New Zealand - Apply for Citizenship Grant

Advertisement

Procedure

Lodging an application in person

• The Citizenship Office offers a service to make the application process easier and faster for you. Appointments with a case officer are now available at citizenship offices in:
  • Auckland,
  • Manukau,
  • Tauranga,
  • Palmerston North,
  • Wellington,
  • Christchurch,
  • Dunedin.
• Your case officer will:
  • check you are eligible to apply for a grant of citizenship;
  • check your application form and documents are correct;
  • witness your form and photos;
  • citizenship office will return your documents to you immediately (in most cases); and
  • explain the citizenship process to you.
• You will need to bring the following things with you to the appointment:
  • your completed citizenship application form;
  • identity documents;
  • two passport-size photos; and
  • the application fee.
• You may also need to bring a Ministry of Justice clearance.

Sending an application by mail or dropping the application at citizenship office

• Please provide the following:
  • your completed citizenship application form;
  • identity documents; and
  • the application fee.
• Citizenship office will acknowledge your application in writing once it has been received.
• Once your application has been allocated to a case officer will contact you, if necessary.
• When the outcome of your application is known, citizenship office will write to tell you whether or not your application has been successful.

Advertisement

Required Documents

Originals documents (not photocopies) are required to be sent at the time of applying.

• The Citizenship Office has translated guide sheets to help you send the right documents when applying for the grant of New Zealand citizenship. They also contain useful information on how to obtain documents from overseas if you do not have the original documents.
• Some guide sheets are in English and cover India, English-speaking countries (including South Africa and Zimbabwe) and African countries. Guide sheets have also been translated into the following languages:
  • African countries
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (Simplified)
  • Chinese (Traditional)
  • English speaking countries (including South African and Zimbabwe)
  • Khmer
  • Korean
  • India
  • Thai
  • Vietnamese

• All applicants must provide the following documents:
  • Full birth certificate i.e. a birth document that also includes your parents' details, household register, family book etc. (If you are 16 or over and cannot provide a full birth certificate, please provide a short version).
  • National identity card(s) (if applicable).
  • All citizenship certificates if your passport is issued by a country other than your birth country.
  • All your passports and travel documents, including travel documents issued in New Zealand and expired documents.
  • Marriage and civil union certificate(s) (if applicable).
  • Divorce document(s) (if applicable).
  • Proof of name change (if applicable, i.e. statutory declaration, adoption papers etc).
  • If you spend a lot of time travelling, a letter explaining why.
  • If English is not your first language, evidence that you studied English or studied using English, and/or evidence that you use English in your everyday life.
  • Authorised translation(s) (if applicable).
  • Authorised translation(s) fee (if applicable).
• Additional documents may be required if the applicant is:
  • Under 16 years old.
    • Parents' passports.
    • Adoption papers (if applicable).
    • Explanation for why only one person has completed the consent section (if applicable).
    • Proof of guardian's authority (if applicable).
• A Samoan citizen.
  • • proof of current Samoan citizenship (e.g. current Samoan passport); and
    • proof that you legally entered New Zealand after 14 September 1982 and have been granted permanent residence status; or
    • proof that you were in New Zealand on the day of 14 September 1982.
• Born overseas before 1978 and claiming a grant of citizenship through their mother.
  • • Evidence their mother was a New Zealand citizen when they were born (e.g. birth certificate or citizenship certificate).

Office Locations & Contacts

Contact Centre

Freephone: 0800 22 51 51 (New Zealand only)

Phone: (+64 4) 463 9361 (from overseas)

Email: [email protected]

Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 8:00am - 7:00pm, Friday 9:00am - 7:00pm, Saturday 9:00am - 2:00pm

Citizenship by Descent

For any queries about citizenship by descent or confirmations of citizenship please contact by:

Email: [email protected]

Freephone: 0800 22 51 51 (New Zealand only)

Phone: (+64 4) 463 9361 (from overseas)

Fax: (+64 4) 382 3561

Grants of Citizenship

For any questions about the grant of New Zealand citizenship please contact at:

Email: [email protected]

Freephone: 0800 22 51 51 (New Zealand only)

Phone: (+64 4) 463 9361 (from overseas)

Fax: (+64 4) 382 3406

Wellington

New Zealand Citizenship Office

PO Box 10-680

Wellington 6143

Level 3

109 Featherston Street

Wellington 6011

Fax: (+64 4) 382 3406

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm, except Wednesday 9:00am - 5:00pm

