To become a New Zealand citizen you generally need 5 years on a residence class visa, 1,350 days physically in NZ including 240 days in each year, good character and basic English. The full requirements, the $641 fee, current timeframes, and the dual citizenship catch.
Written by Inder Singh, Principal Adviser & Founder and Licensed Immigration Adviser (IAA Licence 201301110).
To be granted New Zealand citizenship, most adults need to have held a residence class visa for the 5 years before applying, been physically present in New Zealand for at least 1,350 days across those 5 years including at least 240 days in each of them, be of good character, hold a basic conversation in English, and intend to keep living here (govt.nz). The application fee is NZD $641 for adults and $320 for children under 16, and as at August 2026 the Department of Internal Affairs reports 90% of applicants receive an outcome within 3 months. Citizenship is the step after residence, and it is decided by a different department under different rules; this guide covers how the two connect.
Citizenship is granted by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) under the Citizenship Act 1977, not by Immigration New Zealand. INZ’s job ends at residence: it decides who gets a resident visa and a Permanent Resident Visa; DIA decides who becomes a citizen. In practice that means the habits that got you through the visa system (INZ’s online account, immigration instructions, licensed adviser representation) hand over to DIA’s own process, forms and criteria. Licensed immigration advisers handle the immigration steps that make you eligible; the citizenship application itself goes to DIA.
Three tests, all counted over the 5 years immediately before you apply (govt.nz):
The per-year test catches more people than the total. A single long overseas assignment, a family emergency abroad, or an extended stint working remotely can leave one 12-month window under 240 days while the 5-year total still clears 1,350, and that one short year resets the clock on when you can apply. Count your own days before applying with DIA’s presence calculator, which does the arithmetic against your actual travel movements.
New Zealand is unusual in how much it gives permanent residents, which is exactly why the differences that remain are worth naming:
| Permanent Resident Visa | Citizenship | |
|---|---|---|
| Live and work in NZ indefinitely | Yes | Yes |
| Re-enter NZ any time, forever | Yes | Yes |
| New Zealand passport | No | Yes |
| Can be deported (serious criminal offending) | Yes, in limited cases | No |
| Citizenship passes to children born overseas | No | Yes, by descent |
| Represent NZ in citizenship-restricted roles | No | Yes |
If you hold a resident visa with travel conditions and want the unconditional re-entry first, our Permanent Resident Visa guide covers that intermediate step; PR after 2 years and citizenship after 5 are independent milestones on the same road.
Apply online, in person, or by post (govt.nz). The fee is NZD $641 for applicants 16 and over and NZD $320 for children 15 and under. You will evidence identity, your residence class visa history, your presence in New Zealand, and character (DIA runs its own checks; declare everything, because an undeclared matter does more damage than most declared ones). English is assessed as the ability to hold a basic conversation, not by a test certificate.
As at August 2026, DIA reports that 90% of applicants receive an outcome within 3 months of applying, and 93% are granted citizenship within 8 months (govt.nz). Once approved, attending a citizenship ceremony is required: citizenship takes legal effect when you make the oath or affirmation at the ceremony, not on the approval letter, and the passport application can only follow the ceremony.
New Zealand allows dual citizenship: taking NZ citizenship does not, on New Zealand’s side, cost you anything (our dual citizenship article covers the application mechanics). Whether your original country allows it is the real question, and for many of our clients the answer is no. India does not permit dual citizenship, so Indian citizens who take New Zealand citizenship lose Indian citizenship by operation of Indian law and typically apply for an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card instead. Nepal likewise does not recognise dual citizenship for adults. If you are from either country, weigh what the NZ passport adds against what the original one does before you apply, and check the current rules with your own country’s authorities: this is one of the few immigration decisions that is hard to reverse. Our India and Nepal guides cover the road that leads here.
Five years on a residence class visa, with physical presence of at least 1,350 days across those 5 years and at least 240 days in each individual year. The per-year minimum is the common trip hazard: one year with too much time overseas delays eligibility even if your 5-year total is comfortably over 1,350 days.
NZD $641 for applicants aged 16 and over, and NZD $320 for children 15 and under, paid to the Department of Internal Affairs with the application. If you apply without meeting the requirements you can withdraw and receive a partial refund, but checking eligibility first, especially the presence days, is cheaper than finding out from DIA.
As at August 2026, the Department of Internal Affairs reports 90% of applicants receive an outcome within 3 months of submitting, and 93% are granted citizenship within 8 months. After approval you must attend a citizenship ceremony, where citizenship takes legal effect, before you can apply for a New Zealand passport.
No. Citizenship is granted by the Department of Internal Affairs under the Citizenship Act 1977. Immigration New Zealand’s role ends at residence: it grants the resident and Permanent Resident visas that make you eligible. Licensed immigration advisers handle the visa pathway; the citizenship application itself is made to DIA.
Yes, on New Zealand’s side. The constraint usually comes from the other country: India and Nepal, two of the largest source countries for New Zealand migration, do not permit dual citizenship, so citizens of those countries lose their original citizenship on taking New Zealand’s. Check your own country’s current rules before applying, because the step is difficult to undo.
A Permanent Resident Visa already gives indefinite rights to live, work and re-enter New Zealand. Citizenship adds a New Zealand passport, immunity from deportation, citizenship by descent for children born overseas, and eligibility for roles restricted to citizens. For many migrants PR is sufficient; citizenship matters most to those who want the passport or whose children will be born abroad.
Citizenship rewards the residence pathway done properly: days counted, conditions met, character kept clean from the first visa on. If you are still on the visa side of that road, from Skilled Migrant residence to Permanent Resident Visa, that part is exactly what we do.
Current as at 4 September 2026, based on Department of Internal Affairs and Immigration New Zealand published guidance. For advice on your own situation, talk to a ProVisas Licensed Immigration Adviser (IAA Licence 201301110).
Last reviewed . Information may have changed since this article was reviewed. For your specific case, talk to a licensed immigration adviser.
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