Last updated 31 May 2024
Te tono whakatūturu i tētahi tuhinga
Request a document authentication or apostille
NGĀ ARATOHU • GUIDE NOTES • 1
BDM460
Before you send this application, check:
• the overseas authority’s requirements, and
• that your documents meet New Zealand’s requirements for an authentication or apostille.
Before you apply
Overseas authority’s document requirements
Overseas authorities may have specfic requirements for:
• the age of documents
• translations, and
• processing documents either as individual documents or a set of documents.
We cannot help with these requirements. You must contact the relevant authority directly if you have
any questions about them.
Our document requirements
The Department of Internal Affairs has specific requirements depending on the type of document.
Check the table on pages 2–3 or visit govt.nz/authentications for more information on document
requirements.
If your document requires notarisation, you will need to find a notary public near you. We do not
accept documents witnessed by a Justice of the Peace or a solicitor.
Timeframe
To view our current processing timeframes, go to govt.nz/bdmtimeframes.
We will only process applications urgently in exceptional circumstances. These include death
repatriation, adoption, court cases or urgent surgeries. Print ‘URGENT’ on the form and explain why you
need your request processed urgently.
Further information and contact details
Further information and our contact details can be found at: govt.nz/authentications.
Example of individual document:
Example of a set of documents:
NGĀ ARATOHU • GUIDE NOTES • 2
Documents we authenticate Conditions
New Zealand university records If you are using ‘My eQuals’:
• Choose to share your document.
• Choose generate a link to my documents (for
each document).
• If you don’t have access or need assistance
please contact your university.
If not using ‘My eQuals’, the document must
notarised by a New Zealand notary public.
For further information about notarisation refer
to the next page of this form.
• Power of attorney
• Other tertiary institution records
• School records
• Will
• Probate
• Authorisation
• Deed
• Statement
• Medical record
• Employment document
• Company constitution
• Translation
• Chamber of Commerce documents
• Other personal document(s)
The document must be notarised by a New
Zealand notary public.
For further information about notarisation refer
to the next page of this form.
• New Zealand birth, death, marriage, civil union
or name change certificate
The document must be the original document
with a round seal from the Registrar-General of
Births, Deaths and Marriages.
We don’t authenticate or apostille a copy of
particulars of marriage (the document you signed
on your wedding day).
• New Zealand citizenship certificate* or letter
of denial
• New Zealand fingerprint document (issued by
the New Zealand Police)
• New Zealand dissolution or divorce papers
• New Zealand Court Order
• NZQA results (that has the NZQA logo on it)
• New Zealand certificate of no impediment to
marriage
• New Zealand Ministry of Health or Medsafe
free sale certificate
• Other NZ government-issued documents
The document must be:
• an original government-issued document with
an ink signature and/or seal and/or stamp
(not documents which are printed from a
website or emailed), or
• notarised by a New Zealand notary public, or
• a copy that has been certified by the
government department that issued it.
* Indicate on the form if you want the photocopy
of your NZ citizenship certificate authenticated or
apostilled.
NGĀ ARATOHU • GUIDE NOTES • 3
Documents we authenticate Conditions
• New Zealand passport The document must be:
• sufficiently certified by the New Zealand
Passport Office, or
• notarised by a New Zealand notary public.
• New Zealand Companies Office extract
• New Zealand Companies Office Incorporation
• Trade Mark registration
• Patent registration
Send a copy. We don’t need the original
document.
• New Zealand Criminal conviction information
• New Zealand Transport Agency
certificate
of
particulars
The document must be on Ministry of Justice blue
letterhead or NZTA letterhead.
Post the original paper document.
• New Zealand visa
• New Zealand driver license
The document must be notarised by a New
Zealand notary public.
For further information about notarisation refer to
the next section of this form.
How to get your document notarised by a New Zealand notary
A notary is a special type of lawyer. However, not all lawyers are notaries.
Fees vary between notaries, so you may want to phone more than one.
The notary will produce a ‘Notarial Act’. This states exactly what they have done. For example,
witnessed a signature or certified a true copy.
If you are overseas you should discuss with the notary the best way to get your document to them.
How to request notarisation of a document
1. Search for a 'notary near me' online.
2. Phone the notary to make an appointment.
3. Make sure the notary:
• makes a Statement which suciently describes what the notary has done and is readable (just
‘witnessed’ or ‘notarised’ are insucient as it is not clear what has been done)
• includes the name and signature of the notary
• adds their notary seal or stamp
• states the date and place where the Notarial Act was done, and
• makes sure any underlying document(s) match what is said in the Notarial Act and it is clear the
documents were seen by the notary.
