Kiwis in Australia usually need one of four NZ documents: a criminal record check (what Australia calls a NZ police certificate), a birth certificate, a marriage certificate or a death certificate. We request the criminal record on your signed authority and email it to you, usually in under a week. We order certificates as an approved BDM Online organisation and courier them to your Australian address, so you don't need a RealMe account. For most uses in Australia, no apostille is needed.
What the Australian side asked for, and the NZ document it means
This is where most delays start. Australian offices describe the document they want, not its New Zealand name. Ordering the wrong one costs you another round of post across the Tasman.
Provide a police certificate from New Zealand
Full birth certificate showing both parents
Evidence of your change of name
Certified copy of the death certificate
Apostilled documents
Not sure which line you're on? Forward the request. Reading it is free, and we'll tell you before you pay anything.
How do I get a New Zealand police clearance from Australia?
New Zealand doesn't issue a document called a police clearance certificate. For Australian visa and citizenship purposes, Home Affairs wants a criminal record check from the NZ Ministry of Justice. Police vetting is a different check, run for employers, and it isn't what Home Affairs means.
We're a Ministry of Justice registered third party. You sign our two-minute online authority, send a photo of your ID, and we lodge your NZ criminal record check and email you the result. Nothing is printed or posted across the Tasman.
NZ police certificate for Australian immigration
Partner, skilled and other visa applicants who have lived in New Zealand are often asked for it partway through, in a request letter with a deadline. When that letter arrives, send it to us the same day. We request the record the letter describes, standard or full, so it matches what the case officer asked for.
NZ police check for Australian citizenship
Since 1 July 2023, New Zealand citizens who have lived in Australia for four years can apply for Australian citizenship directly. Home Affairs may run the New Zealand check itself with your consent, or ask you for it. Wait to see which. Ordering one before you're asked can mean it's out of date by the time it's needed.
Which ID can I use from Australia?
The ID check is where requests from Australia most often stall. An Australian driver licence isn't accepted, because overseas driver licences aren't. A NZ passport (even up to two years expired), a current Australian or other overseas passport, or a NZ driver licence will do. If you have none of these, we'll tell you the alternative before you pay.
How long does it take to get a police check in NZ?
Usually under a week from the day we lodge it. The Ministry's formal standard is 20 working days, so if your Home Affairs deadline is close, tell us the date when you ask for a quote.
How long is a police clearance valid for a visa?
Home Affairs generally treats a police certificate as current for 12 months from its issue date. If your application has been running for a while, check the date on the one you sent. A case officer may ask for a fresh one, and we can request it again.
How to get a NZ birth certificate in Australia
Ordering online from Births, Deaths and Marriages needs a verified RealMe account, which many Kiwis who left years ago don't have. As an approved BDM Online organisation, we order the NZ birth certificate for you and courier it to your Australian address, NZ$129 all in. You don't need RealMe or a trip home. Living somewhere other than Australia? See ordering NZ certificates from overseas.
Lost your NZ birth certificate? Replacing it from Australia
A replacement is simply a new certificate from the same birth record, and it's just as official as the original. Tell us your full name at birth, your date and place of birth and your parents' names. If a detail is uncertain, we check the record before ordering, so you don't pay for a failed search.
Full birth certificate vs a printout of the birth record
Australian checklists ask for a "full" birth certificate because short extracts and keepsake copies get refused. In New Zealand, the document to send is the BDM birth certificate. A printout of the birth record is mainly for family history and gets turned away. If you changed your name, a NZ name change certificate may need to go with it.
How long does it take to get a NZ birth certificate in Australia?
It's BDM's issue time plus courier time across the Tasman. We give you an expected delivery date with your quote, and an urgent option if Home Affairs, a passport office or a school has given you a deadline.
NZ marriage certificate for a name change in Australia
Took your partner's name when you married in New Zealand? Australian banks, licensing offices and the passport office will want a NZ marriage certificate to link your birth name to the name you use now. The certificate you signed on the wedding day isn't it. We order the official one from BDM and courier it to you.
