What to get ready before you apply for NZ citizenship
Get your photo and documents ready before starting your citizenship application. You will also need an identity referee (if you are applying online) or a witness (if you are applying in person or by post).
Find someone to be your identity referee or witness
If you are applying online
You need an identity referee. This is someone who can confirm you are who you say you are.
An identity referee must:
be aged 16 or over
have a current or expired New Zealand passport
have known you for at least 1 year, or since birth
not be related to you or part of your extended family
not live at the same house as you
consent to act as your referee
understand that they may be contacted to verify details about your application.
If we are unable to contact your referee, this may delay your application.
You need to provide these details about your referee:
full name
date of birth
email
contact number
residential address
New Zealand passport number.
If you are applying in person or by post
You need a witness.
A witness must:
sign the back of 1 of your passport photos, and
complete the witness section of your application form.
Your witness must:
be aged 16 or over
have a current New Zealand passport
have known you for at least 1 year, or since birth
not be related to you or part of your extended family
not live in the same house as you.
What you need to include
There are 3 things you must include with your application:
your full birth certificate or birth record
your current passport or your travel document — or your most recent one, if it has expired
a photo taken less than 6 months ago that meets passport photo requirements.
If you apply online, you must attach digital copies of your documents.
If you apply by post or in person, you must provide original documents — not copies.
You might also need to include other documents with your application.
If you are applying online, you can verify your identity by completing an identity check.
How it works
You need a cellphone, tablet or computer with internet access and a camera to complete the identity check.
Once you are in the application, you will be prompted to take a photo (selfie) and a short video of your face.
The identity check is optional. However, if you choose to complete it, you may not need to visit one of our offices to verify your identity in person.
Digital copies of your documents
For online applications, you must upload digital copies of your original documents to the online form. You do not need to send your original documents by post.
To create a digital copy of a document:
take a photo or scan it on a photocopier, and
save your digital document and make sure you can access it from the device you will use to apply online.
If you need help making a digital copy of your documents, most local photocopy businesses can do this for you.
Requirements for digital copies of documents
The digital copy of your document must be:
in colour (unless the original document is black and white)
clear, in focus and easy to read
no larger than 10MB in size
in .pdf, .png or .jpeg file formats.
Check if you need to include other documents
If you have conditions on your residence visa
If you have a residence visa, any conditions on the visa must be met or cancelled. For example, if your visa was granted under the parent category, the conditions may be for 5 or 10 years. You must check these conditions are met or cancelled before applying for New Zealand citizenship.
If you already have a permanent resident visa, you do not have conditions.
To have your parent visa conditions removed, you must send Immigration New Zealand:
a cover letter requesting the removal of section 49(1) conditions, which must include all your current contact details, and
copies of valid passports for all the applicants who were included on the resident visa applications.
Visit the Immigration New Zealand website to find out where to send your documents:
New Zealand does not have any special rights for foreigners marrying New Zealanders — you have to go through the same citizenship process as everyone else.
