New Zealand Mentions Category of People Who Can Apply for Citizenship Without Fee
- New Zealand's government confirmed that certain immigrant children who came to the country between 1949 and 1954 qualify for a free citizenship application
- The fee waiver applies only to people who arrived under a specific arrangement with the New Zealand government before turning 18
- Refugee children who came to New Zealand under a separate International Refugee Organisation arrangement are excluded from the fee waiver
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The New Zealand government has stated that a specific group of people can apply for citizenship without paying any fee, under rules that remain in force in 2026.
According to official New Zealand legislation, the fee waiver applies to a narrow category of people known as "immigrant children."
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To qualify, an applicant must meet all three of the following conditions:
1. The person must show, to the satisfaction of the Secretary, that they were an immigrant child and not a refugee child.
2. The application must be made in respect of the person himself or herself.
3. The application must be made after 13 November 1995.
New Zealand citizenship: Who counts as immigrant child
The legislation defines an immigrant child as someone who, before turning 18, came to New Zealand from Great Britain between 1 January 1949 and 31 December 1954, under an arrangement between the New Zealand government and their parents or guardian.
That arrangement required the child to live in New Zealand under the provisions of Part 1 of the Child Welfare Amendment Act 1948.
However, anyone who came to New Zealand accompanied by and in the charge of a parent or relative does not qualify under this definition.
The rules also make clear that a refugee child, meaning someone who came to New Zealand as an immigrant under an arrangement made between the government and the International Refugee Organisation, is specifically excluded from the fee waiver.
New Zealand citizenship: One free application per person
The legislation also caps the benefit: no person may make more than one free-of-charge application under this provision. Anyone who has already used the waiver cannot apply again without paying the standard fee.
The rules form part of New Zealand's broader citizenship regulations and set out a limited but clear pathway for a historically significant group of child migrants to formalise their New Zealand citizenship at no cost.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that New Zealand had published its citizenship application process.
Requirements for New Zealand citizenship
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that New Zealand had outlined the requirements for its citizenship.
The requirements cover everything from how long applicants have lived in the country to their criminal history.
Applicants must demonstrate that they have spent a qualifying amount of time physically inside New Zealand and that they genuinely intend to continue living there.
Source: Legit.ng
