Dual citizens and permanent residents

Dual citizens or dual nationals

A dual citizen, or dual national, holds citizenship for more than one country at the same time. New Zealand allows dual or multiple citizenship, but some countries do not, while others do not recognise other citizenships.

Examples of ways you might have another citizenship:

• You were born in another country
• You have a parent who was born in, or is a citizen of, another country
• You marry a citizen of another country
• You officially apply for citizenship of another country.

You may not be aware that you have citizenship in another country. That country may not allow you to give up your citizenship, or will require you to go through a formal process to give it up. In countries that don’t allow dual citizenship, you may not be recognised as a New Zealand citizen.

Consular services while you travel

Generally, if you need to access consular services overseas, you should contact the embassy of the country whose passport you have used to enter the country.

If you are travelling on your New Zealand passport, contact a New Zealand embassy for help while travelling overseas. The exception to this is if you have travelled on your New Zealand passport to the country of your other citizenship.

If you’re in this situation, you should try contacting local resources first. You may be able to access these as one of their citizens. The government there may limit the consular services we can provide. For consular purposes, you will be seen as a citizen of that country and not of New Zealand.

Before you travel to another country where you also hold citizenship

Here are some things to check before you travel:

• Check if you can access healthcare as a citizen. If the country requires that you be a resident to access healthcare, you should buy travel insurance.
• Make sure you understand the requirements of dual citizenship for that country. Some countries have compulsory military service for citizens. The New Zealand Government cannot intervene in local legal matters, including getting you out of military service.
• Read our travel advice for specific advice about the country you’re travelling to, including about dual citizenship.

Permanent residents

A permanent resident of New Zealand is someone who has been granted the right to live and work here indefinitely, and to come and go as they like.

Find out more about permanent residence on the New Zealand Immigration website.

If you are a New Zealand resident and have had a child here, you might want to check if your child has New Zealand citizenship before you travel. Find out more on the New Zealand Government website.

Consular services while you travel

Permanent residents who are in need of consular services while travelling outside of New Zealand should contact the embassy of the country they are a citizens of, no matter how long they have lived in New Zealand.

Generally, if you need to access consular services overseas, you should contact the embassy of the country whose passport you have used to enter the country.

If you are a New Zealand citizen and a permanent resident somewhere else, you can access consular services from a New Zealand embassy, as long as you have entered the country you are in on your New Zealand passport.

Register your travel

Before you leave New Zealand, register your details with us. Having your travel and contact information means we can send you security alerts and travel advice updates about the places you’re travelling to. It is also how we communicate with New Zealanders during an international crisis.

Register your travel