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 are already a NZ citizen by descent
Include your citizenship or descent registration certificate with your application.
If English is not your first language
You need to include something with your application that proves you can speak English.
Accepted documents:
School certificate
School report
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Form
Employer reference letter
University academic record
University certificate – bachelor’s, diploma, master’s, PhD
If you are applying for a child aged 15 or under
If you are applying online:
1 parent must fill in the ‘parental consent’ section of the application form and complete an online identity check.
All parents must be told about the application and give their consent for the child to apply for New Zealand citizenship.
If you are unable to contact the other parent or they do not consent, you need to provide details of the circumstances.
If a sole parent or legal guardian is providing consent, you must upload a document to verify this, such as:
a court order for sole legal guardianship
a birth certificate with one parent listed
a death certificate for the other parent.
If you are applying in person or by post:
Both parents need to:
sign the application form
include their original passport.
If you are a sole parent or legal guardian, you must include evidence that you have sole legal guardianship, such as:
a court order for sole legal guardianship
a birth certificate with one parent listed
a death certificate for the other parent.
If you are from Samoa
If you do not have a Samoan passport, you can get a letter of confirmation of Samoan citizenship from the Samoan High Commission or Consulate-General.
There is no urgent citizenship service. In rare circumstances, the Citizenship Office may be able to assess your application out of the standard queue order. However, this does not affect the time needed to complete all necessary checks.
A request for urgency is usually only approved if you are in a situation out of your control and unable to get a travel document.
The Citizenship Office will consider whether you need citizenship:
to travel for a medical emergency
to represent New Zealand
for work or deployment
for humanitarian reasons.
Medical emergencies
You may meet this criterion if you need to leave the country to:
help a sick relative, or
get medical treatment you cannot get here.
Representing New Zealand
You may meet this criterion if you:
are representing New Zealand in sport or another activity, and
need citizenship to take part in an upcoming event.
Employment and deployment
You may meet this criterion if you need citizenship to:
start a new job, or
join or deploy with the New Zealand Defence Force.
Humanitarian reasons
You may meet this criterion if you are in a position you have no control over for humanitarian reasons.
If you meet one of the above criteria
If you meet one of the above criteria, you must:
write a letter explaining why you need urgent citizenship
include evidence for your reasons (such as medical, employment or travel documents), and
Requests for urgent processing are not approved for:
financial reasons, such as not wanting to pay for a passport from your home country or a visa from another country
a preference to travel on a New Zealand passport
any other personal preference.
If you are marrying a New Zealander
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.
