MPI Export Requirements: Complete Guide for New Zealand Exporters (2026)

What MPI Does and Why It Matters to Exporters

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is the New Zealand government agency responsible for ensuring that products exported from this country meet the food safety, biosecurity, and animal and plant health standards required by importing countries. If you’re exporting any product of animal or plant origin—or any food product—MPI is the regulator that stands between your goods and their destination market.

MPI’s core function in the export context is market access assurance. Importing countries require official government-backed certification that exported products meet their specific standards. MPI issues those certificates. Without them, your goods don’t clear customs at the other end.

This isn’t optional. Under the Animal Products Act 1999 and the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997, exporting regulated products without the appropriate MPI certification is a criminal offence. Penalties include fines up to $500,000 and imprisonment for up to five years.

Which Products Require MPI Certification

The scope of MPI’s export certification regime is broader than many first-time exporters expect. The following product categories require MPI certification before export:

Animal Products

Meat and meat products — beef, lamb, venison, poultry, offal, processed meat
Dairy — milk powder, butter, cheese, casein, infant formula, whey products
Seafood — fin fish, shellfish, processed seafood, marine oils
Honey and bee products — mānuka honey, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly
Wool, hides, and skins — where the destination country requires animal health certification
Animal-derived ingredients — gelatine, collagen, pet food, rendered products

Plant Products

Fresh fruit and vegetables — kiwifruit, apples, onions, squash
Seeds and bulbs — for planting or processing
Cut flowers and nursery stock
Timber and wood products — where phytosanitary treatment is required
Dried plant material — herbs, botanicals

Other Regulated Products

Wine — export certificates for wine moved to MPI Trade Certification in 2024
Processed foods — depending on destination country requirements and ingredients
Animal feed and fertilisers — where they contain animal or plant material

Not Sure If Your Product Needs Certification?

Use MPI’s PIER Search database to check the specific certification requirements for your product and destination market combination. Requirements vary significantly by country—a product that ships freely to Australia may require a full veterinary health certificate for China.

The Transition to MPI Trade Certification

If you’ve been exporting for a while, you’ll know the legacy systems: AP E-cert for animal products and ePhyto for plant products. Both are being retired and replaced by a single platform: MPI Trade Certification.

This isn’t a cosmetic rebrand. MPI Trade Certification is a modernised digital platform that consolidates all export certification into one system. The transition timeline:

Product Category	Migration Date	Legacy System Replaced
Wine	Completed 2024	AP E-cert
Plant products	March 2026	ePhyto
Animal products	April 2026	AP E-cert

What This Means for Exporters

If you’re currently using AP E-cert or ePhyto, you need to be registered on MPI Trade Certification before your product category’s migration date. After migration, the legacy system will no longer accept new certificate requests for that product type.

Practically, the changes involve:

New user interface and workflows for requesting certificates
Updated digital certificate formats
New integration options for businesses that submit certificate requests programmatically
Changed notification and status tracking mechanisms

MPI has been running parallel access periods where both old and new systems operate simultaneously. If you haven’t migrated yet, contact MPI’s certification support team or your documentation specialist immediately—the animal products deadline in April 2026 is imminent.

Registering with MyMPI

MyMPI is the identity and access management portal for all MPI digital services, including Trade Certification. Every individual who needs to request, view, or manage export certificates must have a MyMPI account.

Registration Steps

Go to MyMPI and select “Register”
Verify your identity using RealMe (New Zealand’s government identity verification service). If you don’t have a RealMe login, you’ll need to create one first
Link to your business by entering your NZBN (New Zealand Business Number). If your business isn’t registered with MPI yet, you’ll be prompted to complete a business registration
Request access roles — MyMPI uses role-based access. You’ll need the appropriate role for your function (e.g., “E-cert User” for submitting certificate requests)
Wait for approval — role requests for regulated activities require MPI verification. Turnaround is typically 2–5 working days, though it can take longer during peak periods

Plan Ahead for First-Time Registrations

If you’re a new exporter, don’t leave MyMPI registration to the last minute. Between RealMe verification, business registration, and role approval, the full process can take 2–3 weeks. Start your registration well before your first intended shipment.

Business Registration Requirements

To export regulated products, your business itself must be registered with MPI. Depending on what you’re exporting, this may involve:

Risk Management Programme (RMP) registration for animal product processors
Food Control Plan (FCP) for food businesses
Exporter registration under the relevant product legislation
Premises listing if your facility handles or stores export products

Your MPI registration status determines what types of certificates you can request through Trade Certification.

