The annual Christmas queues outside the Auckland City Mission have kicked off for the year.

It's still over two weeks before Christmas, but already the queues of people waiting to get their hands on a Christmas food package are out the door.

Auckland City Missioner Diane Robertson says people have been queuing up since the early hours of the morning.

However she says it's important to know the food parcels aren't just a free handout.

"It's not easy to get a food parcel. People have to meet really quite strict regulations about not having any benefit left, having nowhere else to go, having no source of income."