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This page contains Citizenship operational policy and procedure. These can be viewed and downloaded below.

Applications assessed under the three year residence provisions refer to some citizenship grant applications submitted by applicants before 21 April 2010.

Applications assessed under the five year residence provisions refer to citizenship grant applications submitted on or after 21 April 2010.

Amendments and updates to the policies and procedures will be posted on this page as they occur.

Please note that some sections of this manual have been withheld under section 6(1)(c) of the Official Information Act 1982.

For all enquiries regarding Citizenship policies and procedures please contact the the Citizenship Office.

Policy manuals on this website are in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. You will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader 9 or higher installed on your computer to view or download the chapter. You can download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from the Adobe site.

Citizenship Policies and Procedures

General guidelines for all citizenship applications

• Applying Administrative Law to citizenship applications (pdf 45kb)
• Citizenship applicant documents (pdf 88kb)
• Citizenship applicant's name (pdf 60kb)
• Citizenship applicant's photographic identification (pdf 30kb)
• Citizenship applicant's place and country of birth (pdf 51kb)
• Using Citizenship records to confirm current applicant's status (pdf 28kb)
• Verification of applicant's citizenship(s) (pdf 21kb)

Grant of New Zealand Citizenship - Policy

1. General requirements for the grant of citizenship (pdf 74kb)
2. Right to reside in New Zealand indefinitely (pdf 73kb)
3. Presence in New Zealand (pdf 147kb)
4. Ordinary residence (pdf 124kb)
5. Good character (pdf 123kb)
6. Responsibilities and Privileges (pdf 106kb)
7. English (pdf 150kb)
8. Intention to continue to reside (pdf 148kb)
9. Reduction of ordinary residence period (pdf 74kb)
10. Reduction of presence requirement (pdf 98kb)
11. Grant of Citizenship in Special Cases (pdf 154kb)
12. Convictions (pdf 122kb)
13. Section 10 (pdf 97kb)
14. Ceremonies (pdf 150kb)
15. Renunciation (pdf 105kb)
16. Deprivation (pdf 160kb)
17. Western Samoan citizens (pdf 75kb)
18. Identity (pdf 105kb)
19. Prescribed manner (pdf 118kb)
20. Lost contact (pdf 83kb)
21. Required information (pdf 84kb)

Other Types of Citizenship Applications

• Citizenship by birth in New Zealand 1949-2005 (pdf 33kb)
• Citizenship by birth in New Zealand 2006 (pdf 40kb)
• Citizenship otherwise than by descent (Parent on overseas service from 1978) (pdf 35kb)
• Registration of citizenship by descent 1978- (pdf 48kb)

Replacement Certificates

• Replacement certificates and certified copies (pdf 26kb)

Renunciation

• Renunciation of New Zealand Citizenship (pdf 65kb)

Transgender Applicants

All of the Department of Internal Affairs' information for transgender applicants is located on one page.

• Information for transgender applicants