New Zealand Citizenship

There are four main ways in which you can become a New Zealand citizen:

1. Citizenship by birth in New Zealand

You are a NZ citizen if you were born here before 1 January 2006.
If you are born here on or after 1 January 2006 you are a citizen only if at least one parent is, at the time of the birth, a NZ citizen or permanent resident, or a permanent resident of the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau (unless you would otherwise be stateless).

2. Citizenship by descent

You are a NZ citizen if you are born overseas to a mother or father who is a NZ citizen otherwise than by descent (or if a mother or father is a NZ citizen by descent and you would otherwise by stateless).

3. Adoption

You are a NZ citizen if you are legally adopted by a NZ citizen.

4. Citizenship by grant

You can apply to the NZ government for it to grant you citizenship.
The Act governing citizenship is the Citizenship Act 1977.

How do I apply for a grant of citizenship?

You will need to apply to the NZ Citizenship Office of the Department of Internal Affairs.

There is an application fee: to check for the latest fees, visit the Internal Affairs website at www.dia.govt.nz (under "Citizenship applications").

You will need to provide the following documents in your application:

• a birth certificate
  
• a marriage certificate or a marriage dissolution order if this is applicable evidence of any formal name changes
• the passport or documents with which you entered New Zealand.

You will also need to have an interview with a representative from Internal Affairs.

The application will normally take five to eight months to process. You will be sent a letter informing you of the outcome of your application.

What criteria do I have to meet to be granted citizenship?

The criteria you need to meet for a successful application are that you:

• are at least 16 years old
  
• are entitled to be in New Zealand indefinitely under the Immigration Act 1987 (in practice, this means you must hold a residence permit)
  
• have been in New Zealand, with an entitlement to be here indefinitely, for at least 1,350 days during the five years before your application, and for at least 240 days in each of those five years
  
• are of good character
  
• have knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of New Zealand citizenship
  
• have sufficient knowledge of the English language, and
  
• intend to continue to be ordinarily resident in New Zealand if you are granted citizenship (there are some exceptions to this).

The second of these requirements, that you're entitled to be in New Zealand indefinitely, can be waived if you're entitled to live indefinitely in the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau.

The third requirement, specifying minimum periods for having been in NZ over the last five years, can be waived if you meet those requirements in relation to the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau.