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New Zealand law explained for everyone

Citizenship Act 1977

New Zealand citizenship - Miscellaneous provisions relating to citizenship

21: Evidentiary certificates

You could also call this:

"Getting a certificate to prove you are a New Zealand citizen"

Illustration for Citizenship Act 1977

If you want to know if you are a New Zealand citizen, you can ask the Minister for a certificate. You do this by applying in the way the Minister says you should. The Minister will then decide if you are a citizen or not.

If the Minister is sure about your citizenship, they will give you a certificate saying whether you are a New Zealand citizen or not. This certificate is proof of your citizenship status on the date it was issued. But if someone proves the certificate was issued because of fraud, false information, or an administrative mistake, it may not be valid.

The certificate only shows your citizenship status on the date it was issued, and it does not affect any evidence about your citizenship at an earlier date.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM444003.

Topics:
Immigration and citizenship > Becoming a citizenGovernment and voting > Government departments
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"Still responsible for things you did before you stopped being a New Zealand citizen"

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"The Minister can ask New Zealand representatives in other countries to help make citizenship decisions."

Part 1New Zealand citizenship
Miscellaneous provisions relating to citizenship

21Evidentiary certificates

  1. Any person who wishes to obtain confirmation of whether he or she is or is not a New Zealand citizen may apply to the Minister in the prescribed manner for a certificate confirming the person's status in that respect.

  2. The Minister shall, if satisfied that any such person is or is not a New Zealand citizen, issue a certificate to that effect.

  3. A certificate issued under this section shall, unless it is proved that the issue of the certificate was procured by fraud, false representation, or the wilful concealment of relevant information, or was the result of administrative error, be evidence that the person named in the certificate was or was not, on the date on which the certificate was issued, a New Zealand citizen, but without prejudice to any evidence that he or she was or was not a New Zealand citizen at an earlier date.

Notes
  • Section 21: replaced, on , by section 10 of the Citizenship Amendment Act 1992 (1992 No 104).