Information Collection Practices of the Registrar-General

Information Collection Practices of the Citizenship and Passport Offices

Information Disclosures

Authorised Disclosures by the Registrar-General

• Passport
• Certificate of Identity
• Emergency Travel Document
• Refugee Travel Document

• The holder's full name
• The holder's date of birth
• The holder's sex
• The holder's eye colour
• The holder's height
• The holder's endorsements (if any)
• The photograph of the holder
• The place of birth of the holder
• The document type
• The passports database key number
• The passport or document number
• The date of issue of the passport or document
• The date of expiry of the passport or document
• The place of issue of the passport or document
• The status of the passport or document
• Any other information relating to a New Zealand travel document

• aid border security
• facilitate the processing of passengers
• verify the identity of a holder of a travel document
• determine whether a person is a New Zealand citizen
• as otherwise required or authorised by law.

• New Zealand Customs Service
• New Zealand Department of Labour
• Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship
• Australian Customs Service
• US Department of Homeland Security (only when a person travels to the United States)
• New Zealand Police for Interpol (only details of documents reported lost, stolen or otherwise invalid)

Requesting personal information

• obtain confirmation whether or not an agency holds personal information about them
• obtain access to that information

We may extend the time allowed for a reply because of the volume or complexity of an individual request. If such an extension is required, we will tell you within 20 days of getting your application.

Refusing Access
The Privacy Act provides for the Department of Internal Affairs to not disclose material in certain circumstances. If this is done we will tell you why.

• A New Zealand citizen
• A permanent resident of New Zealand
• An individual who is in New Zealand

The Privacy Advisor
Identity Services
Department of Internal Affairs
P O Box 10-526
WELLINGTON

Dear Sir

Privacy Act Request for John Wiremu Citizen Born 1 November 1963


Please tell me if the Department of Internal Affairs holds any personal information about me.*

OR

Please supply me with any personal information that Identity Services holds about me.*

OR

Please correct my.................................... (information that you believe to be incorrectly recorded).

Your records show this as..................................... (how the incorrect information is recorded by Identity Services).

Please correct this to.................................... (what you believe is the correct information).

In support of my belief that the information is incorrectly recorded I supply the following documents:
(list documents that verify your contention that information is incorrectly recorded).*

(*Omit which does not apply)

Please send the information to:


Your name

Your address


Yours sincerely

J W Citizen


(Please note that as the material is likely to be couriered ‘with signature required’, a physical delivery address is required and NOT a post office or box number)

Data Protection Methods

Registrar-General’s Data Protection Methods

• loss
• access
• use
• modification
• disclosure (except with the authority of the agency that holds the information)
• other misuse.

Citizenship Data Protection Methods

• loss
• access
• use
• modification
• disclosure (except with the authority of the agency that holds the information)
• other misuse.

Archived Citizenship Records
All paper based citizenship application files from 1948 to 1988 are held by Archives New Zealand. Applications received since 1988 are stored in a secure off site location. There are no plans to destroy any of these records.

Electronic Citizenship Records
Since 1998 electronic application files have been held within the Citizenship Computerised System and since 2005 in the Determinations Computerised System (for citizenships by descent, 1948 residence claims, claims for Britons married to New Zealanders prior to 1949 and denials and renunciations). Both systems are operated within the bounds of the Identity Services secure network. Citizenship registers from 1948 to the present are also held in computerised form.

How to Contact Us
For more information about our privacy policy follow the links provided or Contact Us.

Passport Data Protection Methods

• loss
• access
• use
• modification
• disclosure (except with the authority of the agency that holds the information)
• other misuse

Making a Privacy Act Complaint

Who can make a Privacy Act complaint?

• you have not received a decision about your request (but you need to allow 20 working days);
• your request has been declined in full or in part;
• you have not been given access in the manner you preferred;
• you disagree with a charge which has been imposed by the agency;
• the agency has imposed conditions on how you may use, communicate or publish the information you requested;
• the agency has extended the time limit for responding to you;
• the agency has refused to correct personal information.

The Privacy Commissioner
P O Box 10-094
WELLINGTON

• a brief description of the action complained about;
• relevant dates;
• the name and address of the agency complained about (and the names of any people within the agency who have been involved with your complaint); and
• copies of relevant correspondence.