10-year passports: Back by public demand

Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne has today welcomed New Zealand’s return to 10-year adult passports.

Legislation necessary to effect this change, a change driven by public demand, was passed into law on 20 October and enables the Passports Office to start issuing 10-year adult passports to applicants from today.

“It is gratifying to announce the wait is over and New Zealanders can now apply for and receive a passport that has a more practical lifespan that reflects their travel patterns and requirements.”

“This decision was in response to public calls for a longer passport life and my government colleagues listened to those wishes. Government, indeed Parliament as whole, have made a pragmatic decision that balances security considerations and the need to make travel easy and affordable for New Zealanders.

“I’m also delighted the Department of Internal Affairs has responded quickly to this change and worked very hard to put the necessary changes in place to ensure that 10-year passports can be issued ahead of the Christmas period,” Mr Dunne says.

Mr Dunne advises travellers wanting a 10-year passport before Christmas should submit their application as soon as possible.

“The Department is expecting to process around 3,000 passport applications every day in the lead up to Christmas so it is important intending Kiwi travellers submit their applications as soon as possible to allow time for their passports to be processed and couriered back to them.

“For quicker processing, renewals should be made online via our world-class online passport service,” Mr Dunne says.

From today, the fee for standard adult passports issued in New Zealand is $180 and child passports are $105 (including GST). The fee for adult passports continues to subsidise child passports by 42 per cent.

Visit passports.govt.nz for the full details.