To make an appointment to lodge your application for the grant of citizenship at Wellington Office please phone one of the following numbers: (04) 474 8192; 0800 22 51 51 (New Zealand only)

or email your name and telephone n

Eligibility

• You may be eligible for a grant of New Zealand citizenship if you:
  • intend, if granted citizenship, to continue to reside in New Zealand;
  • are able to understand and speak English;
  • are of good character;
  • understand the responsibilities and privileges of New Zealand citizenship;
  • have New Zealand residence; and
  • were physically present in New Zealand, and have had your New Zealand residence for the last five years before applying for citizenship.

Fees

Grant of New Zealand Citizenship (adult) NZ$470.20 Grant of New Zealand Citizenship (child under 16 years) NZ$235.10

Payment Methods

• Payment must be made with the application. Citizenship office recommend that you do not send cash in the mail. Payment can be made by:
  • Credit Card - You can use Visa, Mastercard or American Express.
  • Personal Cheque - Personal cheques must be in New Zealand currency drawn against a New Zealand bank account. Make cheques payable to 'Department of Internal Affairs'.
  • Bank Draft - Bank drafts must be in New Zealand currency drawn against a New Zealand bank. Make bank drafts payable to 'Department of Internal Affairs'
  • Money Order - Money orders are available from New Zealand Post shops. Make money orders payable to 'Department of Internal Affairs'
  • EFTPOS/Cash - Citizenship office accept EFTPOS and cash if you visit one of citizenship offices.
• If you are applying from outside New Zealand and wish citizenship office to return your documents by courier please contact citizenship office for the current courier fee.
• If you choose to withdraw your New Zealand citizenship by grant application you may be eligible for a refund of part of the application fee. For further information see Important Notices. Please Note: Refunds cannot be granted for any applications other than for New Zealand citizenship by grant.

Validity

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

Please attach documents which can be used by people who would like to follow this procedure.    

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents which would help other people who would like to follow this procedure.    

Processing Time

Please explain processing time taken in obtaining the document/certificate.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites. 	
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

• There are three ways you can lodge an application for citizenship:
  • by making an appointment with a case officer at citizenship offices in Auckland, Manukau, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin;
  • by mail; or
  • by dropping the application off at one of citizenship offices.
• To apply for a grant of New Zealand citizenship you will need to:
  • Read the application guide carefully. Make sure you understand all the requirements.
  • Fill out the relevant sections in the application form.
  • Lodge the completed application form, photographs, documents and fee with the Citizenship Office.
• If you lodge your application in one of citizenship offices during an appointment, citizenship office will usually return your documents to you during the apppointment.
• If you lodge your application by mail, or by dropping it at one of citizenship offices and are required to attend an interview, your documents will be returned to you at your interview, which will usually be soon after citizenship office receive your application.
• If you are not required to attend a citizenship interview, your documents will be couriered to you when the processing of your application is completed.

Application Guide http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Services-Citizenship-Citizenship-Application-Fees-and-Forms?OpenDocument#two

Application Form

• Application form for a Grant of New Zealand Citizenship - Adult

http://www.dia.govt.nz/Pubforms.nsf/URL/ApplicationforNZGrantofCitizenshipgenadult.pdf/$file/ApplicationforNZGrantofCitizenshipgenadult.pdf

• Application form for a Grant of New Zealand Citizenship - Child under 16 years

http://www.dia.govt.nz/Pubforms.nsf/URL/ApplicationforNZGrantofCitizenshipgenchild.pdf/$file/ApplicationforNZGrantofCitizenshipgenchild.pdf

• Application guide for a Grant of New Zealand Citizenship

http://www.dia.govt.nz/Pubforms.nsf/URL/ApplicationGuideforGrantofNZCitizenshipgeneral.pdf/$file/ApplicationGuideforGrantofNZCitizenshipgeneral.pdf

Required Information

• Your full name/name of applicant(s)
• Your date of birth/applicant(s) date of birth
• Application number(s) (if known)
• Residential Address
• Email
• Daytime phone number
• Courier address (for return of documents)
• Date the documents are required
• Reason for the early return of documents

Need for the Document

Please provide the need for the procedure.
e.g. Birth Certificate - why do we need to have a birth certificate

Information which might help

Enter other informations which might help.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

Place some external links which might help.

Others

More information which might help people.