travel document nz

Before you travel

Avoid surprises — before you go, find and check your passport, pay your fines and check if there are any special travel requirements for the countries you’re visiting.

Documents you’ll need to leave NZ

You’ll need a passport. If your passport is damaged or close to expiring, you might not be allowed to enter some countries.

Check your passport is valid

The name in your passport must match your tickets and your officially registered name.

Before you travel, check if the country you’re visiting has special rules.

Check visa and entry requirements for your destination

Travel advisories

Travel advisories from the NZ government cover security and safety concerns in 137 places around the world.

The SafeTravel website has tips to help you stay safe overseas, what to do if things go wrong, and how the New Zealand government can or cannot help.

Register with SafeTravel

SafeTravel is the official registration facility for New Zealanders travelling or living overseas.

If you’re registered, SafeTravel can:

• contact you if there is a major incident overseas
• send you updates about emergencies, natural disasters or terrorist attacks.

Get travel insurance

You should get comprehensive travel insurance before heading away. You need to make sure it covers everywhere you’re going, and everything you plan to do.

If you do not have travel insurance, you’ll have to pay any overseas medical costs yourself, including the cost of returning to New Zealand.

Unpaid fines

If you have unpaid fines and try to leave or come into New Zealand, the police can stop you at the airport. You will be allowed to pay by credit card over the phone with a registrar.

If you’re travelling in the next 48 hours and you have fines or reparation you have not paid, call 0800 729 677 to pay with your credit card.

If you get a benefit

You must let Work and Income know your travel plans and your reasons for travel before you leave New Zealand. Partners travelling must also let them know. If you do not, your benefit might stop the day after you leave.

Going overseas to live

If you get NZ Super or Veteran’s Pension

You need to tell Seniors Services that you’re going overseas before you leave NZ.

• If you travel overseas
• Living overseas if you get NZ Super or Veteran’s Pension

If you have a student loan

If you do not meet your repayment obligations, you could be arrested when you return to NZ. Make sure you keep up your student loan payments while you’re overseas or you could be charged interest and penalties.

Going overseas when you have a student loan

If you pay tax

You might need to file a tax return (IR3) that covers the period up to the date you leave NZ. You may also need to file a tax return at a later time showing details of any income you’ve earned overseas or from an NZ source.

Find out if you should file a tax return

If you have tax debt, contact Inland Revenue to discuss the options for paying your debt. The Australian Tax Office can help recover tax debt owed by New Zealanders who move to Australia.

What to do if you have a tax debt

If you pay child support

You must contact IR.

Child support payments

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Last updated 15 October 2021

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Date printed 22 April 2024

Travelling or returning to New Zealand

Passports and visas for entry into new zealand.

• You will need a valid passport .
• If you are not a New Zealand or Australian citizen, you may need to apply for a visa or a  New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) for traveling to or transiting New Zealand.
• Don't forget to check travel requirements for any  countries/regions  you will pass through in transit and on your return journey.
• All passengers entering New Zealand have the option to complete a New Zealand Traveller Declaration instead of a paper Passenger Arrival Card. Passengers transiting internationally do not need to complete a declaration.

Transit in New Zealand

• If you are not a New Zealand or Australian citizen, you may need to apply for a visa or a  New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) for transiting through New Zealand
• Remember to check your final destination's entry requirements .
• Travellers do not require proof of vaccination or a pre-departure test to enter New Zealand.
• Air New Zealand does not require passengers to provide proof of vaccination or a pre-departure test. We do ask that if you're feeling unwell and test positive for COVID-19, please consider changing your travel plans. 

Allow up to 8 weeks plus delivery for a standard passport. If you need your passport before then, apply for an urgent passport online.

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Urgent travel

If you do not have a current passport and you need to travel in a hurry, apply for an urgent passport online.

You need to allow for up to 3 working days for an urgent passport, plus delivery time.

Alternatively, you can pick up your passport from our Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Sydney or London office.

Apply for an urgent passport

Upgrade to an urgent passport

If you have a standard passport application already in progress but you need to travel soon, you can upgrade to the urgent service.

This costs an additional NZD $206 per application. You can pay by debit, credit or prepaid payment card (for example, Prezzy Card).

Once you complete and submit the form, we will contact you to process your payment and confirm your upgrade.

Upgrade an existing application to urgent

Travel sooner than 3 days

Same day travel or travel within 2 days.

Apply for an urgent passport online, then call us straight away.

Apply for your passport

New Zealand

Freephone: 0800 22 50 50 (NZ only)

Phone: +64 (4) 463 9360 (outside NZ)

Freephone: 1300 559 535 (Australia only)

Phone:  +61 (2) 9225 2300

Phone: +44 (20) 7968 2730

After-hours call out service

• In New Zealand

Contact the after-hours call out service if you need a passport urgently between:

• 5pm and 10pm on weekdays
• 8am and 10 pm on weekends and public holidays.
• In Australia
• 8am and 10pm on weekends and public holidays.
• In the United Kingdom

Emergency travel document when outside of New Zealand

An emergency travel document is a temporary document you can use to return to New Zealand or your usual country of residence.

You can apply for an emergency travel document if you are outside New Zealand, and:

• your passport is expired, lost, stolen or damaged
• you need to travel urgently, and
• you will not get your new passport before you travel.

You cannot get an emergency travel document if you are in New Zealand. If you are in New Zealand, you should apply for an urgent passport.

Depending on where you are in the world, it may be better to apply online for an urgent passport. Getting a new passport can be quicker, it costs less, and it's valid for longer.

Not all countries accept emergency travel documents

Some countries, like the USA, do not accept emergency travel documents, even if you are just transiting through. 

