You can get a congratulatory message for significant birthdays and wedding anniversaries from the King and New Zealand dignitaries. This is a free service for all New Zealand citizens and permanent residents.
Congratulatory messages from His Majesty the King:
With the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II, congratulatory messages are no longer available from Her Majesty.
There may be a delay in receiving a message from His Majesty the King. These will be sent as soon as they are available.
What congratulatory messages are for
All New Zealand citizens and permanent residents can get a congratulatory message for:
birthdays of 100 years and over
wedding anniversaries — 50th, 55th, 60th, 65th, 70th and over.
What you need to apply
You need the following information:
date of birth or wedding
whether the birth or wedding happened in New Zealand or outside New Zealand — if it was outside New Zealand, please provide a copy of the birth or marriage certificate if possible
full name or names written on the birth or marriage certificate
preferred first name of the person or people celebrating the event
current address for the person or people celebrating the event, including their electorate.
When to apply
You can apply for congratulatory messages:
4 to 12 weeks before the event
no later than 6 months after the event.
If the application is received less than 2 weeks before the anniversary, the Congratulatory Message Service team will try to send the message before the event but cannot guarantee it.
Note: If the event is in January, you should apply no later than the first week of December.
Who the messages are from
Who you get the messages from depends on what you’re celebrating.
Birthday — 100 years
A message will be sent from:
His Majesty the King
Her Excellency the Governor-General
the Prime Minister
the Minister for Seniors
your local Member of Parliament.
The person celebrating a birthday can also get a message from the Mayor if they live in:
Auckland
Christchurch
Dunedin
Hamilton
Hutt City
Rangitikei
Manawatu
Masterton
Selwyn
Tauranga
Waimakariri.
Birthday — 101 to 104 years
A message will be sent from:
the Prime Minister
the Minister for Seniors
your local Member of Parliament.
The person celebrating a birthday can also get a message from the Mayor if they live in:
Auckland
Christchurch
Dunedin
Hamilton
Hutt City
Manawatu
Masterton
Rangitikei
Tauranga
Waimakariri.
Birthday — 105 years and over
A message will be sent from:
His Majesty the King
Her Excellency the Governor-General
the Prime Minister
the Minister for Seniors
your local Member of Parliament.
The person celebrating a birthday can also get a message from the Mayor if they live in:
Auckland
Christchurch
Dunedin
Hamilton
Hutt City
Manawatu
Masterton
Rangitikei
Tauranga
Waimakariri.
Wedding anniversary — 50th
A message will be sent from:
Her Excellency the Governor-General
the Prime Minister
the Minister for Seniors
your local Member of Parliament.
The person celebrating an anniversary can also get a message from the Mayor if they live in:
Auckland
Christchurch
Dunedin
Hamilton
Hutt City
Manawatu
Masterton
Rangitikei
Tauranga
Waimakariri.
Wedding anniversary — 55th
A message will be sent from:
the Prime Minister
the Minister for Seniors
your local Member of Parliament.
The person celebrating an anniversary can also get a message from the Mayor if they live in:
Auckland
Christchurch
Dunedin
Hamilton
Hutt City
Manawatu
Masterton
Rangitikei
Tauranga
Waimakariri.
Wedding anniversary — 60th, 65th, 70th and over
A message will be sent from:
His Majesty the King
Her Excellency the Governor-General
the Prime Minister
the Minister for Seniors
your local Member of Parliament.
The person celebrating an anniversary can also get a message from the Mayor if they live in:
Auckland
Christchurch
Dunedin
Hamilton
Hutt City
Manawatu
Masterton
Rangitikei
Tauranga
Waimakariri.
Apply for a congratulatory message
You need to apply to get a message. The person celebrating the event can apply, or someone can apply for them.
Messages are posted 1 week before the birthday or wedding anniversary.
If you prefer to post your application, contact the Congratulatory Message Service team who can email you a PDF or send you a printed form.
Who sees the information in the form
The information you enter in the form will only be shared with the people who are part of this service. This includes DIA staff administering the message service, Her Excellency the Governor-General, the Prime Minister, the Minister for Seniors, Members of Parliament and the Mayors of some cities.
