Enrol from overseas

The rules about who can vote from overseas have changed. 

You can enrol and vote in the 2023 General Election from overseas if all the following statements are true: 

• you are 18 years or older 
• you’ve lived in New Zealand for more than 12 months continuously at some time in your life 
• you are one of the following: 
  • a New Zealand citizen who has been in New Zealand within the last 6 years 
  • a New Zealand permanent resident who has been in New Zealand within the last 4 years. 

After the 2023 General Election the eligibility criteria will change back to the previous settings of 3 years for New Zealand citizens and 12 months for New Zealand permanent residents. 

Enrolling from overseas is not compulsory — it’s your choice whether you enrol.

ENROL OR UPDATE ONLINE

Are you a permanent resident?

For electoral purposes, you are a permanent resident if you’re in New Zealand legally and not required to leave within a specific time.

Are you Australian, Niuean, Tokelauan, or a Cook Islander?

If you’re Australian, Niuean, Tokelauan, or a Cook Islander you can enrol and vote if you’ve lived in New Zealand continuously for 12 months or more.

Are you a public servant or member of the New Zealand Defence Force?

You’re eligible to enrol and vote no matter how long you’ve been outside New Zealand if you’re in one of the following groups:

• public servants working overseas and their families
• New Zealand diplomats or trade representatives and their families
• members of the New Zealand Defence Force and their families.

You’ll enrol in the New Zealand electorate where you last lived for 1 month or more.

Find your electorate using your address

Are you of Māori descent and enrolling for the first time?

If you’re of Māori descent and enrolling for the first time, you have an important choice to make before you enrol. Please read the following page.

General roll or Māori roll?

If you’re already enrolled, make sure your details are up to date.

Check or update your enrolment details

You can ask someone you know to help you enrol or to enrol on your behalf.

A support person can help you complete your form

You can ask a support person, such as a friend or family member, to help you complete your enrolment form, or to complete your form for you.

You need to sign the form.

Asking someone to enrol on your behalf

If you’re overseas you can ask someone to enrol on your behalf, as long as that person is enrolled to vote. You could ask a family member, friend or someone who holds a power of attorney for you.

If you get a family member or a friend to enrol for you, they must write ‘Elector overseas — signed by their direction’ next to their signature on the enrolment form.

If you get someone who holds a power of attorney to enrol for you, they must write ‘Elector overseas — Power of attorney’ next to their signature on the enrolment form.

Helping a person with a physical or mental impairment to enrol from overseas

If you want to help someone who is overseas and can’t complete and sign their enrolment form because of a physical or mental impairment, go to the following page to find out how:

Getting help to enrol