Types of MPI Export Certificates

MPI issues several categories of certificates, each serving a different purpose and required by different destination markets.

Veterinary Health Certificates

Required for exports of animal products (meat, dairy, seafood, honey) to most markets. These certificates attest that:

The product was produced under New Zealand’s official food safety and animal health programme
The product meets the specific animal health and food safety requirements of the importing country
The product has been inspected or verified by MPI or an MPI-recognised agency

Veterinary health certificates are market-specific. A certificate for China contains different attestations from one for the EU or Japan. The wording is negotiated between MPI and the importing country’s competent authority, and exporters cannot modify the certificate text.

Phytosanitary Certificates

Required for exports of plant products, seeds, timber, and other regulated plant material. These certificates confirm that:

The product has been inspected and found to be free from quarantine pests
The product meets the phytosanitary requirements of the importing country
Any required treatments (fumigation, heat treatment, etc.) have been carried out

Phytosanitary certificates follow the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) model format but include country-specific additional declarations as required by the destination market.

Trade Certificates (General)

For products that don’t fall neatly into the animal or plant categories—or where the importing country requires attestations beyond standard veterinary or phytosanitary scope. Examples include:

Free Sale Certificates — confirming the product is legally sold in New Zealand
Health Certificates for processed foods — covering products with mixed animal/plant ingredients
Wine Export Certificates — attesting to oenological practices and composition

Certificates of Origin

While not issued by MPI (these come from the New Zealand Customs Service or Chambers of Commerce), they’re often required alongside MPI certificates and are part of the complete export documentation package. Free trade agreement certificates (e.g., for RCEP, CPTPP, NZ-China FTA) have their own specific forms and rules of origin requirements.

ICPR: Import Country Phytosanitary Requirements

ICPR stands for Import Country Phytosanitary Requirements. This is MPI’s database of the specific phytosanitary conditions that each importing country has set for New Zealand plant products.

Why ICPR Matters

Before you can obtain a phytosanitary certificate, MPI needs to verify that your product meets all the requirements the destination country has specified. ICPR is the authoritative source for these requirements.

Each ICPR entry specifies:

Regulated pests the importing country is concerned about
Required treatments (e.g., methyl bromide fumigation, cold treatment, heat treatment)
Inspection standards (sampling rates, tolerance thresholds)
Additional declarations that must appear on the phytosanitary certificate
Packaging and marking requirements
Pre-shipment inspection requirements

Checking ICPR

ICPRs are available through MPI’s systems and are referenced when you submit a certificate request. Your export documentation specialist or MPI-approved inspection body will verify ICPR compliance as part of the certification process. If an ICPR doesn’t exist for your product/market combination, it may mean either that the product isn’t regulated by that country or that market access hasn’t been negotiated yet—contact MPI’s market access team to clarify.

OMAR: Official MPI Approved Requirements

OMAR stands for Official MPI Approved Requirements. These are the domestic (New Zealand-side) standards and procedures that your product and processes must meet before MPI will issue an export certificate.

Think of it this way:

ICPR = what the importing country requires
OMAR = what MPI requires of you as the New Zealand exporter

OMARs cover:

Product standards — composition, labelling, permitted additives
Process requirements — temperature control, HACCP, traceability
Premises standards — facility hygiene, equipment, pest management
Sampling and testing protocols — microbiological testing, residue testing
Record-keeping obligations — what documentation you must retain and for how long

OMARs are published on MPI’s website and are regularly updated. Exporters operating under a Risk Management Programme (RMP) or Wine Standards Management Plan (WSMP) must incorporate relevant OMARs into their operating procedures.

Using PIER Search to Check Market Requirements

PIER (Phytosanitary Issues, Export Restrictions) is MPI’s public-facing search tool for checking whether your product requires certification for a specific destination market.

How to Use PIER Search

Navigate to MPI’s export requirements search page
Select your product type (animal product, plant product, food, etc.)
Select the destination country
Review the results — PIER will show you:
- Whether an export certificate is required
- Which type of certificate
- Any specific conditions or restrictions
- Links to relevant OMARs and ICPRs
- Any current market access issues or suspensions

Common PIER Search Scenarios

Scenario 1: Exporting honey to China PIER will show that a veterinary health certificate is required, specify the agreed certificate format (China has a bilingual certificate with specific attestation clauses), and note any current testing requirements (e.g., antibiotic residue testing).

Scenario 2: Exporting kiwifruit to Japan PIER will show phytosanitary certificate requirements, reference the specific ICPR for kiwifruit to Japan, and detail any pest management or treatment requirements.

