Birth certificate

Original certificate
You must provide the original birth certificate. This means the
document issued by the relevant state authority from the country
the applicant was born in. Photocopies cannot be accepted.
Full Certificate
You must provide the full birth certificate, which shows the
applicant's:
full name
date of birth
mothers name and fathers name
town or city of birth
date of birth
gender
This document is required in all cases. Birth certificates that do not
provide this information cannot be accepted.
Applicant's passport or state issued photographic
identification if applicant is aged 16 years or over
If the applicant does not have a passport, they should provide
alternative state-issued photographic identification. If the applicant
has no identification please include a note with the application
advising why.
Applicants adoption order
This is required where the person being registered has been
adopted outside of New Zealand.
Claim parents passport number or state-issued
photographic identification
If the claim parent does not have a New Zealand passport they must
provide alternative photographic state-issued identification. If the
parent has no identification please contact us.
Entering the number of the claim parents current New Zealand
passport in Section 21 of the child application form or Section 23 of
the adult application form is acceptable, however the Department
retains the right to request the original passport should it be
required.
Change of name documents
Any official change of name documents are required (e.g. marriage
certificate for change through marriage, deed poll certificate) where
applicable. Please note that you will not need to send documents if
the claim parent or applicant was born in New Zealand and changed

their name in New Zealand or if the marriage took place in New

Zealand.
Claim parents proof of citizenship
You will not need to send documents if the claim parent has signed
the Privacy Act section and:
was born in New Zealand; or
has New Zealand citizenship by grant; or
has confirmation of New Zealand citizenship by other means.
You will need to send documents if the claim parent:
was born in the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau.
Deeds of paternity
Establishing paternity is the legal term for determining who is the
father of a child under New Zealand law.
If the claim to New Zealand citizenship by descent is through the
mother then it is not necessary to establish who the father is. If
paternity is not established then the father's name will not be added
to our records.
If the claim to New Zealand citizenship by descent is through the
father, then we must establish paternity. In general, a persons
father is assumed to be the man named on a persons birth
certificate.
If the applicants father is not named on their birth certificate, and
the claim for citizenship is through the father, paternity will need to
be established. Paternity is normally established by the completion
of deeds of paternity by both parents.
..

Passport Photo Requirements.

Providingacceptablepassportphotoswillalsohelpavoiddelaysintheprocessingofyourpassport
application.
Thephotoisanessentialpartofyourtraveldocument.Agoodclearphotofacilitatestheuseof
Smartgateandensuresyoucanbeeasilyidentifiedasyoucrossinternationalborders.
Tohelpyouavoidsomeofthemostcommonproblemswithphotoquality,wehavesummarisedthe
mainrequirementsbelow.

Photo Age
Photo must be less than 6 months old.

Photo Quality
photo must be in focus, with no red-eye and no reflected light
on the face
photo must be a true image, not altered in any way
high quality colour showing natural skin tones (black and
white photos are not acceptable)
Background
the background must be plain and light, but not white
there must be a strong contrast between the image and
background, with no shadows
Pose

face the camera straight on, with your head straight, eyes
open and mouth closed
maintain a neutral expression, not smiling or frowning
ensure you have no hair across your face or eyes as eyes
must be clearly visible
head must be centred, with a clear gap around the sides and
top of the head, including hair

Glasses
eyes must be clearly showing through glasses with no
reflection
remove glases with heavy-rimmed frames
do not wear sunglasses, or glasses with tinted lenses that
obscure your eyes
Head Covering or headband
no head covering or headband should be worn in the photo,
unless you must wear either for religious or medical reasons
Paper Quality
use high quality, high resolution photo paper
you can also use colour film or low gloss coated thermal
papers as long as the printer is high resolution

DO NOT use matt paper, heavy-backed thermal paper or an

ink-jet printer.

Photo Size (paper applications)

Actual photo size of 35mm width x 45mm height
Head size a maximum 80% of the photo (36mm) and
minimum 70% of the photo (32mm)

Digital Photos for online renewals

See 'Tips to help you get correct digital passport photos' for
the digital photo requirements.

Find a suitable witness

Find a suitable witness who can identify that the applicant is the
Step person in the photos.
The witness requirements for a passport are different. However
if you apply for Citizenship by Descent at the same time you
should use the Citizenship by Descent witness requirements for
both the passport and descent applications. The same witness
can be used for both applications provided both are submitted
with the photos at the same time.
Citizenship by Descent Witness requirements
The witness must:
not be a relative,
have known the applicant for more than 12 months, or
since birth if the applicant is less than 12 months old,
be aged 16 years or over,
have physically met the applicant,
and be either:
a New Zealand passport holder,
or

be from one of the following groups:

Lawyer
Police Officer
Teacher
Kaumatua
Applicants employer (not claim parent's employer)
Minister of religion
Registered medical professional.

The witness must write the following on the back of the

photo in their own handwriting:
the applicants full name (1 see image below)
the witness signature (2 see image below)
the current date (must be signed and dated at the same
time the witness completes the 'Proof of Identity' section
of the application form (3 see image below)

The witness must also fill out the Proof of Identity form in their
own handwriting (sections 7-9, page 5 - Citizenship by Descent
application form).
If your witness lives some distance away allow extra time to
send them the photos and form, get them signed by the
witness and posted back to you.
Witness in a different country to applicant
The witness must have physically met the applicant. If the applicant and
witness live in different countries the Department might ask for proof that
they have met.
What does physically meeting mean?
The witness and applicant must have physically met in person. This does
not include letters, Facebook, website, phone, Skype, emails or photos.
Unable to locate a Witness
If you are not able to find a witness who meets the above
requirements, please contact us.

How long will it take

Step

Maximum processing time for correct and

4
complete applications.
Citizenship by Descent
20 working days
application only
Citizenship and Passport
application

30 working days

Urgent Citizenship and

Passport application

10 working days

Translation of documents

Allow up to 10 working
days

Adoptions

Please contact us

Excludes postal or courier delivery times. Allow extra

time for delivery.
What are correct and complete applications?
(Citizenship by Descent and New Zealand
Passport)
application forms that have been correctly filled
out
have all the correct official documents attached
correct number of correctly witnessed
photographs
completed translations if required (if not in
english)
payment of application fees
payment for translations if required
Delays to your application
If your:
application is incomplete / incorrect; or
you have sent incomplete / wrong official
documents
this may impact on the above time line.
Travelling during December / January?
Our office is closed from 25th December and reopens
around the 4th January each year.
We suggest you apply by October if you require your
citizenship and or passport to travel over the December
/ January period.
Translation of documents
All documents not in English must be translated and
original documents must be sent in with the English

translation. We will accept official translations of

documents into English by the issuing Government
agency. In addition, we will accept translations made by
a court in the country of origin if they have been
authenticated by that countrys diplomatic post in New
Zealand. International language documents (multi
lingual) are available from many countries.
If you need an English translation, the Department can
arrange this through the Department of Internal Affairs
Translation Service. Please include NZ$75.00 /
AU$65.00 / GBP35.00 for each document that requires
translation. The Citizenship Office will organise an
official translation, which will be returned to you with
your documents.
Alternatively, you may contact one of the agencies
approved by the Citizenship Office to provide
translations or you can contact us.