A foreigner can obtain citizenship in New Zealand in a few ways, that are prescribed by the national law. Most foreigners are eligible for citizenship by naturalization, which refers to the process through which a person first obtains permanent residency in New Zealand.
The procedures, rights and obligations are prescribed by the Citizenship Act 1977 and our immigration lawyer in New Zealand can offer in-depth information on the matters a person should know regarding this law.
Table of Contents
What types of citizenship are available in New Zealand?
A person can obtain 1 of the 3 types of citizenship available under the applicable law, which are:
- citizenship by birth;
- citizenship by descent;
- citizenship by grant (naturalization).
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Ways to acquire citizenship | A person can obtain citizenship in New Zealand by birth, by descent or by naturalization. |
|
Law on citizenship |
Citizenship Act 1977 |
|
Fees charged for citizenship application |
$235,1 for minors under 16 years and $470,2 for persons who are 16 years old and above. |
| Minimum requirements for citizenship by naturalization |
Foreigners can obtain citizenship in New Zealand through naturalization only when they have become permanent residents. They are required to demonstrate a total of 1,350 days of residency in New Zealand in the last 5 years before the application. |
| Minimum requirements for citizenship by marriage |
Citizenship by marriage is obtained following the same rules applicable to citizenship by naturalization, as there aren’t any separate rules applied to this situation. |
| Requirements for citizenship by descent |
Citizenship by descent is available for foreigners who were born overseas or for those who had at least 1 parent who was a New Zealand citizen at the moment when the applicant was born. |
| Special citizenship rules |
Outside standard regulations, New Zealand applies special citizenship rules for Samoan nationals, according to the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982. |
| Duration of the citizenship process |
A person can obtain citizenship in New Zealand in a period of 3 to 14 months. |
| Application stamps fees |
Not applicable. |
| Institution in charge with the review of the application | Department of Internal Affairs. |
| Dual citizenship allowed (yes/no) |
Yes |
| Fees for the issuance of a passport |
Standard processing fees ($125 for children and $215 for adults) and urgent processing fees ($340 for children and $430 for adults). |
| Passport validity |
5 years (for children) and 10 years (for adults). |
| Difference between permanent residency and citizenship |
As a permanent resident of New Zealand, a foreigner will have similar rights as the ones of a citizen. However, a permanent resident can’t have a New Zealand passport, can’t participate in elections or vote. |
| Authentication/translation of foreign documents required (yes/no) | Yes |
How can an individual obtain citizenship in New Zealand by birth?
Citizenship rights can also be granted provided that the parents are permanent residents, in some countries, and the same is true for New Zealand. Thus, if you plan to migrate to New Zealand in order to become at least a New Zealand permanent resident, you should know that your future children, born in New Zealand, will have citizenship rights.
According to the law which is currently in force (starting with 1st of January 2006), a newborn is considered a citizen by birth if the birth took place in New Zealand and at least one parent is a:
- New Zealand citizen/permanent resident;
- Australian citizen/permanent resident;
- Cook Islands citizen/permanent resident;
- Tokelau citizen/permanent resident;
- Niue citizen/permanent resident.
In the case of persons who are born overseas different procedures apply, even if their parents are New Zealand citizens. In this case, they have to apply for citizenship by descent. For this, postal services can be employed or the applicant can immigrate to New Zealand and start the in-person procedure.
Our immigration lawyer in New Zealand can provide more details on the requirements imposed in this case (the applicant must have documents that attest the family tie to a New Zealand citizen and, more importantly, that, at the moment of the applicant’s birth, the respective parent was a New Zealand citizen).
What are the conditions to obtain citizenship by grant in New Zealand in 2025?
Citizenship by grant refers to the process of naturalization, through which a person obtains residency in New Zealand issued on a permanent basis. The person must then maintain the residency requirement and comply with the many requirements imposed for citizenship. The main requirements concerning residency, which are regulated by the law on immigration in New Zealand, are presented below:
- the applicant must be a permanent resident for at least 5 years at the moment when the citizenship application is initiated;
- the person must have stayed in the country for either 1,350 days or 240 days per year in the 5 years period;
- adult applicants are required to pay a processing fee of $470,20;
- “adult” in this case refers to any applicant who has an age of minimum 16 years old;
- persons with an age below 16 years old will pay a fee of $235,10.
Below, you can watch a short video on the New Zealand citizenship:
Language requirements for citizenship in New Zealand
Besides meeting the residency requirements presented above, all adult applicants are required to meet other basic conditions. For instance, they need to prove very good command of the English language, which is the national language in New Zealand.
If you want to initiate the citizenship application in 2025, you should meet the above-mentioned conditions and you must also be aware that this can be a lengthy process. By this, we mean that only some of the applicants will be able to become citizens in 2025 (the citizenship processing can take anywhere between 3 months and 14 months, depending on the particularities of each case).
It must be noted that in the case of applicants moving from USA to New Zealand, the language rule mentioned above will not imply any particular proof, as American passport holders are native English speakers.
This will also be the case of other foreign nationals who arrive from English-speaking countries, not just of those who immigrate from USA to New Zealand. However, all applicants should also make proof of having a good character, as well as showing evidence on the fact that they intend to continue their residency in this country.
All applicants have to add on their application file their original birth certificate, the passport, 2 recent photos, and the documents of a person who will act as a witness.
The witness is necessary for this procedure and the person must be a New Zealand citizen who has a minimum age of 16. Other documents may be required and please know that the New Zealand authorities may ask for the original documents, not certified versions. Our immigration lawyer in New Zealand can further advise on the documents that can customarily be required during this stage.
Institution in charge of citizenship formalities
You must also know that the citizenship processing does not fall under the supervision of the immigration institutions that processed your visas and residence permits (Immigration New Zealand), but by the Department of Internal Affairs, considering the nature of the procedure.
We mention that there are 2 ways to get in touch with this institution, according to the applicable law. There is the possibility of applying in person at one of the offices available for this formality. For this, any interested party must first book an appointment at one of the offices available in Christchurch, Auckland or Wellington.
It is also possible to send the documentation by post. Provided that an individual opts for this version, the authorities will answer by post as well, therefore it is important to know that you can receive documentation via post in a period of 4-6 weeks since the date when you sent the documents.
Citizenship ceremony in New Zealand
Successful applicants will receive their citizenship and they will also be asked to participate in a citizenship ceremony. If you apply in 2025 and your application receives a positive answer during 2025, you will be asked to attend the citizenship ceremony within 1 year after it has been approved (thus, this step should be completed in 2026).
Please know that if you will be invited to your own citizenship ceremony in 2025, you can bring up to 2 guests. In general, this formality takes around 1 hour and it is hosted by the Mayor of your local council or by another designated person within the town council.
It is also advisable to respect a dress code (smart casual), but local authorities encourage new citizens to wear traditional clothes from their country of origin or elements of their ethnic background, so that they can celebrate both nationalities.
As mentioned above, the ceremony lasts about 1 hour, and it is a legal requirement for the new citizen to be present throughout the entire procedure. In the case in which the date when you have been scheduled for the ceremony is not suitable for your program, you can reschedule it.
The law on immigration to New Zealand prescribes different procedures for persons who are Samoan nationals. Thus, in this case, the citizenship process will be conducted as per the rules of the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982.
If you are a Samoan national, we invite you to contact our immigration lawyer in New Zealand for in-depth legal assistance on the process you must follow (there are different rules based on your residency in this country – before and after 14 September 1982).