Scenario 3: Exporting processed pet food to the EU PIER will show the specific EU requirements, which are complex—including approved establishment listing, specific health mark requirements, and composite product rules if the pet food contains multiple animal-origin ingredients.

Pro Tip

Check PIER Search early in your export planning process, not after you’ve manufactured your product and booked freight. Some markets have requirements that affect production (e.g., specific slaughter methods, approved chemical treatments, or facility audits) that you need to build into your process from the start.

Processing Times and Practical Tips

Standard Processing Times

MPI publishes target processing times for export certificates, but actual turnaround depends on several factors:

Certificate Type	Standard Processing Time	Notes
Veterinary Health Certificate	1–3 working days	After all required inspections and testing are complete
Phytosanitary Certificate	1–2 working days	After inspection and any required treatment
Wine Export Certificate	1–2 working days	Routine requests; longer for new markets
Free Sale Certificate	3–5 working days	May require additional verification

These timeframes assume your application is complete and accurate. Incomplete applications are returned for correction, which adds days to the process.

Peak Period Delays

Processing times increase significantly during:

October–December — peak export season for meat and dairy
February–April — kiwifruit and apple harvest/export season
Chinese New Year period — high demand for certificates to China
Immediately after regulatory changes — system updates can cause temporary delays

During peak periods, add 2–3 working days to standard processing times.

Tips for First-Time Applicants

If you’re applying for MPI export certificates for the first time, these practical steps will save you significant time and frustration:

Start MyMPI registration at least 3 weeks before your intended first shipment. The registration, identity verification, and role approval process takes time. Don’t assume it will be instant.
Confirm your business registration status with MPI. You may need an RMP, FCP, or exporter registration before you can request certificates. Check which registration applies to your product type.
Run a PIER Search for every product/market combination. Requirements vary enormously. Don’t assume that because you can export product X to Australia, the same documentation works for Japan.
Get your facility and processes audited early. If your destination market requires an approved establishment listing (common for the EU, China, and several Asian markets), the approval process can take months.
Engage an experienced documentation specialist. The MPI certification system has significant complexity. A specialist who works with MPI daily can navigate the system efficiently and avoid the common errors that cause certificate rejections and delays.
Build certificate processing time into your shipping schedule. Don’t book freight and then apply for certificates. Apply for certificates, confirm they’re issued, and then finalise your shipping arrangements.
Keep your records impeccable. MPI audits exporters. If you can’t demonstrate traceability from raw material to finished product, your export eligibility is at risk. Retain all production records, test results, and certificate copies for a minimum of four years.

Staying Current with MPI Requirements

MPI requirements change frequently. New market access agreements are negotiated, existing requirements are updated, and regulatory interpretations evolve. Exporters who treat MPI compliance as a “set and forget” exercise inevitably encounter problems.

Key resources to monitor:

MPI’s export requirements pages — the primary source for current requirements
MPI Industry Notices — issued when requirements change; subscribe via MyMPI
MPI Trade Certification updates — for system changes and migration information
Your industry body (Meat Industry Association, DairyNZ, Seafood NZ, NZ Winegrowers, etc.) — these organisations liaise directly with MPI and distribute regulatory updates relevant to their sectors

How Libretto Can Help

Navigating MPI’s export certification regime is our core business. Libretto’s documentation specialists work with MPI systems daily and maintain current knowledge of requirements across dozens of destination markets.

We handle:

Certificate applications — preparing and submitting requests through MPI Trade Certification
Document preparation — ensuring all supporting documentation (commercial invoices, packing lists, Bills of Lading) is consistent and compliant
Regulatory monitoring — tracking requirement changes for your specific product/market combinations
First-time exporter support — guiding new exporters through registration, facility requirements, and their first certificate applications
Error prevention — our multi-layer verification process catches discrepancies before they reach MPI, avoiding rejections and delays

If you’re dealing with MPI export certification for the first time—or if you’re tired of managing the complexity internally—we can take that burden off your operations team.

Looking for hands-on help with MPI certification? Our MPI Trade Certificate service handles the entire AP E-Cert process on your behalf. And if you’re just getting started, our complete guide for new exporters walks you through every step.

Talk to Our Export Documentation Team →

About Libretto

Libretto specialises in export documentation and MPI compliance services for New Zealand’s primary industries. Our team of certified trade documentation specialists ensures your products reach international markets without delays, penalties, or documentation rejections.

We handle everything from phytosanitary certificates to complex Certificate of Origin requirements across multiple free trade agreements. Our clients ship with confidence, knowing their documentation is precise, compliant, and professional.