Explore our in-depth info on a large number of job and career options. Find out qualifications needed, average pay, future job opportunities and much more.
To become a customs officer or an assistant customs officer you need to:
be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
have lived in New Zealand (or in a country approved by the New Zealand Customs Service) continually for the last five years
have a current driver's licence.
Applicants shortlisted for trainee customs officer positions attend an assessment centre where they complete:
one-to-one interviews
written activities
group activities
cognitive (thought processes) testing.
Successful applicants are then formally interviewed and must pass a medical assessment, drug test and security check.
Training for customs officers
Assistant customs officers are responsible for stamping passports, and customer service at airports and wharves. They complete a three-week training programme in Auckland.
Customs officers complete an eight-week training programme in Auckland, and then six months of on-the-job training.
Customs officers may move into chief customs officer and managerial roles.
With further on-the-job training, customs officers may progress to jobs in areas such as:
intelligence
criminal investigation
dog training and handling.
What's the job really like?
Andre George talks about life as a customs officer. (Video courtesy of New Zealand Customs Service)
Andre: Gidday guys, I'm Andre. I’m a customs officer here at Auckland air cargo inspection facility.
We work Monday to Friday mainly but we also do the odd Sunday – once a month, and our hours start from seven or 12.
When we come in we'll have a briefing and plan out the day's events either split into teams to go off-site or remain here on-site to handle the Capek examinations.
So our off-site team will go to different CCAs around Auckland. Our on-site team will remain here in the warehouse and we'll wait for Capek to drop off – so that's our DHL, TNT, Fedex, Toll and UPS packages and consignments and we'll use our x-rays and physical examinations to have a look inside the boxes.
An examination will obviously include using tools like the x-ray as well as physically opening the package up to find out what's in it.
So one of the challenges here at AACIF is the amount of paperwork that you get out of the job. Every box you open comes with a report, every intercept that you get comes with not only a report but your job sheet and photos, exhibiting. That’s half the fun obviously.
Some of the rewarding aspects of working here is obviously the results – it is the intercepts, it is finding something.
Finding drugs here is very satisfying because you're getting it off the streets - you're stopping it from coming into our country and into our kids and families, so it's really rewarding to know that you're actually stopping this stuff from coming in.
Working conditions
Customs officers:
do shift work, which can include nights, weekends and public holidays
work in offices, ports, on ships, and in airport terminals and freight depots
work in all weather conditions when they work outdoors
may work in hazardous, dusty or noisy conditions, with heavy machinery operating
may have to deal with tired, angry and upset people.
Physical Requirements
Customs officers need to be reasonably fit and healthy, and have good eyesight (with or without corrective lenses).
They must pass a medical exam for entry into the role, and ongoing fitness tests (for some customs officer positions).
Useful personal qualities
Customs officers need to be:
skilled at communicating
able to relate to people from a range of cultures and backgrounds
polite, patient and helpful
firm when dealing with people
skilled at analysing information and solving problems
