What's changing and why
On 6 May 2026, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden announced that applicants for New Zealand citizenship by grant will be required to pass a multiple-choice citizenship test from late 2027. The change does not introduce a new citizenship requirement — the Citizenship Act has long required applicants to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship — but it changes how that requirement is proven.
Currently, applicants meet the knowledge requirement by signing a declaration in their application stating that they understand those responsibilities and privileges. The new test replaces that declaration with an actual examination, bringing New Zealand into line with citizenship regimes already in place in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and Spain, among others.
The Minister has framed the change as a way to reinforce the value of New Zealand citizenship rather than to gatekeep new arrivals. ACT leader David Seymour, whose party has championed the policy since 2016, has claimed the announcement as a long-running ACT initiative. The detailed question pool and study materials are still being developed by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA).
Key dates
Who needs to take it
The test applies to most adult applicants for citizenship by grant — that is, people who have become eligible for citizenship by living in New Zealand long enough, rather than by birth or descent.
The Department of Internal Affairs has confirmed the following exemptions:
- Applicants under the age of 16
- Applicants over the age of 65
- People obtaining citizenship by birth
- People obtaining citizenship by descent
- People using the Western Samoa pathway
- Anyone whose application is submitted before the test becomes a requirement
Other exemptions — for example, related to disability or specific personal circumstances — are still being detailed. DIA has said these will be communicated before the test goes live.
If you're approaching eligibility for citizenship by grant, the timing of your application matters. Anyone whose application is filed before the test becomes a requirement will not need to sit it, even if their decision is issued later. Check that you meet the existing requirements (5 years' residence, good character, basic English) before the cut-off.
How the test is structured
The Department of Internal Affairs has published the headline format. The detailed operational rules are still being finalised but the following points are confirmed:
- 20 multiple-choice questions drawn from a wider question pool
- In-person at a designated test centre — DIA has indicated test centres will be located throughout New Zealand, not only in main centres
- English only — there is no plan for the test to be delivered in te reo Māori, NZ Sign Language, or other languages
- Up to 45 minutes per attempt
- 75% pass mark — 15 correct answers out of 20
Pass mark and re-attempts
Applicants will be given up to six attempts to pass, divided into two phases:
- Three attempts in the first phase, taken as the applicant rebooks
- A mandatory waiting period of at least 30 working days
- Three further attempts in the second phase
Applicants who do not pass after six attempts will be referred back to DIA. Options at that point include withdrawing the citizenship application (with a partial refund of the application fee) or having the application considered directly by the Minister of Internal Affairs. DIA has stated that this is consistent with existing processes for applications that do not clearly meet the citizenship requirements.
Pass-rate planning in DIA's procurement tender suggests that the department expects outcomes broadly similar to comparable countries, where overall pass rates exceed 90% and most applicants pass on their first attempt.
The six topic areas
DIA has confirmed six topic areas. The detailed syllabus — including how each topic will be weighted and what specific facts or concepts will be examined — has not yet been released.
Whether content related to the Treaty of Waitangi will appear on the test has not been formally announced. Given the Treaty's place in New Zealand's constitutional framework, it is likely to be touched on under "democratic principles" or "structure of government", but DIA has not confirmed this. Immigration practitioners have raised concerns about whether the three coalition parties can agree on what New Zealand values should be examined, given public disagreements over Treaty interpretation.
What it will cost
The test fee has not been finalised. Government tender documents have referred to a per-test cost of NZD $24, and the Prime Minister has stated that the test will be "self-funding" — meaning fees paid by applicants are intended to cover the cost of delivery. The fee will be charged in addition to the existing citizenship application fee.
Applicants will likely need to pay a fee for each attempt at the test. DIA has indicated that anyone who is not required to sit the test (for example, applicants over 65 or under 16) will not be charged the test fee.
Will the official questions be published?
Probably not — though this has not been formally decided. Two signals from DIA's procurement tender point toward a closed question pool:
- The test will draw 20 questions "from a wider pool" — language consistent with a confidential bank rather than a public list
- Suppliers tendering for the delivery system have been asked to specify their measures for preventing cheating and unauthorised assistance, which only makes sense if the underlying questions are not public
DIA has signalled that it will draw on both the Australian and UK models. In both countries, study materials are published openly — Australia's Our Common Bond booklet and the UK's Life in the United Kingdom handbook — but the actual exam question pools are kept confidential. This is the most likely pattern for New Zealand: comprehensive published study materials covering all examinable content, paired with a confidential question pool.
This contrasts with the United States, Germany, and Spain, all of which publish their full citizenship-test question banks for public study.
How New Zealand compares internationally
| Country | Question pool | Pass mark | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (planned) | Closed (likely) | 75% (15 / 20) | 20 questions, in person |
| Australia | Closed | 75% + values section 100% | 20 questions, in person |
| United Kingdom | Closed | 75% (18 / 24) | 24 questions, in person |
| United States | Open (100 questions) | 60% (6 / 10) | Oral, civics interview |
| Germany | Open (300 + state) | ~50% (17 / 33) | 33 questions, written |
| Spain (CCSE) | Open (300) | 60% (15 / 25) | 25 questions, written |
The split between countries with open question banks and countries with closed banks is largely a matter of philosophy. Open-bank systems (US, Germany, Spain) treat the test as an exercise in showing that applicants have engaged with the material; the open list makes the requirement clear and the bar achievable. Closed-bank systems (Australia, UK, likely NZ) treat the test as a genuine examination of knowledge across a syllabus; the published handbook tells applicants what to learn, but the exam itself is not a memorisation exercise.
How to prepare
With the test more than a year away, current and prospective applicants have time to plan properly. Suggested next steps:
- Confirm whether you'll need to take the test, based on your pathway, age, and the date you intend to apply.
- If you're close to eligibility, consider whether to file your application before the cut-off and avoid the test entirely.
- Begin familiarising yourself with the six topic areas — the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, the structure of government, voting rights, and democratic principles are well-documented in publicly available resources.
- Watch for DIA's release of official study materials, expected before the test goes live.
- Join the waitlist below to receive the official study guide and structured practice as soon as we publish.
Sources and further reading
- Beehive announcement (6 May 2026) — official government media release.
- govt.nz citizenship test page — DIA's official information page.
- Requirements for NZ citizenship — full eligibility criteria for citizenship by grant.
This page is updated as new information is published by the Department of Internal Affairs. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, consult an immigration adviser or DIA directly.