1. You have been living as an NZ resident for at least the last 5 years
If you have a current residence visa or permit, or a permanent residence visa or permit
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:
There is no fee for the removal of section 49(1) conditions.
If you have had more than 1 type of visa or permit in the last 5 years
You can apply for New Zealand citizenship as long as each visa or permit allowed you live here indefinitely.
If you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident
You can apply for New Zealand citizenship if you have lived here for at least the last 5 years.
2. You have spent enough time in NZ in the last 5 years
You need to have been physically present in New Zealand, as a resident, for a certain amount of time during the last 5 years. The 5 years are counted backwards from the day you apply for citizenship.
To meet this requirement, you need to have been in New Zealand for:
at least 240 days in each 12-month period, and
1,350 days across the 5 years.
You might not meet this requirement if you have been out of New Zealand for longer than 4 months in any 12-month period. This could be 1 long trip or many smaller trips.
You also might not meet this requirement if you were overseas for more than 15 months in total in the 5 years before you apply for citizenship.
Time spent overseas on Crown service for the New Zealand Government counts as time in New Zealand.
3. You intend to keep living here
You must intend to live in New Zealand once you become a citizen.
Or, if you know you are going to live in another country, it must be because you will be:
working overseas for the New Zealand Government
working for an international organisation that the New Zealand Government is a member of, such as the United Nations
employed by a person or organisation based in New Zealand
accompanying your spouse or partner, who is a New Zealand citizen, on Crown service overseas.
Example scenarios
Example 1
If Ana applies for New Zealand citizenship on 17 March 2016, she counts backwards 5 years from that day. The timeline below shows the periods she has been outside New Zealand over this time. She has not been out of New Zealand for more than 4 months in any 12-month period over the 5 years. Ana meets the presence requirement.
Lukas applies in August 2016. The timeline below shows he went on 4 trips between August 2012 and August 2013. These trips add up to more than 4 months out of New Zealand in this 12-month period. Lukas does not meet the presence requirement.
If you know you are going to live in another country, it must be because you will be:
working overseas for the New Zealand Government
working for an international organisation that the New Zealand Government is a member of, such as the United Nations, or
employed by a person or organisation based in New Zealand
accompanying your spouse or partner, who is a New Zealand citizen, on Crown service overseas.
If you are planning to travel outside NZ
You will be asked about your travel plans for the next 12 months. If you plan to travel, you may be asked to prove that New Zealand is your home because you:
have a job here
are studying here
own or rent property here, or
have assets here, like cars or furniture.
If you do not meet a presence requirement
If you know you do not meet this requirement but feel your situation is special, contact the Citizenship Office.
