Home > Our Publications > New Zealand Outlook > 2001 > May

By Lawrence Johnston

IN A MOVE that will boost the confidence of New Zealanders who are considering taking back their British born nearest and dearest to New Zealand, the London Office of New Zealand's Department of Internal Affairs will shortly be going on-line.
The move will connect all the department's London staff to head office systems, enabling them to check information with colleagues in New Zealand and Australia.
The office is also about to begin using digital printers to produce passports with significant security features.
Introduced in the Wellington head office in December, the system scans the holder's image then digitally prints it on the passport. A key advantage is that this prevents the common passport fraud of photo substitution.
Since London acts as the hub of the department's service to New Zealanders in Europe, bringing the system to the UK capital is seen as an important milestone in its introduction.
It will give those who use the service, such as New Zealanders who are considering taking back British spouses or children to New Zealand, the confidence that they're getting exactly the same service as if they were applying at home.
"They get the advantage of improved technology. All the administration is exactly the same," said the department's media adviser, Dinah Vincent.
Established in February to strengthen links with other citizenship and passport offices, the London office provides such services to New Zealanders in the UK and Europe.
The certificates are for people born outside New Zealand after 1 January 1978, whose mother or father was at that time a New Zealand citizen other than by descent. A parent must have been born in New Zealand or have acquired New Zealand citizenship by naturalisation or grant.
As Dinah Vincent said: "Once you have that citizenship, you're entitled to a New Zealand passport. New Zealand passports are widely accepted so quite easy documents to travel on."
The department also issues passports to first time applicants and to those requiring a new passport where an existing one has expired. A further service is the issuing of replacements for lost or stolen passports.
The fees for a New Zealand passport must be paid in the currency of the country where the application is lodged. The standard service takes ten working days and costs £40 for an adult and £20 for a child aged under 16.
To receive a passport within three working days, you can pay an extra £40 per application.
One of the best ways of speeding up your application, is to carefully read the notes-pages and follow the instructions on the application form. There is a checklist on the form's back page to ensure you have provided everything needed. This may mean getting originals of certificates or other documents.
The London office can give advice on how to contact Births, Deaths and Marriages in New Zealand if copies of registrations they hold are required.
A child eligible to travel on a New Zealand passport needs their own passport book. This includes babies.
Passports issued to children under 16 are valid for five years, whereas adult passports are generally valid for ten years. The Passport Office produces a brochure about the standards
required for passport images, that includes clear guidelines for photographing babies.
In line with standards set by other member nations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, New Zealand has required children to have their own passports, since 1982.
The office is managed by David Harlen, who has been in London since December. Four of his team transferred from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which till February was responsible for passports and citizenship. The change in management will see service from the London office brought into line with that of all other passport and citizenship offices.