Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Immigration Act 2009

Arrivals and departures - Advance passenger processing

99: New Zealand citizen may confirm citizenship before arrival in New Zealand

You could also call this:

“New Zealand citizens can choose to confirm their citizenship before boarding a flight to New Zealand”

If you’re a New Zealand citizen and you want to enter New Zealand, you can confirm your citizenship before you get on the plane. This is optional, and if you don’t do it before boarding, you’ll need to do it when you arrive in New Zealand.

If you’re planning to enter New Zealand as a citizen and you have a New Zealand passport, or a foreign passport with a special stamp or visa, you can choose to have your photo taken before you board the plane. This is to confirm you’re a New Zealand citizen. If you don’t want to do this before boarding, you’ll need to do it when you arrive in New Zealand.

The photo taken of you can be compared with information in your passport or information held by the government department that deals with passports. If you don’t have a New Zealand passport, it can be compared with information held by the Immigration Department.

If the photo confirms you’re a New Zealand citizen, the Immigration Department won’t keep it. But if the photo doesn’t confirm your citizenship, they might keep it to help manage immigration matters.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM2386209.

Topics:

Immigration and citizenship > Border control

Immigration and citizenship > Becoming a citizen

Rights and equality > Privacy

98: Grant of entry permission outside New Zealand, or

“How to get permission to enter New Zealand before you arrive”

100: Collection of biometric information from proposed arrivals, or

“Collecting fingerprints or photos from people wanting to enter New Zealand”

Part 4 Arrivals and departures
Advance passenger processing

99New Zealand citizen may confirm citizenship before arrival in New Zealand

A New Zealand citizen who intends entering New Zealand as a New Zealand citizen may, before boarding a craft for the purpose of travelling to New Zealand, comply with any requirements prescribed for the purpose of confirming a person's status as a New Zealand citizen.
Otherwise, the person must fulfil the corresponding responsibility under section 103(1)(e) on his or her arrival in New Zealand.
Subsections (4) and (5) apply to a person who—
intends to enter New Zealand as a New Zealand citizen; and
presents one of the following types of passport before boarding a craft for the purpose of travelling to New Zealand:
1. a New Zealand passport; or
2. a foreign passport containing an endorsement of a type described in section 384; or
3. a foreign passport containing a returning resident's visa (within the meaning of section 2(1) of the former Act).

The person may, before boarding the craft, allow himself or herself to be photographed to confirm his or her New Zealand citizenship.
Otherwise, the person must fulfil the corresponding requirement under section 104 on his or her arrival in New Zealand.
A photograph taken under subsection (4) (including any electronic record of the photograph) may be compared with—
information in the person's passport; or
information held by the department of State for the time being responsible for the administration of the Passports Act 1992; or
if the person does not hold a New Zealand passport, information held by the Department.

A photograph taken under subsection (4) must not be retained by the Department if the fact of the person’s New Zealand citizenship is confirmed.
A photograph taken under subsection (4) that does not confirm the fact of the person's New Zealand citizenship may be retained for the purposes of administering this Act.