Frequently Asked Questions

Most cigars will come uncut. To avoid tearing the cap and having your cigar unravel, always use a cutter. You will only need to cut a few millimetres from the cap. There are several different types of cutters including a straight cut, V cut and punch cut. The method you choose will be a matter of personal preference and we have several styles for you to choose from.

The fumes from a fluid lighter can interfere with the taste of your cigar so matches or a butane lighter are the best source of ignition. Hold your cigar at a 40 degree angel in one hand while rotating it slightly above the flame until the end is evenly toasted. Place in your mouth and hold the flame slightly away from the foot of the cigar while slowly turning and drawing. It is important to take your time to keep the burn even, and thus avoid an uneven burn up one side. All of our lighters are fuelled by butane to give you the pure experience you deserve.

Our company The Pacific Cigar Company Ltd is the exclusive distributor for the Habanos Cigar Brands for the Asia Pacific Region. The distribution was granted by Habanos S.A in 1992. As the licensed direct importer of Cuban cigars to New Zealand you can rest assured that what you are purchasing is an authentic and premium product.

We have a selection of cigars available Duty Free for persons travelling internationally through Auckland Airport. View our Duty Free page for current availability.
Place your order either instore or via the website and your goods will be waiting for you at The Collection Point once you pass through Customs at Auckland International Airport.
Please note: We require payment to be cleared at least four working days prior to travel. This is to avoid any delays in the courier getting your order to the airport, but also allowing sufficient time for your order to be able to pass security inspection and be ready for pickup at The Collection Point.
Duty Free allowances for tobacco product depend on which country you are travelling to. For example;

For entry into New Zealand, Duty-free tobacco is limited to:

  • 50 cigarettes or 50 grams of cigars or tobacco products, or
  • 50 grams of a mixture of all three

Your allowance may also be combined with any other person over the age of 18 years who is travelling with you. If you are not combining your allowance with another traveller accompanying you on the same flight, then you must declare any overages and pay duty and GST on the excess amount. If you fail to declare tobacco, it may be seized and you could face further action.

Due to New Zealand tobacco laws it is illegal to display images of all types of tobacco including cigars and their brands.

Cigars are made of rolled fermented and dried tobacco. As tobacco is grown in tropical and humid conditions, cigars have been designed to be stored at an optimal condition of 68% to 72% humidity and between 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. The most common means of retaining these conditions is by storing your cigars in a Humidor which is basically a humidity controlled space with a hygrometer and humidifier to monitor humidity levels. Humidifiers prefer distilled water to tap water since it contains none of the minerals and chlorine that tap water does.

Havana House have a wide range of humidors available, and all come with a humidifier. Our Siglo range of humidors are handmade in every stage of production, made from premium Spanish Cedarwood and finished with 15 hand applied layers of clear lacquer. Siglo Humidors are available in different sizes for storing 10 upto 500 cigars.

Should you not be ready to invest in a Humidor yet, another option is to store your cigar in a ziplock bag with a Boveda humidipak which will help to stop things from drying out. Store your collection away from direct sunlight.

We also have a range of pocket cases so you can carry your Cubans in style. Carrying in a case will help protect your cigars from damage while you are on the go. Our Siglo range of pocket cases can hold two to three sticks with most being made from soft calf leather.

Havana House has been providing high quality products and excellent customer service to New Zealand from our retail shop in the Auckland CBD since 2002. Our relationship with The Cigar Shop started in 2014 with supply of our premium Cuban cigars, and so it was a natural progression to secure the online business when it became available for purchase in 2018. As the licenced direct importer of Cuban cigars to New Zealand you can rest assured that what you are purchasing is authentic. We have the largest range of Habanos cigars available in New Zealand,
all stored in a dedicated walk-in humidor which keeps the cigars at 70% humidity 24/7 to ensure our cigars are in optimum condition.

Our merchandise range extends to accessories including humidors, cutters, lighters, leather cases and more.

In accordance with New Zealand law, tobacco cannot be sold to persons under the age of 18. Havana House have an effective and secure age verification process with VerifyMyAge software giving almost instant age verification. Once you have been verified, you will not be asked to verify again for future orders. Please note your order will not be shipped until you have verified your age.

VerifyMyAge is one of the most advanced and secure verification solutions available.

VerifyMyAge uses high end cryptography to protect customers data. All data is encrypted using a combination of 256-bit encryption and hashing algorithms. Cloudflare is used to provide an extra layer of security to VerifyMyAge and user data. Data is only kept for as long as necessary while it is relevant to verification. VerifyMyAge routinely test their systems and are ISO 27001 compliant, following international industry standards for information security. GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is the European Union’s legal framework for protection of personal information. VerifyMyAge is fully compliant with all key principles and requirements of the GDPR. VerifyMyAge undergo independent audits to ensure the highest standards of information security to keep customers data safe and secure.

Based in the UK  VerifyMyAge has been developed for online age verification and is used internationally.