You’ll need a death certificate when:

• you or a lawyer is winding up or administering the estate of someone who's died
• you’re applying for a funeral grant from Work and Income or ACC.

How to apply

It costs:

• $33 for a death certificate
• $25 for a printout of a death certificate. A printout is usually used when you're researching family history — it's a typed or handwritten copy of the information, so it's not a legal document but it’s cheaper to get.

Order online

If the person was born more than 80 years ago or died more than 50 years ago, you can order their death certificate online. You'll need their full name and the year they died to search for the death.

Births, Deaths and Marriages online

If they died in the last 50 years but were born less than 80 years ago, you can still order a death certificate online, but you'll need a RealMe verified identity.

What is RealMe?

Order by phone

Most people can order a death certificate by phone:

• 0800 22 52 52 within NZ
• +64 4 463 9362 from overseas.

You can pay over the phone by credit or debit card.

Order by post

Request for death certificate or printout BDM93D (PDF 450KB)

Request for death certificate or printout accessible alternative BDM93D (txt 5.4KB)

If the person was born less than 80 years ago and died within the last 50 years, you’ll need a referee to sign the form — they must be over 16, and have known you for at least 6 months or seen your official ID.

Post the form to:

Certificate Team
Births, Deaths, Marriages and Citizenship
PO Box 10526
Wellington 6143
New Zealand

You can also order certificates in person in Auckland, Manukau, Wellington or Christchurch. You'll need photo ID.

Births, Deaths and Marriages offices

When you find out

You’ll get your certificate in the post or your printout by email after about 8 working days.