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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Citizenship Act 1977

New Zealand citizenship - Acquisition of citizenship

12: Certificate of New Zealand citizenship

You could also call this:

"Getting a special document to prove you are a New Zealand citizen"

Illustration for Citizenship Act 1977

When the Minister says you can be a New Zealand citizen, the Secretary will give you a certificate of New Zealand citizenship. This certificate is a special document that says you are a New Zealand citizen. You will be a New Zealand citizen from the date specified on the certificate.

If you get a certificate of New Zealand citizenship and you are already a New Zealand citizen by descent, you will stop being a citizen by descent from the specified date. The specified date is when you become a New Zealand citizen.

You become a New Zealand citizen on the date you take an oath of allegiance, as required by section 11, or on the date specified in your certificate if you do not have to take an oath.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM443880.

Topics:
Immigration and citizenship > Becoming a citizen
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Part 1New Zealand citizenship
Acquisition of citizenship

12Certificate of New Zealand citizenship

  1. Where the Minister authorises the grant of New Zealand citizenship to any person, the Secretary shall issue to that person a certificate of New Zealand citizenship in the prescribed form.

  2. A person to whom a certificate of New Zealand citizenship is issued under subsection (1) shall be a New Zealand citizen as from the specified date.

  3. Where a certificate of New Zealand citizenship is issued to a person who is a New Zealand citizen by descent, he shall cease to have that status as from the specified date.

  4. For the purposes of subsections (2) and (3) the specified date shall be—

  5. in the case of a person required under section 11 to take an oath of allegiance, the date on which he takes that oath or makes an affirmation to the same effect:
    1. in every other case, the date specified in the certificate.

      Compare
      • 1948 No 18 ss 11, 14