 

Quarantine import requirements:
  1. Passenger may take out an Import Permit (to-import meat product into Tonga) from Quarantine on arrival at port/airport of entry (e.g. Fuaʻamotu International airport);
  2. Passenger are limited to bringing in a maximum of TWENTY (20) KILOGRAMS of meat products in total for each adult air- or sea passenger, ship’s crew;
  3. All meat products MUST BE in UNBROKEN, SEALED PACKAGES which clearly state the name of the store, meat packer or manufacturer and country of origin (commercial packaging and labeling]; and
  4. A purchasing receipt from the meat packer or store be accompanied the meat consignment into Tonga and be presented to Tonga Quarantine at airport/port of entry for inspection.

Please note:

  1. The product must be commercially prepared, packaged and labeled.
  2. The product must be in its original sealed packaging on arrival
  3. The country of origin is identifiable from the packaging
  4. The total weight of the consignment is 20 kilograms or less.
List of meat products permitted into Tonga (with import requirements) by country of origin
animal product [meat] requirements origin
BEEF/VENTION/BUFFALO [sausage, luncheon, saveloy, meat, hot dogs, frankfurts, pies] cooked, uncooked (frozen, chilled, smoked, salted and dried) Australia, New Zealand, United States of America, Vanuatu
POULTRY including turkey, duck, chicken, ostrich. [carcasses, pieces, sausage, luncheon meat, frankfurts and offal] cooked, uncooked (including frozen, smoked, dried and chilled) Australia, New Zealand, United States of America
PIG MEAT [ham, sausage, bacon, saveloy, luncheon meat, hot dogs, pies, salami and frankfurts] frozen and cooked Australia, New Zealand, United States of America
chilled ONLY Australia, New Zealand
SHEEP and GOAT MEAT [mutton and lamb] cooked, uncooked (frozen, chilled, smoked, salted and dried) Australia, New Zealand
SHEEP offal must be frozen and/or cooked Australia, New Zealand, United States of America
CHICKEN EGGS UNFERTILISED AND CLEAN, commercially packaged Australia, New Zealand, United States of America
MILK PRODUCTS [yoghurt, cheese, milk, ice cream, UHT products] commercially packaged Australia, New Zealand, United States of America

 

Private consignments of meat products and products containing dairy ingredients originating from Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Vanuatu and United States of America may be given biosecurity clearance provided all the following requirements are met:

  1. The product is commercially prepared and packaged
  2. The product is in its original sealed packaging on arrival
  3. The country of origin is identifiable from the packaging
  4. The total weight of the consignment is 20 kilograms or less.
Definitions:
  1. Commercially prepared and packaged – A product that has been manufactured in a commercial manner by a commercial enterprise and is packaged in tamper proof packaging.
  2. Animal Products – Non-viable products derived from animals.
  3. Animal by-products – Mechanically removed meat and other animal parts that remain after the skeletal muscle has been removed in dressing or trimming. Animal by-products include offal, fat and blood intended for human consumption.
  4. Private Consignment – A consignment imported as personal property and not intended for resale. Maximum size of a private consignment will be specified in the individual standards.
  5. Meat – Skeletal muscle with naturally included or adherent tissue or bone. This definition excludes animal by-products.
  6. Meat products – This refers to products prepared from or with meat that has undergone treatment such that the cut surface shows that the product no longer has the characteristics of fresh meat
  7. Dairy product – Any product manufactured from the milk and cream of animals.

Private consignments of New Zealand origin meat, meat products, dairy products, egg products or products with New Zealand origin meat/dairy/egg ingredients from any country may be given quarantine clearance provided all the following requirements are met:

  1. The product is commercially prepared and packaged
  2. The product is in its original sealed packaging on arrival
  3. New Zealand is clearly identifiable as the country of origin from the packaging
  4. The total weight of the consignment is 20 kilograms or less.

saafa

guinea grass

panicum maximum

Another grass from Africa, but feeling quite at home in Tonga. Can grow up to 4 m tall, much to the frustration of the farmers. Said to have entered the kingdom as unnoticed seeds in a bag of chaff, hence its Tongan name.
For more information see Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)