Residence vs NZ Citizenship

When someone becomes a resident they are entitled to live, work, and study in New Zealand for an indefinite period. A resident visa holder can also:

• Buy a house and/or land after 12 months or more of living in New Zealand as a resident.

• Gain access to publicly funded healthcare and education (there are qualifying periods for eligibility to access student loans).

• Vote in local and general elections after living in the country for 12 months or more as a resident.

• Apply for certain government jobs.

There are benefits to becoming a New Zealand citizen. These include:

• Travelling internationally while holding a New Zealand passport reduces the need for visas to enter many countries (there are around 190 countries that are visa-free for New Zealand citizens).

• Represent New Zealand in certain sporting codes at international level.

• Access to some education scholarships that are only open to New Zealand citizens.

• New Zealand Embassy/Consular support while overseas.

• Apply for certain government jobs that require NZ citizenship (including becoming an MP).

If you are interested in becoming a New Zealand citizen we recommend you first check if your country of citizenship allows dual nationality. Some countries do not. Are you prepared to surrender your current citizenship? That’s not a decision to make in a hurry.

If you want to know the criteria for New Zealand citizenship you can read more here or talk to the team at Malcolm Pacific Immigration today.