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New Zealand Legislation: Acts

Acts are laws made by Parliament

Reprint as at 24 January 2009

Citizenship Act 1977

Public Act	1977 No 61
Date of assent	1 December 1977

Note

Changes authorised by section 17C of the Acts and Regulations Publication Act 1989 have been made in this eprint.

A general outline of these changes is set out in the notes at the end of this eprint, together with other explanatory material about this eprint.

This Act is administered in the Department of Internal Affairs

Contents

1 Short Title and commencement

2 Interpretation

3 Special provisions relating to parentage

4 Administration of Act

4A Delegation of powers by Secretary

5 Act binds Crown

Part 1
New Zealand citizenship

Acquisition of citizenship

6 Citizenship by birth

7 Citizenship by descent

8 Citizenship by grant

8A Grant of citizenship to spouse of New Zealand citizen [Repealed]

9 Grant of citizenship in special cases

9A Disqualifying convictions

9B Minister may rescind approval at any time up until applicant becomes citizen

10 Grant of citizenship as of right in certain cases

11 Minister may require oath or affirmation of allegiance to be taken

12 Certificate of New Zealand citizenship

Transitional provisions relating to citizenship

13 Existing rights of citizenship protected

14 Applications made under British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948 may be proceeded with under this Act

Loss of citizenship

15 Renunciation of citizenship

16 Deprivation of New Zealand citizenship in special cases

17 Deprivation of New Zealand citizenship in case of fraud, etc

18 Effect of order

19 Court review of grounds for depriving person of citizenship

20 Saving of obligations incurred before loss of citizenship, etc

Miscellaneous provisions relating to citizenship

21 Evidentiary certificates

22 Minister may delegate functions and powers to overseas representatives

Part 2
Miscellaneous provisions

23 Capacity as to property

24 General provisions as to certificates and other documents

26 Discovery of documents held under this Act

26A Disclosure of citizenship information to certain specified agencies for certain purposes

26B Access to information for citizenship purposes

27 Offences and penalties

29 Application of Act to Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau

684A Citizenship Act in force in Niue

30 Repeals, consequential amendments, and revocation

Schedule 1
Oath of allegiance

Schedule 2
Enactments consequentially repealed

Schedule 3
Enactments consequentially amended

Schedule 4
Disclosure of information to specified agencies

An Act to make better provision with respect to the status of New Zealand citizenship, and to consolidate and amend the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948

BE IT ENACTED by the General Assembly of New Zealand in Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: