New Zealand Passport

New-Zealand Visa

New Zealand Passport Application

To be issued with a passport you must be a New Zealand citizen under the Passports Act 1992, and you must complete a Passport Application Form which will cover:

• Proof of New Zealand Citizenship
• Proof of your name change details
• Proof of your identity
• Photographic proof of your identity (two identical photos)
• Application Fees
• Application Forms

The Passport Application Form must be completed in full if:

• You are applying for a passport for the first time, or
• You wish to replace your current passport, or
• Your passport has expired, or
• Your passport has been lost or stolen.

Proof of New Zealand Citizenship

• You will not need to send your documents if:
• You were born in New Zealand, or
• You obtained New Zealand Citizenship by Grant, or
• You obtained New Zealand Citizenship by Descent Registration after 2 January 1978.
• You will need to send your documents if:
• You obtained New Zealand Citizenship by other means, or
• You are a first time applicant born in Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau, or
• You are renewing your previous passport

Proof of your Name Change Details

• You will not need to send your documents if:
• You have changed your name by marriage or civil union in New Zealand, or
• You were born in New Zealand and have changed your name by statutory declaration or deed poll in New Zealand.
• You will need to send your documents if:
• You have changed your name by marriage or civil union outside of New Zealand, or
• You were born in New Zealand and changed your name outside New Zealand, or
• You were born outside New Zealand and changed your name inside or outside New Zealand.
• If you are required to provide documents, they must be originals, not photocopies or certified photocopies.

Proof of Identity

You need to get someone you know to formally identify you on the application form and to identify your photos. This person will be called your witness and needs to meet the requirements outlined below.

A witness must not:

• be a relative
• be your partner
• live at the same address as you.

• be aged 16 years or over
• be the holder of a current New Zealand passport (the passport number must be given)
• have known the person applying for the passport for more than 12 months (or since birth for a child under 12 months)
• have a daytime contact telephone number
• be contactable during normal business hours
• be willing to provide personal details such as their date of birth and home address.

• fill in the Proof of Identity page in their own handwriting
• write the full name of the person applying for the passport on the back of one of the photos, and put the date and sign their own name on the back of the same photo.

• Lawyer
• Justice of the Peace
• Sworn Police Officer
• Applicant's Employer
• Minister of Religion
• Teacher
• Registered Medical Practitioner
• Kaumatua

Photographic Proof of Your Identity

You must provide two identical photos. The photos must be:

• undamaged by staples, pins or paper clips
• less than 12 months old
• full front view of face, head and shoulders only without hats, head coverings, or head bands (If you wear these for religious or medical reasons you will need to state the reason in a Statutory Declaration).
• without sunglasses (tinted prescription glasses may be worn as long as eyes are still visible)
• a true image and not altered in any way
• clear, sharp and in focus
• with a plain light coloured background
• black and white or coloured, but must be a good likeness
• on photographic paper
• no smaller than 50 mm x 40 mm.
• Do not trim your photos - we will cut to size.

The witness who identifies you on the application form must write your full name on the back of one photo, and then sign and date it.

For more information on passport photo requirements, an electronic (.pdf) version of our pamphlet is also available for download here. You need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. You can download a free version from the Adobe site.

Application Fees

Payment can be made by credit card (Mastercard, Bankcard or Visa) cheque or money order. Make cheques and money orders payable to Department of Internal Affairs. Please do not send cash through the mail.

Application Form

Form download below. Once the form is downloaded to your computer, you can print it, then complete it using a pen and return the form and accompanying material to us by mail.