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Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden is urging New Zealanders to check their passport expiry dates this summer, with a significant surge in applications expected over the next two years.
In November 2015, passport validity changed from five to 10 years, meaning those who renewed their passports in 2015 and 2016 will soon be approaching expiry.
Van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs is forecasting a sharp increase in applications due to the anniversary of 10-year passports.
“The Department of Internal Affairs is forecasting a surge in applications due to the anniversary of the 10-year passports. I encourage you all to ensure yours is up to date before you will need it,” she says.
The department anticipates more than 1.3 million passports will expire over the next two years, with around 622,000 applications expected in 2026 and a further 759,000 passports set to expire in 2027.
“So, if your passport needs renewing soon, so will hundreds of thousands of others,” van Velden says.
“New Zealanders rightly expect excellent service, and I’m proud that our passport team has delivered exactly that. Through their efforts and operational improvements, we’ve dramatically reduced passport processing times from 25 days in 2023 to just three days — and that’s for all passport applications, not just urgent ones.
“This represents a major improvement in service delivery that will benefit every New Zealand family planning to travel overseas. If your passport expires in 2026, renew now before the rush. Don’t let an expired passport get in the way of your travel,” she says.
Most New Zealanders can renew their passport online quickly and securely at: passport.govt.nz
