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NZ citizenship

  • Check if you are a citizen
  • Apply for NZ citizenship
    • If you have NZ citizenship by descent
  • Get your child an NZ passport when born overseas
  • NZ citizenship if you’re marrying a Kiwi
  • NZ citizenship if you're adopted
  • Get proof you're a citizen
  • Dual citizenship
  • Get proof you are not a citizen
  • Give up your NZ citizenship
  • Being stripped of NZ citizenship
  • Contact the Citizenship Office

NZ citizenship

  • Check if you are a citizen
  • Apply for NZ citizenship
    • If you have NZ citizenship by descent
  • Get your child an NZ passport when born overseas
  • NZ citizenship if you’re marrying a Kiwi
  • NZ citizenship if you're adopted
  • Get proof you're a citizen
  • Dual citizenship
  • Get proof you are not a citizen
  • Give up your NZ citizenship
  • Being stripped of NZ citizenship
  • Contact the Citizenship Office

Apply for NZ citizenship

In this guide
  1. What you need to know
  2. Citizenship for a child
  3. Citizenship if you're from Samoa
  4. Residence requirements
  5. Language requirements
  6. Character requirements
  7. How you apply
  8. After you apply
  9. Citizenship ceremonies
  1. What you need to know
  2. Citizenship for a child
  3. Citizenship if you're from Samoa
  1. Residence requirements
  2. Language requirements
  3. Character requirements
  1. How you apply
  2. After you apply
  3. Citizenship ceremonies

What you need to know

Applying for NZ citizenship costs $470.20 for adults and $235.10 for children. You may be eligible for NZ citizenship if you meet the requirements relevant to your situation.

Applying for citizenship as an immigrant is called 'citizenship by grant'.

Who can get it

You may be eligible for New Zealand citizenship by grant if:

  • you are of good character
  • you speak basic English
  • you intend to keep living here.

There are also requirements around how long you have been living in NZ as a resident.

Residence requirements

Some applicants (for example Samoan citizens and children under 16) may not have to meet all of the requirements.

Citizenship for a child

Citizenship if you're from Samoa

If you do not meet these requirements, and one of your parents is an NZ citizen by birth or grant, you can register as a citizen by descent.

Citizenship by descent

What it costs

Applying for citizenship by grant costs:

  • $470.20 for adults
  • $235.10 for children under 16.

How long it takes

It usually takes about 4 months from when you apply to when you become a citizen.

Getting your NZ passport

You usually get your citizenship certificate at your ceremony. Once you have it, you can apply for your NZ passport. This is a separate process.

NZ Passports

Forms

Application for New Zealand citizenship — adult (PDF 847KB)

Application for New Zealand citizenship — adult accessible alternative (txt 23KB)

Application for New Zealand citizenship — child (PDF 909KB)

Application for New Zealand citizenship — child accessible alternative (txt 24KB)

Application for New Zealand citizenship — Samoan (adult and child) (PDF 661KB)

Application for New Zealand citizenship — Samoan (adult and child) accessible alternative (txt 24KB)

Application for New Zealand citizenship — Samoan (adult and child) — Samoan language (PDF 259KB)

Citizenship for a child

Once you turn 16, you apply for citizenship as an adult.

Requirements for children who are 14 or 15

Children do not have to have lived in New Zealand for 5 years or meet the presence requirements if:

  • a parent is applying at the same time and the parent meets both requirements, or
  • one of their parents is already a New Zealand citizen.

They still need to:

  • have the right to live here indefinitely, and
  • intend to stay here after they get citizenship.

Residence requirements

14 and 15-year-olds need to meet all the same other requirements as adults.

Language requirements

Character requirements

Requirements for children under 14

Children do not have to have lived in New Zealand for 5 years or meet the presence requirements if:

  • a parent is applying at the same time and the parent meets both requirements, or
  • one of their parents is already a New Zealand citizen.

They still need to:

  • have the right to live here indefinitely, and
  • intend to stay here after they get citizenship.

Residence requirements

Children under 14 do not need to:

  • speak English
  • prove they are of good character
  • attend a ceremony — but they can if they want to.

Extra documents for children under 16

Both parents need to:

  • sign the application form
  • include their original passport or driver licence with the application.

If the parents are not in a relationship, the applying parent needs to either:

  • get the other parent to sign and send their passport or driver licence, or
  • send in a copy of the court order that says they have sole legal guardianship, as well as their own ID.

