How to Get New Zealand Citizenship (2026): Routes, Years, Requirements

Key facts

Based on GLOBALCIT data, not yet verified by our team

Residence for naturalisation: 5 years1 change not yet in force and not applied: see the timeline.
Language: Required, no test
Dual citizenship: Accepted

Civic test: Required, no test specified
Criminal record: A criminal record or good character condition applies
Income condition: No income condition in the law
Dual citizenship in detail: Accepted in both directionsNew citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
Available routes: Naturalisation (residence)Descent (citizen parent)Birth in the country Former citizens (reacquisition)Citizens of specific countries Stateless persons Special achievements Public or military service
Region: Oceania
Law in force as of: 1 January 2024
Last checked: 5 November 2026

What changed since 2024

1 January 2027Scheduled
Citizenship test for grant applicants to be introduced from late 2027 (75% pass mark).
Official source. Source: beehive.govt.nz

The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. The changes in the timeline above are not in force and are not applied.

8 routes in the law of New Zealand.

Naturalisation (residence)

Discretionary

This route covers foreign residents who seek citizenship after living in New Zealand, subject to the conditions below. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.

Scheduled, 1 January 2027: Citizenship test for grant applicants to be introduced from late 2027 (75% pass mark).

Residence: 5 years
Person must be present in New Zealand (or in the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau) for a minimum of 1350 days during the 5 years immediately preceding the date of application and for at least 240 days in each of those 5 years and person intends to continue to reside in NZ or to enter into Crown service under the NZ government or service under an international organisation of which NZ is a member, or service in the employment of an entity resident or established in NZ.
Previous citizenship: New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
Language: Required, no test or certificate specified
Sufficient knowledge of English required.
Civic knowledge: Required, no test specified
Person must have sufficient knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.
Criminal record: A criminal record or good character condition applies
Good character required (disqualifying convictions listed in NZL 9A).
Income or economic resources: No income condition in the law

DiscretionaryNationality law: Art. 8

Descent (citizen parent)

AutomaticEntitlement

Descent from a citizen parent is the basis of this route in New Zealand.

Descent (born in country)

Person is born in NZ after 1 January 2006 and at least one of his/her parents was a citizen.

AutomaticNationality law: Art. 6(1)

Descent (born abroad)

Person is born outside NZ on/after 1 January 1978 to a parent who is citizen otherwise than by descent, or the parent is a citizen by descent and the person would otherwise be stateless. Person is born abroad, may be a citizen by descent, is 16 years or over and satisfies the requirements in NZL 8(1) and NZL 8(2). Person is born abroad to a citizen by descent. Citizenship may be granted by the Minister in special cases. Person was born abroad before 1 January 1978 to a mother was a citizen otherwise than by descent; Person is born abroad to a citizen who is the head of a mission, an employee of the State services or Armed Forces, a person working overseas for the public service of Niue, Tokelau or the Cook Islands, an officer or employee of NZ Trade and Enterprise, or an officer/employee of the NZ Tourism Board. Person would have been born in Tokelau but was born in Samoa because of a medical necessity and at the time of his/her birth s/he would have been a citizen if born in Tokelau. Person was born abroad on/after 1 January 1949 but before 1 January 1978 to a father who was a citizen or, if the person was born after 1970, to a mother who was a citizen.

EntitlementAutomaticNationality law: Art. 7(1); 8; 9(1)(b); 10; 6(4); 6(5); 13(3)

Birth in the country

Automatic

For people born in New Zealand, the rules below show when birth there leads to citizenship. Under the law of New Zealand, citizenship is acquired automatically, with no official decision involved.

Person is born in NZ after 1 January 2006 and at least one of his/her parents was entitled under the Immigration Act 2009 to be in NZ indefinitely, or one of his/her parents was entitled to reside indefinitely in the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau. Acquisition is automatic if person was born in NZ after 1 January 1949 and before 1 January 2006.

AutomaticNationality law: Art. 6(1)

Former citizens (reacquisition)

Discretionary

For former citizens of New Zealand, the rules below show when citizenship can be reacquired. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.

