BirthNZ-BTH-01
Citizenship by Birth — Parent NZ Citizen or PR (§6(1)(a) Citizenship Act 1977)
Citizenship in New Zealand
- Eligibility
- Under §6(1)(a) of the Citizenship Act 1977 (1977 No 61), every person born in New Zealand on or after 1 January 1949 and before 1 January 2006 is automatically a New Zealand citizen by birth (the 'pur Under §6(1)(b) of the Citizenship Act 1977 (as substituted by §5(1) of the Citizenship Amendment Act 2005, 2005 No 43), a person born in New Zealand on or after 1 January 2006 is a NZ citizen by birth Citizenship Act 1977 §29 extends the entire Act (including §6 jus soli rules) to the Cook Islands and Niue (by mutual consent under Article 46 Cook Islands Constitution + Article 36 Niue Constitutio
- Timeline
- automatic
- Renunciation
- Not required
Example scenarios
eligible at birth
Born in NZ post-2006-01-01 with PR parent — automatic NZ citizen per §6(1)(b) Citizenship Act 1977 (as substituted by Citizenship Amendment Act 2005).
eligible at birth
Born in NZ pre-2006-01-01 — pure jus soli under original §6(1)(b). NZ citizen regardless of parent status.
Informational summary compiled from primary legal sources — not legal advice. Citizenship law changes; verify with the competent authority before acting. Last verified 2026-05-18.
Track changes to this route
Descent and naturalization rules change. We'll email you in plain English when anything affecting New Zealand updates — no spam.