Who can give up their citizenship

You can renounce your NZ citizenship if:

• you’re 18 or over
• you have citizenship of another country, and
• you have full mental capacity (you know what you’re doing).

Your application can be denied if:

• you’re living in NZ, or
• New Zealand is at war when you apply.

Complete the forms

You’ll need to complete an application form, and two copies of a declaration.

You can get an application pack by:

• calling 0800 22 51 51 (inside NZ) or +64 4 463 9361 (from overseas)
• emailing citizenship@dia.govt.nz, or
• writing to:

Determinations Team
Citizenship Office
Service Delivery and Operations
Department of Internal Affairs
PO Box 10 526
Wellington

Your forms have to be witnessed by an authorised person, like a:

• Justice of the Peace
• District Court judge
• authorised officer of the Department of Internal Affairs.

The full list is included in the application pack.

Documents

1. Identity documents

You need to include:

• all your NZ passports, both current and expired
• your NZ citizenship certificate, if you have one
• a statement from Immigration NZ that says what your immigration status will be after you’ve given up NZ citizenship.

2. Proof you’re a citizen of another country

You need to show proof that you’re a citizen of another country. This could be:

• an official citizenship certificate
• a confirmation of citizenship document.

You can’t use:

• a statement from another country that you’ll be granted citizenship there after you’ve renounced NZ citizenship
• a passport or a birth certificate.

3. If you’re living in NZ

You also need to provide a statutory declaration explaining why you want to give up your citizenship.

If your documents aren’t in English

You need to get any documents that aren’t in English translated.

Pay the fee

It costs $398.60 to renounce your citizenship.

You can pay by:

• cheque or bank draft made out to Department of Internal Affairs
• credit card
• money order.

You won’t get a refund if your application is denied.

After you’ve applied

If your application is accepted, your name will be removed from the official citizenship register. Your NZ citizenship certificate and passport won’t be returned to you.