NZ death certificate for an estate or super fund in Australia
When a parent or relative dies in New Zealand, an Australian super fund, bank, executor or lawyer often needs the NZ death certificate. We order it and send it to whoever needs it. When several offices each keep an original, order them together to save weeks.
Do NZ documents need an apostille for Australia?
Usually not. Australian government offices generally accept New Zealand certificates and criminal record checks as they are. An apostille matters when you're moving on from Australia to a third country, such as the UK, Europe or Asia, and that country asks for one, or occasionally when an Australian court does.
That's where Kiwis in Australia get caught: an Australian office can't apostille a New Zealand document. It has to be done by DIA in New Zealand. We order the document, get the apostille and courier it to you or straight to the office that wants it. See birth certificate apostille and criminal record apostille.
What it costs
| What you need | All in |
|---|---|
| NZ criminal record check, emailed to you in Australia | NZ$35 |
| NZ birth, marriage or death certificate, couriered to Australia | NZ$129, tracked courier included |
| NZ certificate ordered, apostilled and couriered to Australia | NZ$244 |
| Several family certificates at once | One quote for the set, sent together |
| NZ criminal record check with an e-apostille, emailed to you | NZ$151 |
| Certificate apostilled and sent on to another country | Quoted all in |
Every quote includes GST and the government fee. Prices are in New Zealand dollars. See pricing.
How it works from Australia
- Forward the requestEmail, letter or checklist from the Australian side.
- We confirm the documentWhich NZ document it means, and one all-in price.
- Sign onlineA two-minute authority form. No printing, no JP.
- We order or request itFrom BDM or the Ministry of Justice.
- Delivered in AustraliaEmailed, or couriered with tracking.
We're two hours ahead of Sydney and Melbourne, so our 2-business-hour reply still lands in your working day.
Our guarantee, in plain words
We check your documents before you pay. If we take your job and then find we can’t complete it, you get a full refund of our fee, plus any government or notary fees we haven’t yet paid. What we can’t guarantee is a decision made by an overseas authority. That part is theirs, which is exactly why we check everything first.
We prepare and order New Zealand documents. Visa, citizenship and other decisions are made by the Australian authorities.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a NZ police certificate for an Australian visa?
Request a criminal record check from the NZ Ministry of Justice. That's the document Home Affairs means by a NZ police certificate. We request it on your signed authority and email it to you in Australia for NZ$35.
Can I use my Australian driver licence as ID for a NZ police check?
No. Overseas driver licences aren't accepted. Use a NZ passport (up to two years expired), a current overseas passport or a NZ driver licence.
Can I order a NZ birth certificate from Australia without RealMe?
Yes. We're an approved BDM Online organisation, so we order the certificate for you and courier it to your Australian address for NZ$129 all in. You don't need a RealMe account.
Do I need an apostille on NZ documents for use in Australia?
Usually not. Australian government offices generally accept NZ certificates as they are. An apostille is needed when you send NZ documents on to a third country that asks for one.
Do I need a NZ police check for Australian citizenship?
Sometimes. Home Affairs may run the New Zealand check itself with your consent, or ask you to provide one. Wait until you're asked, so the record isn't out of date.
How long is a NZ police certificate valid for an Australian visa?
Home Affairs generally treats a police certificate as current for 12 months from its issue date. If yours is older, you may be asked for a new one.
Can you send the certificate to someone else in Australia?
Yes. We can courier it to you, your lawyer, an executor or the office that asked for it.
Can I order a NZ death certificate for a parent's estate from Australia?
Yes. We order the official NZ death certificate and send it to you or the executor, super fund or lawyer handling the estate.
Sources
NZ Document Assist Limited is an independent company, not a government agency. We are not a law firm, Notary Public or licensed immigration adviser and do not give legal or immigration advice.