Before you travel, you should check with the embassy or high commission of the countries you intend to travel to, or transit through, to find out if they will accept an emergency travel document.

Foreign representatives to New Zealand

Before you apply

Before you apply, you should contact your nearest New Zealand embassy or high commission to find out if they issue emergency travel documents. Not all New Zealand embassies and high commissions issue emergency travel documents.

An emergency travel document costs NZD$573.

An emergency travel document is usually valid for 7 months.

Before it expires, you must send it to the Passport Office so they can issue you a standard passport.

How to apply

Download and fill out the application form below, and return it to a New Zealand embassy or high commission. 

Safe travel embassy locator

Download an application form

Emergency travel document application form (PDF 1.6MB)

Last Updated

Page last updated: 08 January 2024

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Passports and Emergency Travel Documents

Only the Department of Internal Affairs passport offices in London, Sydney or New Zealand can issue a passport. A new online passport renewal service is now available. Please check the following link www.passports.govt.nz (external link) for eligibility, timeframes and frequently asked questions. In an emergency, most but not all New Zealand Embassies may be able to issue an Emergency Travel Document. Where postal services are irregular, the Embassy can assist with forwarding passport applications to Wellington. There is a separate fee for this service payable in local currency. Please contact the Embassy for further information.

What is an Emergency Travel Document?

As its name indicates, an Emergency Travel Document is for emergencies. You will need to decide whether it is better for you to wait a little longer for a standard passport, or whether you need an Emergency Travel Document.

You need to be aware of the following:

• an Emergency Travel Document will have a restricted validity dependent on travel circumstances. If you plan to travel through several countries, it may be better to obtain a replacement passport
• you need to return your Emergency Travel Document when you apply for a replacement passport. This, as well as any visas in the document, will be destroyed. Therefore, if you need a long term visa (eg a residence visa), it may be better to obtain a replacement passport
• multiple entry visas, residence permits and other “long-life” endorsements should not be entered into Emergency Travel Documents.

Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates

New Zealand Birth, Marriage or Death Certificates (external link) can be obtained directly from the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. The Department of Internal Affairs websitehas details of how to obtain the certificates.

Postal address: Births, Deaths and Marriages PO Box 10-526 Wellington 6140

Freephone: 0800 22 52 52 (New Zealand only)

Phone from other countries: (+64 9) 339 0852

Email: [email protected]

Document Authentication and Apostille Certification

Before certain New Zealand documents can be used overseas, Document Authentication or apostille certification may be necessary. It is usually required where overseas officials are not able to determine on sight the authenticity of New Zealand documents. To check the requirements, contact the relevant authorities in the country concerned or their overseas representatives. The process varies depending on the document type and country requirements and can only be done in Wellington by the Authentications Unit of the Department of Internal Affairs (external link) (DIA). An e-apostile is also available.

New Zealand Driver Licences

Information about New Zealand licences (external link) is available at the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) website.

Certificate of Particulars

If you need to provide written authentication of your New Zealand driving experience (for Driver's Test) you can request a Certificate of Particulars (external link) . This certificate sets out all details relevant to your New Zealand licence.

Obtaining a copy of your criminal record

New Zealand Police are often asked for a “Police clearance certificate”, especially by people applying for a job overseas. New Zealand Police do not produce “Clearance Certificates” as such, but you can get a copy of your criminal record (external link) from the Ministry of Justice.

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A2.25 Refugee travel documents

• Acceptable certificates of identity include refugee travel documents issued in terms of the United Nations Convention on Refugees (see A2.1.5 ).
• The government that issues such a document is committed to granting the holder the right of entry or re-entry while the document is valid.

Effective 29/11/2010

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The loss or theft of a passport is a serious matter. Standard New Zealand passports can be applied for online through the Department of Internal Affairs passport website.

If you are returning to your country of residence within the next three days *, and you are not in New Zealand, Australia, or the United Kingdom, a New Zealand Embassy or High Commission may be able to issue an Emergency Travel Document. Please note this service is not available through our offices in Austria, Barbados, Ethiopia, Republic of Ireland, Myanmar, New Caledonia, Niue, Poland, Sweden, Timor-Leste, United Arab Emirates. New Zealanders requiring assistance in those countries should go to www.passports.govt.nz  for further information on applying for a standard New Zealand passport.

If your passport has been lost overseas, you can apply online using the links above, and may also wish to:

• ensure you have thoroughly searched your belongings, accommodation and places you have visited recently.  Note that once DIA are advised that your passport is lost, you will no longer be able to use it, even if it is found later on
• contact the nearest New Zealand Embassy or High Commission for assistance and advice on obtaining a replacement travel document
• obtain a Police report in the location where the passport was stolen
• notify your insurer

If your passport has been stolen overseas, you can apply online using the links above, and may also wish to:

What is an Emergency Travel Document?

As the name implies, an Emergency Travel Document (ETD) is for emergencies. You need to be aware that:

• An ETD will be valid for a shorter time than a standard passport.  This is usually seven months and is dependent on your travel circumstances.  
• * Some countries do not permit entry on a New Zealand ETD.  Please refer to your nearest New Zealand Embassy or High Commission. 
• Some countries where visas are not needed for New Zealand citizens travelling on a standard passport require a visa for entry on a New Zealand ETD.
• Multiple entry visas, residence permits and other “long-life” endorsements should not be entered into ETDs.
• Following the issue of an ETD and when you apply for a replacement standard passport, you need to return your ETD.  The ETD, as well as any visas in it, will be destroyed. Therefore, if you need a long term visa (e.g. a residence visa), it may be more practical to obtain a replacement passport.

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• www.passports.govt.nz

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