New Zealand Adds Multiple-Choice Citizenship Test from 2027, Says Internal Affairs Minister

(NEW ZEALAND) – Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden announced on May 6, 2026 that New Zealand will require most applicants for citizenship by grant to pass a citizenship test starting in the second half of 2027, adding a formal exam to a process that now relies on a signed declaration.

The new test will consist of 20 multiple-choice questions in English and will be administered in person at locations throughout New Zealand, with exact sites still to be determined. Applicants will need at least 15 correct answers, or 75%, to pass.

Van Velden said the exam will measure whether applicants understand the rights and obligations that come with citizenship by grant. “People seeking citizenship should understand New Zealanders believe in certain rights, like freedom of speech, or that no one person or group is above the law,” van Velden said. “This test ensures people have sufficient knowledge of their responsibilities and privileges before receiving citizenship by grant.”

Applicants who fail will not lose access to the process immediately. Each application will allow up to three attempts, and those who are unsuccessful must wait 30 days before taking up to three more attempts.

A fee will apply for each attempt, though the amount has not yet been set. That charge will sit on top of the standard citizenship application fee, and it will apply only to people who are required to take the test.

The current process does not include an exam. Applicants now only sign a declaration acknowledging the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.

The Department of Internal Affairs is developing the test and said further guidance and resources will be provided before the requirement takes effect. More information about the planned exam appears on the government’s citizenship test page, while the broader citizenship requirements remain available separately.

The subjects covered by the test span both legal principles and practical rules. They include the Bill of Rights Act, human rights, voting rights and democratic principles, New Zealand’s system of government, certain criminal offences, and travel to and from New Zealand on a passport.

That scope places the exam somewhere between a civics test and a rules-based eligibility check. It asks applicants to show familiarity not only with institutions and rights, but also with how citizenship affects participation in public life and movement across borders.

Not everyone applying for citizenship by grant will have to sit the test. Exemptions will apply to people under 16 years old, those aged 65 years or older, people who have an English language waiver for citizenship, and applicants who are not of full capacity.

The government will also exempt people with a severe medical condition preventing completion of the test and those with unique personal circumstances preventing completion. New Zealand citizens by descent who are applying for citizenship by grant will not need to take it either.

Applicants from overseas who meet the presence requirement will also be exempt. That group includes residents of Niue, the Cook Islands, or Tokelau, as well as people working overseas for the New Zealand government.

The timing creates a clear dividing line for current applicants. Applications submitted before the test requirement takes effect in late 2027 will not be subject to the exam.

People who had already applied as of May 7, 2026 are also exempt. That means the new rule will apply prospectively rather than reopening existing applications or adding fresh conditions to files already in the system.

The announcement marks a shift in how New Zealand will assess readiness for citizenship by grant. Under the current system, the state accepts an applicant’s declaration that they acknowledge the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship; under the new system, most applicants will also have to demonstrate knowledge through a supervised test.

Officials have not yet set the locations where the exams will be held, but the government said the sites will be throughout New Zealand and will not be limited to the main centers. That detail matters for applicants outside the largest cities because the test will be administered in person rather than online.

English will be the language of the exam, with exemptions written into the policy for people who already qualify for an English language waiver for citizenship. The other listed exemptions suggest the government intends to keep the requirement broad while carving out exceptions for age, health, legal capacity and specific overseas circumstances.

The passing threshold leaves little ambiguity. An applicant who answers 15 of the 20 multiple-choice questions correctly will pass; an applicant who does not reach that mark can try again, up to the set limit, and then return after 30 days for another round of attempts.

Because the fee will be charged per attempt, the eventual amount will affect the cost of repeated testing for unsuccessful applicants. Van Velden’s announcement did not set that figure, but it confirmed that the charge will be separate from the standard application fee and limited to those who must sit the exam.

The material identified for testing points to the government’s stated purpose. The exam will cover rights, democratic participation, government structure, criminal offences and passport-related travel rules, reflecting Van Velden’s view that citizenship should follow a basic demonstration of civic knowledge rather than a declaration alone.

Between now and the second half of 2027, the Department of Internal Affairs will shape how that requirement works in practice, including the final fee, test locations and supporting guidance. Until then, applicants continue under the existing system, signing the declaration that acknowledges the responsibilities and privileges of becoming a New Zealand citizen.