Privacy Policy

Effective and last updated: 11 September 2026

NZ Document Assist is committed to handling personal information responsibly and in accordance with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 and its Information Privacy Principles (IPPs). Those principles govern how agencies collect, store, use, disclose, retain and provide access to personal information. This policy applies to information we collect through our website, email, phone, forms, invoices, document-handling processes and other communications connected with our services.

1. Who we are

NZ Document Assist provides independent administrative assistance and coordination for New Zealand documents being prepared for overseas use. We are not a government agency, law firm, notary public, Justice of the Peace or licensed immigration adviser.

2. Personal information we may collect

Depending on the service you ask us to coordinate, we may collect:

• your name, email address, phone number and contact details;
• your country, destination country, receiving authority and service instructions;
• identity information contained in passports, driver licences or other identification documents;
• information contained in birth, marriage, death, divorce, criminal record, education, power of attorney, corporate or other documents you ask us to help process;
• information about another person where you are authorised to act for them;
• quotes, invoices, transaction references and payment-related information;
• communications between you and NZ Document Assist;
• technical website information such as IP address, browser, device and usage data that may be collected through hosting logs, security tools or analytics where enabled.

3. How we collect information

We usually collect personal information directly from you when you contact us, complete a form, request a quote, send documents, make a payment or instruct us to coordinate a service.

We may also receive information from another person you have authorised, from a third-party service provider involved in your matter, or from a public or official source where reasonably necessary for the service you request and permitted by law.

4. Identifying yourself only where necessary

We aim to collect only the identifying information reasonably necessary for the purpose of your enquiry or service. For a general enquiry, you may be able to ask a question without providing identity documents or other unnecessary identifying details.

Where identity is necessary to carry out the requested service — for example, where a document, authority or third-party provider requires information about the person named in the document — we may need sufficient information to verify instructions and coordinate that service.

5. Why we collect and use personal information

We may use personal information to:

• respond to enquiries and prepare quotes;
• confirm your identity or instructions where reasonably necessary;
• coordinate apostille, authentication, notary, certification, translation, courier or related administrative services;
• communicate with relevant service providers, government agencies or receiving authorities;
• manage invoices, payments, records and customer service;
• prevent fraud, misuse and security incidents;
• improve our website, systems and service processes;
• comply with legal, accounting, regulatory or record-keeping obligations;
• establish, exercise or defend legal rights where reasonably necessary.

6. Sensitive documents and identity information

Some documents we handle can contain highly sensitive information. We ask that you send only the information reasonably needed for your service and follow any document-handling instructions we give you.

Where practical, we limit access to sensitive material to people or service providers who need it for the agreed service. We may ask you to use a particular method for transferring documents where additional care is appropriate.

7. Unique identifiers — Information Privacy Principle 13

Some documents we handle may contain unique identifiers issued by another agency, such as passport numbers, driver licence numbers, IRD numbers or other government-issued reference numbers.

We do not assign our own unique identifier to a person merely to link that person across unrelated systems or agencies. Where we receive or use an identifier assigned by another agency, we use it only where reasonably necessary for the service you have requested, for lawful record-keeping, security, fraud prevention, or another purpose permitted by law.

We do not use a unique identifier as a substitute for properly verifying identity where verification is required, and we take reasonable steps to protect identifiers against unnecessary access, disclosure or reuse.

8. Information about other people, including children

If you give us personal information or documents relating to another person, you must have authority to do so. This can include documents for a spouse, child, family member, employee, company officer or client.

Where information relates to a child or young person, you confirm that you are authorised to provide it and to give instructions for the requested service. A child or young person may also have their own privacy rights under the Privacy Act 2020, including rights of access and correction. Where appropriate, we will take account of the young person's age, capacity, interests and the circumstances in which the information was provided.

9. Sharing personal information

We do not sell personal information. We may share information where reasonably necessary to provide the service you request, including with:

• relevant New Zealand government agencies or document-issuing bodies;
• notaries, Justices of the Peace, lawyers or other certifiers where their services are required;
• translation providers;
• courier, postal and logistics providers;
• payment, accounting, email, hosting, cloud, security and IT service providers;
• overseas authorities, recipients or service providers where this is necessary for your requested service;
• professional advisers, insurers, regulators, courts or law-enforcement bodies where required or permitted by law.