How you apply

Citizenship if you're from Samoa

The requirements you have to meet depend on when you arrived in New Zealand.

If you were in NZ on 14 September 1982

You need something that shows you were in New Zealand on 14 September 1982. This could be:

  • your passport
  • a letter from your employer confirming you were at work
  • a letter from your school confirming you were at school, or
  • anything else that can prove you were here on that day.

If you can't prove you were definitely here on 14 September 1982 but you think you have enough evidence to show that you probably were, contact the Citizenship Office to talk through your options.

Freephone: 0800 22 51 51 (NZ only)

Email: citizenship@dia.govt.nz

If you came to NZ after 14 September 1982

You need to show you entered NZ legally and have the right to be here indefinitely. This means you have:

  • a resident permit
  • a resident visa
  • a permanent resident visa, or
  • Australian citizenship or permanent resident visa.

You don’t have to meet the usual residence requirements for NZ citizenship — you can apply if you’ve lived here for less than 5 years.

Getting New Zealand residency

Samoan citizens don't have to:

  • speak English
  • prove they're of good character
  • intend to live in NZ once they get citizenship.

How to apply

The process is the same as the main NZ citizenship application process, but the forms are different.

Application for New Zealand citizenship — Samoan (adult and child) (PDF 661KB)

Application for New Zealand citizenship — Samoan (adult and child) accessible alternative (txt 24KB)

Application for New Zealand citizenship — Samoan (adult and child) — Samoan language (PDF 259KB)

You’ll need to provide your:

  • ​birth certificate, and
  • current Samoan passport — or your most recent one if it has expired.

If you don’t have a Samoan passport, you can get a letter of confirmation of Samoan citizenship from the Samoan High Commission or Consulate-General.

Samoan High Commission in Wellington

Samoan Consulate-General in Auckland

Include the confirmation letter with your application.

If you were adopted, you should also include:

  • the Order of Adoption
  • your pre-adoptive birth certificate, and
  • your post-adoptive birth certificate.

How you apply

Residence requirements

To be eligible for New Zealand citizenship, you need to meet all 3 requirements.

1. You have been living as a New Zealand resident for at least the last 5 years

You could have had more than 1 type of visa or permit in that time, as long as they allowed you to live here indefinitely.

You can also apply if you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident and you have lived here for at least the last 5 years.

2. You have spent enough time in New Zealand during the last 5 years

You need to have been physically present in New Zealand for a certain amount of time during the last 5 years. The 5 years is counted backwards from the day you apply for citizenship.

You might not meet this requirement if you have been out of NZ for longer than 4 months in any 1 year. This could be 1 long trip or many smaller trips.

If you are not sure if you meet the requirement

To meet the requirement, you need to have been in New Zealand for:

  • at least 240 days in each year, and
  • 1350 days across the 5 years.

If Ana applies on 17 March 2016, she counts backwards 5 years from that day. She has not been out of NZ for more than a few weeks each year, so she meets this requirement.

Timeline shows Ana's trips from 03/2011 to 03/2016 meet requirement

Lukas went on 4 trips from August 2012 to August 2013. The trips add up to more than 4 months out of NZ. He does not meet the requirement.

Timeline shows Lukas' trips from August 2011 to  August 2016

If you think you might have spent too much time away from New Zealand, call the Citizenship Office. They can check if you meet the presence requirements.

Freephone: 0800 22 51 51 (NZ only)

Email: citizenship@dia.govt.nz

If you do not meet the requirement

If you know you do not meet this requirement, but you feel your situation is special, talk to the Citizenship Office.

Freephone: 0800 22 51 51 (NZ only)

Email: citizenship@dia.govt.nz

3. You intend to keep living here

You must intend to live in New Zealand once you become a citizen.

If you are planning to travel or live outside NZ

If you know you are going to live in another country, it has to be because you will be:

  • working overseas for the New Zealand Government
  • working for an international organisation that the New Zealand Government belongs to, like the United Nations
  • employed by a person or organisation based in New Zealand.

You will be asked about your travel plans for the next 12 months. If you will be travelling, you might be asked to prove that New Zealand is your home because you:

  • have a job here
  • are studying here
  • own or rent property here
  • have assets here, like cars or furniture.

Language requirements

You need to be able to hold a basic conversation in English.

Applying in person

Your English is checked at your appointment.

If your English is not good enough, the case officer will tell you what you can do next.

