Entitlement and validity

New Zealand passports are issued to holders of New Zealand citizenship.

The Passports Amendment Act 2005 came into effect on 21 April 2005. As a result of this legislation there have been some important changes to the New Zealand passport:

• All newly issued passports will have a maximum validity of five years
• We can no longer print name endorsements in a passport

Please note: Those people who have applied prior to the legislation coming into effect will receive a ten-year validity passport.

This legislation does not effect the validity of currrent ten-year passports. Passports issued prior to this legislative change will remain valid until their expiry.

More information on the Passports Amendment Act 2005 and applications forms can be found on the Department of Internal Affairs website.

All applications for New Zealand passports should be forwarded to the Department Internal Affairs office in Wellington, London or Sydney.