We aim to disclose only the information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

10. Overseas disclosure and Information Privacy Principle 12

Because our services relate to documents for overseas use, some personal information may need to be disclosed to a person, authority or service provider outside New Zealand.

Where the Privacy Act 2020 applies to an overseas disclosure, we will take reasonable steps to comply with Information Privacy Principle 12 (IPP 12). Depending on the circumstances, this may include confirming that the overseas recipient is subject to comparable privacy safeguards, putting appropriate contractual safeguards in place, relying on another lawful basis, or obtaining your informed authorisation where permitted by law.

Different countries may have privacy laws and protections that differ from New Zealand law. Where your informed authorisation is relied upon, we will aim to make the relevant privacy implications clear before the disclosure.

11. Storage and security

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, misuse, alteration or disclosure. Measures may include access controls, passwords, device security, secure service providers, limited staff or contractor access, and appropriate document-handling procedures.

No email, internet transmission, cloud service, courier or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If you believe information sent to us has been compromised, contact us promptly.

12. Original documents and physical handling

If you provide original physical documents, we will take reasonable care while they are under our control. Documents may need to be transferred to third-party providers or authorities as part of the requested service.

Courier and postal providers operate under their own terms. We cannot guarantee against loss, delay or damage once an item is in a third party's custody, although we may recommend tracked or signature-required services.

13. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as it is reasonably required for the lawful purpose for which it was collected or for another lawful purpose for which it may be used.

Different categories of information may be kept for different periods. For example:

• active matter records and document-handling records may be kept while the service is in progress and for a reasonable period afterwards for customer service, verification or dispute purposes;
• invoice, payment and accounting records may be kept for the period required by applicable tax, accounting and business-record obligations;
• copies of identity documents or other highly sensitive documents will not be retained longer than reasonably necessary for the service, verification, lawful record-keeping or dispute purposes;
• technical logs and security records may be kept for a reasonable period for security, troubleshooting and fraud-prevention purposes.

When personal information is no longer reasonably required, we will take reasonable steps to securely delete or destroy it. If we de-identify information instead, we will take reasonable steps to remove or alter identifying details so that the information cannot reasonably be linked back to an identifiable individual.

14. Accessing or correcting your information

You may ask us for access to personal information we hold about you and may ask us to correct information you believe is wrong. These rights are subject to the Privacy Act 2020 and any lawful grounds for refusing or limiting access.

To make an access or correction request, email help@nzdocumentassist.co.nz. We may need to verify your identity before releasing personal information.

15. Website cookies, analytics and logs

Our website hosting and security systems may create technical logs when you visit the site. If analytics or similar tools are enabled, they may use cookies or comparable technologies to understand website usage and performance.

You can usually control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking some technologies may affect how parts of a website function.

16. Email and marketing communications

We may send service-related messages necessary to respond to your enquiry or carry out your instructions. We will only send marketing communications where permitted by law, and you can ask us to stop marketing messages at any time.

17. Privacy breaches and notification

If a privacy breach occurs, we will assess it promptly and take reasonable steps to contain, investigate and respond to it.

Under the Privacy Act 2020, a privacy breach is notifiable where it has caused, or is likely to cause, serious harm to an affected individual. Where notification is legally required, we will notify the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and affected individuals as soon as practicable, subject to any lawful exception.

We will also take reasonable steps to reduce the risk of further harm, preserve relevant information and review whether our safeguards or procedures need to change.

18. Third-party websites and services

Our website or communications may link to government agencies, couriers, payment providers or other third-party websites. Their privacy policies and practices are separate from ours, and we are not responsible for how they handle information once you deal with them directly.

19. Complaints

If you have a privacy concern, please contact us first so we can try to resolve it. Email help@nzdocumentassist.co.nz or call +64 22 100 3242.

You also have the right to contact the New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner if you believe your privacy rights have been breached.

20. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this policy when our services, systems, providers or legal obligations change. The current version will be published on this page with its latest update date.