Eligibility
Do you qualify for citizenship by grant?
A plain-English summary of the legal requirements for citizenship by grant, the pathway most adult residents use, plus who is exempt from the new citizenship test.
Core requirements
What the law asks of you.
- Resident visa
- Held continuously for at least 5 years
- Physical presence
- 1,350 days in NZ across the 5 years (≈ 240 days per year)
- English
- Basic conversational English (waiver available in some cases)
- Good character
- No serious criminal record or outstanding charges
- Intent
- Plan to keep living in New Zealand
Test exemptions
Who doesn’t have to sit the test.
The test goes live in late 2027. These groups won’t be required to sit it. DIA may add further exemptions before launch.
- Under 16 at the time of application
- 65 or over at the time of application
- Granted a waiver from the English-language requirement
- Becoming a citizen by birth, descent, or under the Western Samoa pathway
- Application lodged before the test goes live in late 2027