Person lost citizenship through renunciation. S/he may regain citizenship only by way of grant under NZL 8, 8A or 9.

DiscretionaryNationality law: Art. 15(4)

Citizens of specific countries

Entitlement

Holding the citizenship of a particular country is the basis of this route in New Zealand. Provided the legal conditions are satisfied, authorities must grant citizenship following an application.

Person is a citizen of Western Samoa who was in NZ on 14 September 1982 and who was entitled to be in NZ indefinitely.

EntitlementNationality law: Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 7

Stateless persons

EntitlementDiscretionary

This route covers stateless people and children who would otherwise be stateless, subject to the conditions below.

Foundlings

Person is deemed to be a citizen by birth if s/he, having recently been born, was found abandoned in New Zealand investigations failed to establish the identity of at least one of the parents.

EntitlementNationality law: Art. 6(3)(b)

Otherwise stateless (born in country)

Person is deemed a citizen by birth if born in New Zealand on or after 1 January 1978 and the person would otherwise be stateless.

EntitlementNationality law: Art. 6(3)(a)

Stateless persons

Person would otherwise be stateless. In making the decision the Minister may have regard to requirements set out in NZL 8(2) and must have regard to whether the person has any disqualifying convictions pursuant to NZL 9A.

DiscretionaryNationality law: Art. 9(1)(d)

Special achievements

Discretionary

Special achievements, or a national interest in granting citizenship, are the basis of this route in New Zealand. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.

Person is someone whose acquisition of citizenship would be in the public interest because of exceptional circumstances of a humanitarian nature or other nature related to the person.

DiscretionaryNationality law: Art. 9(1)(c)

Public or military service

Discretionary

For people with public or military service for New Zealand, the rules below set out what applies. A decision rests with the authorities, who may refuse despite the conditions being fulfilled.

Person intends to enter into or continue in Crown service under the New Zealand government, or service under an international organisation of which the NZ government is a member and the person meets the other criteria in NZL 8(1) and 8(2).

DiscretionaryNationality law: Art. 8(2)(f)(ii)

Not available in New Zealand: Marriage or civil partnership, Child of a new citizen, Adoption, Other family members of citizens, Ethnic or cultural affinity, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Investment. This follows the GLOBALCIT coding, with in-force changes applied.

Dual citizenship

Dual citizenship is accepted in New Zealand for new citizens and for citizens who naturalise abroad.

New citizens: New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
Citizens who naturalise abroad: Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship

Compare with neighbours

New Zealand requires 5 years, the most common requirement across Oceania.

Check where New Zealand sits in the full residence ranking

Countries in Oceania with the closest residence requirement
Country	Residence	Language	Dual citizenship
Australia	4 years	Test or certificate	Accepted
Fiji	5 years	Required, no test	Accepted
Kiribati	7 years	Required, no test	Not accepted
Samoa	5 years	None	Accepted
Tonga	5 years	Required, no test	Accepted
Tuvalu	7 years	None	Accepted

Official sources

New Zealand citizenship

This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.

Naturalisation provisions: Nationality law: Art. 8.

Cite this page

APA citation

TravelDecl. (2026, November 5). How to Get New Zealand Citizenship. https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/new-zealand/

HTML link

<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/new-zealand/">How to Get New Zealand Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, last checked 5 November 2026)

Sources and licence

Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.

Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.

GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.

FAQ

How many years to become a New Zealand citizen?

Ordinary naturalisation in New Zealand requires 5 years of residence, plus the other conditions in the law. A change that is not yet in force may affect this: see the timeline above.

Does New Zealand allow dual citizenship?

Yes. New Zealand accepts dual citizenship in both directions, as coded in the data.

Do I need a language test for New Zealand citizenship?

A language requirement exists, but no test or certificate is specified.

Is there a civic knowledge test for New Zealand citizenship?

Applicants must show civic knowledge for New Zealand citizenship, without a designated test being named. A change that is not yet in force may affect this: see the timeline above.

Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get New Zealand citizenship?

You are not required to renounce your current citizenship to get New Zealand citizenship. The law of your current country may have its own rules on this.