To make it clear the notary has seen all pages of a multi-page document, some notaries will wrap
ribbon around all pages and secure the ribbon with their seal. Other notaries will initial or seal every
loose page to show they have viewed each page.
If the notary does not complete all these steps, your document(s) may be returned to you.
4. Post the document which has been notarised to the Authentication Unit with pages 4–8 of this form.
Last updated 31 May 2024 TE TONO • APPLICATION • 4
Te tono whakatūturu i tētahi tuhinga
Request a document authentication or apostille
BDM460
1. Name of the country you are intending to use the documents in:
3. Do you have more than 1 document?
Name of country (this country needs to be outside New Zealand)
How to answer:
• You can complete this form on-screen using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• You can use the Tab key to move between fillable form fields in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• You must still print off the application and have signed where applicable by hand.
• If filling out the form by hand, use CAPITAL letters.
2. Type of authentication
The process is country specific so please check govt.nz/authentications for:
• the list of apostille and authentication countries, and
• any specific requirements
Fees
An apostille or e-apostille costs NZ$32. Any additional apostilles or e-apostilles will cost NZ$15.
A category A authentication will cost NZ$65. Any additional category A authentications will cost NZ$31.
A category B authentication will cost NZ$195. Any additonal category B authentications will cost NZ$61.
Check boxes that apply:
Fill in section 4
I want an e-apostille
Go to section 5
I want a paper category A authentication
I want a paper category B authentication and have provided the other required documents
according to
govt.nz/authentications
I have only 1 document
I have more than 1 document
I want a paper apostille
TE TONO • APPLICATION • 5
6. Your details
Your name
Company name (if applying on behalf of an organisation)
Email
Phone
5. Do you need your document translated into another language?
Fill in this section
Go to section 6No
Yes
Translation fee
The standard translation cost is NZ$95. The Translation Service (www.dia.govt.nz/Translation-Service) will tell you
if the fee is different for your translation. Your document will be forwarded to the Translation Service to process
before it can be apostilled or authenticated.
Language for translation
Provide the characters and spellings of all names on the translation, if applicable:
If you need a combination of sets and individual documents, describe here:
Indicate how you would like your documents processed:
As a set
Each as an individual document
4. Would you like your documents processed as a set or individually?
You can have your document processed as a set or individually. Refer to the photos on the front of this form.
A ‘set’ means all documents will be bound together with 1 certificate of authentication or apostille.
Otherwise each individual document will have its own certificate of authentication or apostille.
If you are requesting an apostille we can only authenticate documents as a set if the signature or seal on the
documents are the same.
TE TONO • APPLICATION • 6
$5
$15 – $30
I want the item(s) couriered to a New Zealand address
I want the item(s) couriered to an overseas address
7. Delivery
If you are ordering an e-apostille we will email it to you.
We do not offer standard post for security reasons.
Contact us if you are unsure whether we can deliver to your country. Contact information is on page 1.
Choose a delivery method:
Australia, Asia, Pacific: $15
USA: $20
Europe (unless listed here): $25
Rest of world: $30
Includes: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bulgaria, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece,
Georgia, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova
Delivery name
Delivery address
Street number and name Suburb
Town or city
State
Country
Postcode
Contact phone number
8. Fees
Authentication or apostille fee from section 2
Courier fee from section 7
Translation fee from section 5
Total amount to pay
NZ$
NZ$
NZ$
NZ$
TE TONO • APPLICATION • 7
9. Do you have any additional instructions?
Additional instructions (optional)
TE TONO • APPLICATION • 8
10. Payment
Please charge my credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Prezzy) the correct fee
Do not post cash or card
/
Card number Card expiry date
Name on card
Customer number
Reference you want to appear on the invoice:
Cardholder signature
Next Steps
Print and sign the form. Return the form, appropriate fee(s), and documents to us by one of the below
methods.
Send by post to:
Authentication Unit
PO Box 10526
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
Send by courier:
Authentication Unit
Level 2
7 Waterloo Quay
Wellington 6011
New Zealand
Drop o in person: Visit govt.nz/bdm/contactus to book an appointment at one of our public oices in
Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Sydney and London.
10a. Card payment
10b. Invoice
This payment option is for New Zealand based corporate customers who have set up an invoicing
agreement with the Department of Internal Aairs. New Zealand corporate customers who want to set
up an invoicing agreement should contact us (contact details on page 1).
Invoice my company the correct fee
