Citizenship in New Zealand
Naturalisation timelines, tests, and dual nationality
Citizenship by grant generally follows around five years holding a residence class visa, with minimum days of physical presence in each of those years and in total, plus good character, sufficient English, and an intention to continue living in New Zealand. Dual citizenship is permitted.
| Residence requirement | Commonly around 5 years as a resident source |
| Presence requirement | Minimum days in each year and in total, commonly around 1,350 days overall |
| Language | Sufficient spoken English |
| Dual citizenship | Permitted |
| Decision maker | Department of Internal Affairs source |
Counting the years and the days
Two conditions run in parallel and both must be satisfied. The first is holding a residence class visa for the qualifying period, commonly around five years. The second is physical presence: a minimum number of days in New Zealand in each of those years, and a larger minimum across the period as a whole, commonly in the region of 1,350 days.
The second condition is what most often delays an application. Someone who holds residence for the full period but travels heavily for work can fail the annual minimum in a single year and have to wait for a later window in which the counts line up.
Time spent in New Zealand before holding residence — as a student or on a work visa — does not count toward the residence requirement.
The other requirements
- Good character, assessed on criminal history and on immigration compliance, including any period spent unlawfully in the country.
- Sufficient English to hold a conversation, assessed practically rather than by a formal test for most applicants.
- An intention to continue living in New Zealand, or to enter Crown service or a comparable qualifying role abroad.
- Attendance at a citizenship ceremony and the taking of an oath or affirmation, which is required before citizenship takes effect.
Citizenship by descent and by birth
A child born in New Zealand is a citizen by birth only if at least one parent is a New Zealand citizen or holds residence at the time of birth. Birth in the country alone has not been sufficient since 2006.
Children born overseas to a New Zealand citizen may be citizens by descent, but citizenship by descent generally cannot be passed on again to a further generation born abroad without a separate grant.
What citizenship changes
Citizenship removes the travel-condition problem permanently, adds the right to vote and to stand for Parliament, and gives access to a New Zealand passport. It also opens the trans-Tasman arrangement with Australia, under which New Zealand citizens can live and work in Australia — which is, in practice, one of the more significant things a New Zealand passport does.
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Official sources
Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.