New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) has raised citizenship fees for the second time in less than a year, taking the adult citizenship-by-grant fee to NZ$641 from 28 August 2026 — a cumulative rise of about 36% from the NZ$470.20 fee that had stood unchanged for 22 years before November 2025. The increase came in two steps: a 19% rise to NZ$560 on 21 November 2025, followed by a further 14.4% rise to NZ$641 on 28 August 2026. The child citizenship-by-grant fee (15 and under) is now NZ$320, and citizenship-by-descent registration is now NZ$278, according to the government’s official fee schedule.
The increases affect anyone applying for New Zealand citizenship by grant or registering citizenship by descent, including the large cohort of 2021 Resident Visa holders who become eligible to apply for citizenship from 2026 onward. DIA says around 65% of permanent residence visa holders go on to apply for citizenship.
DIA attributes both rises to the rising cost of delivering citizenship services, citing inflation, wage growth, higher operating costs, and investment in replacing an ageing core technology system. DIA General Manager Services and Access Adrian Jarvis said the adjustment “reflects the actual cost of delivering citizenship services.” DIA says fees now cover costs that were previously absorbed, and that New Zealand’s citizenship fees remain lower than those of Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
Documents reported by NZ Herald show the department’s citizenship Memorandum Account was in deficit by NZ$22.6m as of April 2026, and that without the August 2026 fee rise, officials forecast the deficit would have grown to NZ$68.3m by 30 June 2033. Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden sought Cabinet agreement for the fee increase to help return the account to a neutral balance by that date. Fees are next scheduled for review in 2028.
References
Department of Internal Affairs – Citizenship Application Fees to Increase from 28 August 2026 / Department of Internal Affairs – New Zealand Citizenship Fees to Increase to Meet Rising Costs / New Zealand Government – Citizenship Fees / NZ Herald – Citizenship Fees: Deficit Forecast to Reach $68.3m by 2033 without Recent Fee Hike, Documents Show
