Controversial former Australian politician Pauline Hanson says she felt "like a criminal" when New Zealand immigration officials questioned her over her time in jail, but the immigration department says its staff were following standard procedure.

Hanson, 55, was pulled aside and questioned on her arrival for a South Island hiking holiday with friends earlier this month.

She told Woman's Day magazine she was "terribly embarrassed" and felt "like a criminal", the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The former One Nation politician served 11 weeks in jail for electoral fraud in 2003 before being acquitted.

Immigration New Zealand said Hanson was questioned for five to 10 minutes because she had declared on her arrival card that she had been sentenced to 12 months or more in prison.

"It is standard procedure for Immigration New Zealand to speak with people who have declared convictions on their arrival card to determine whether they meet entry requirements under the Immigration Act before allowing them to enter New Zealand," a spokeswoman said.

After speaking with Hanson, immigration officers learned her sentence had been quashed and advised her she was free to continue with her travel.

Hanson said she would need to ensure her quashed conviction would not continue to dog her through immigration security zones before making any further travel plans, including a trip to Britain.

Hanson's hardline views ignited debate on immigration policy and Aboriginal disadvantage during the 1996 Australian federal election.

(Source TVNZ)