The government has announced that the Citizenship wait times have decreased, with a focus on efficient application processing.
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden announced on 13 January that the Department has slashed average turnaround times to 51 days, down from 180 days in October 2023.
“Despite a comparable number of applications over the last three years, wait times for outcomes on citizenship applications has dropped by 72 per cent since Labour was last in Government,” Velden said.
The announcement mentioned that in 2025, there were 51,396 citizenship applications, 51,702 applications in 2024 and 51,803 applications in 2023.
The Minister of Internal Affairs said that individuals applying for citizenship by grant have already spent a minimum of five years in New Zealand and have already taken steps to build their lives here.
“It is important that the Government delivers good service and functions efficiently,” Velden said.
“Reducing wait times means people can plan their futures with confidence. It’s about removing stress and adding certainty,” Velden added.
Eligible individuals can apply for citizenship either online or via the post. For the checklist of everything, click here: Apply for NZ citizenship | New Zealand Government.
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