Applying by post

You need to send something with your application that proves you can speak English. This could be something in writing, from your work or school, as long as it proves you have spoken English there.

If a case officer has any questions about your English, they might ask you to come in for an interview.

At the interview, if the case officer does not think your English is good enough, they will tell you what you can do next.

If you can not speak English

If there is a good reason why you can not speak English, talk to the Citizenship Office.

Freephone: 0800 22 51 51 (NZ only)

Email: citizenship@dia.govt.nz

If someone helps you translate the form

If someone helps you with your application by translating it, they need to sign and date the declaration on the form.

Character requirements

To get citizenship, you need to show you are of good character. If you have never been in trouble with the law, either here or overseas, you do not need to do anything more to meet this requirement.

If you do not tell the Citizenship Office something that they find out later when they do their checks, you may not get citizenship. Or if you already have citizenship, it could be taken away from you.

Traffic offences

You do not need to worry about parking tickets or speed camera fines.

The Citizenship Office will talk to you if the police check shows you have:

  • 100 or more demerit points on your driver licence
  • a recent pattern of other fines or infringements in New Zealand or anywhere else.

Crimes, investigations and other offences

You might not get citizenship if you have charges pending against you in any country or you have:

  • been convicted of a crime in the last 3 years
  • spent any time in prison in the last 7 years
  • ever had a prison sentence of more than 5 years.

What you need to declare on your form

You need to declare on your form if you have ever:

  • been convicted of a crime — unless you qualify under the Clean Slate scheme
  • been reviewed, investigated or had legal action taken against you by the government
  • had to return money to the government
  • been made bankrupt because you committed fraud
  • had a protection order against you
  • been involved in terrorism
  • made or used chemical, biological, nuclear or radiological weapons
  • committed a war crime or crime against humanity.

Write a letter explaining what happened. Attach it to your application form with copies of any records or documents.

Clean Slate scheme

If you lived overseas while you were an NZ resident

You might be asked to get a police clearance from another country if you lived there for more than 4 months in the last 3 years.

If you are still not sure what to include

If you are not sure you meet the good character requirement, you can ask the Citizenship Office before you apply.

Freephone: 0800 22 51 51 (NZ only)

Email: citizenship@dia.govt.nz

How you apply

1. Documents you need

You must bring or post original documents — not copies.

You need to include these 3 documents with your application:

  • your full birth certificate
  • your current passport — or your most recent one if it has expired
  • 2 passport photos taken less than 6 months ago that meet the passport photo requirements.

If the country you were born in does not issue birth certificates, you can use your household register or national identity card.

Passport photo requirements

If you have changed your name

You need original documents showing your name changes. These could be:

  • marriage or civil union certificates
  • name change documents
  • divorce records.

If your documents are not in English

You need to get a translation of any documents that are not in English, like a birth or marriage certificate.

Translating documents into English

If you do not have a passport or birth certificate

If you travelled to New Zealand as a refugee or you can not get a new passport from your home country, you need your:

  • certificate of identity, or
  • refugee travel document.

If you do not have your birth certificate, talk to the Citizenship Office.

Freephone: 0800 22 51 51 (NZ only)

Email: citizenship@dia.govt.nz

If you changed your gender identity

You can choose to have a different gender on your citizenship certificate than what is shown on your birth certificate.

Choosing the gender on your citizenship record

2. Complete the application form

Application for New Zealand citizenship — adult (PDF 847KB)

Application for New Zealand citizenship — adult accessible alternative (txt 53KB)

Application for New Zealand citizenship — child (PDF 909KB)

Application for New Zealand citizenship — child accessible alternative (txt 24KB)

3. Submit your application form

Apply in person

You can make an appointment to apply in person.

At the appointment, you meet with a case officer who:

  • checks your application form
  • checks that you are eligible
  • photocopies your documents and gives them back to you
  • acts as your witness and certifies your photos
  • accepts your application fee.

You can make an appointment to apply in person at 1 of our 4 main offices. Phone or email the office to make an appointment.

Auckland

Manukau

Wellington

Christchurch

During the year, citizenship officers also have appointments in other offices around New Zealand.

Regional offices for citizenship by grant appointments

Apply by post

You have to send your original documents. Use a tracked courier bag. Your documents are couriered back to you after about 2 weeks.

Send your form and documents to:

Department of Internal Affairs
PO Box 10680
Wellington 6143
New Zealand

Witnessing your application

A witness needs to sign 1 of your passport photos and then complete the witness section of your application form.

Your witness must be either:

  • an NZ passport holder
  • a citizenship case officer, or
  • a Department of Internal Affairs customer services officer.

If your witness is an NZ passport holder they must:

  • be over 16
  • have a current NZ passport
  • have known you for at least 1 year
  • not be related to you or part of your extended family
  • not live in the same house as you.

If you want a case officer to be your witness, you can call or email to make an appointment. Bring your original documents with you.

Freephone: 0800 22 51 51 (NZ only)

Email: citizenship@dia.govt.nz

4. Pay the fee

It costs:

  • $470.20 to apply as an adult
  • $235.10 to apply for a child.

You can pay by:

  • personal or bank cheque
  • credit card
  • money order.

You can also pay by cash or EFTPOS at the citizenship offices in:

  • Auckland
  • Manukau
  • Wellington (EFTPOS only)
  • Christchurch.

Citizenship contact information

After you apply

The case officer might ask for more information while they are processing your application.

Getting your documents back

If you posted your application, your documents are copied and couriered back to you after 2 weeks.

When you find out about your application

If you are successful, you get a letter from the Citizenship Office. This should be 6 to 8 weeks after you apply.

If there are any problems with your application, the case officer contacts you.

Finding out about your ceremony

Ceremonies are run by local councils, not by the Citizenship Office. You will get a separate letter telling you about your ceremony.

Citizenship ceremonies

When you can apply for a passport

As soon as you have been to your ceremony, you can apply for a passport if you want to.

NZ Passports

If you applied for special consideration

A case officer writes to you after about 2 weeks. They explain your options.

You are sent a letter after about 2 to 4 months telling you if your application was successful.

If your application is declined

You are told which requirements you did not meet and what you can do before you apply again.

If you want to appeal the decision

A decision can only be reviewed if you can prove that the Minister was given the wrong advice or not enough information. Ask the Citizenship Office for a copy of the report that went to the Minister.

Freephone: 0800 22 51 51 (NZ only)

Email: citizenship@dia.govt.nz

You have the right to complain to the Office of the Ombudsman.

Complain to the Ombudsman

Withdrawing your application

You can withdraw your application at any time. You may not get a refund.

Citizenship ceremonies

You are not a citizen until you have made your oath or affirmation at a citizenship ceremony.

Before the ceremony

Your ceremony is held by your local council. It can take a few months, after you have been approved, before you hear about your ceremony.

You get a letter about 4 weeks before your ceremony.

If you move house before you get your letter, you need to tell the Citizenship Office.

The letter tells you:

  • the date, time and place of the ceremony
  • how many guests you can bring
  • the statement you read out at the ceremony.

If you can not go to that ceremony, you can ask the Citizenship Office about going to the next one. But you must attend a ceremony within 1 year of getting your approval letter.

During the ceremony

You have to make:

  • an oath of allegiance, if you are religious, or
  • an affirmation of allegiance, if you are not religious.

The oath or affirmation is a statement you make to say you are loyal to New Zealand. You are told what to say on the day.

The ceremony can take a couple of hours. There might be speeches or performances.

The national anthem is usually played.

Citizenship certificates

You get your certificate at the ceremony.

Children under 14 do not have to attend a ceremony. But if you are a family applying for citizenship together, you can all attend the ceremony and get your citizenship certificates at the same time.

People who do not have to go to a ceremony

You do not have to go to a ceremony if you are:

  • under 14
  • already a citizen by descent
  • intellectually disabled and can not understand the oath or affirmation.

You can still choose to attend a ceremony if you want to.

Private ceremonies

You can apply to have a private ceremony instead of attending one at your local council. These have to be approved by the Minister of Internal Affairs.

To apply, you need to send a letter to the Citizenship Office:

Department of Internal Affairs
PO Box 10680
Wellington 6143
New Zealand

You have to have a good reason, like you:

  • had the requirement to speak English waived when you were granted citizenship
  • have a physical disability that means you can not get to the public ceremony
  • need to go overseas urgently on an NZ passport, or
  • are representing New Zealand and need to be a citizen urgently.

You need to provide proof that you need a private ceremony. Examples of this might be:

  • a medical certificate if you have a disability, or
  • a letter from a sports organisation if you need to travel urgently for a competition.
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Page last updated: 11 August 2017

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