Vote from overseas

You can vote from overseas if you’re enrolled and one of the following statements is true:

• You’re a New Zealand citizen and have been in New Zealand within the last 3 years
• You’re a New Zealand permanent resident and have been in New Zealand within the last 12 months.

Are you a permanent resident?

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

If you’re Australian, Niuean, Tokelauan, or a Cook Islander, you can vote if you’re enrolled and 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.

Contact us if you’re no longer eligible

If you don’t meet the requirements above, please contact us to tell us you’re no longer eligible.

Email: overseas@vote.nz

Before you can vote, you must be enrolled to vote. If you’re already enrolled, make sure your details are up to date.

It’s easy to enrol or update your details online using your New Zealand driver licence, New Zealand passport or RealMe verified identity.

Enrol or update your details online

Your voting papers are not automatically sent to you overseas.

You can download your voting papers

The easiest and quickest way to vote from overseas is to download your voting papers. Before you download your voting papers you need to be correctly enrolled.

If you're on the unpublished roll you will not be able to download your voting papers. Please contact us on overseas@vote.nz for further assistance.

You may be able to vote at an overseas voting place or by post

You may also be able to vote at an overseas voting place or ask us to send postal voting papers to you overseas.

Mark your general election voting papers

On the left side of your voting paper, tick the circle next to the name of the party you choose. On the right side of your voting paper for the election, tick the circle next to the name of the electorate candidate you choose. You can only vote for one party and one candidate.

When you’ve marked your voting papers, return them to us in one of the following ways:

• Upload them online
• Post or hand deliver them to your nearest overseas voting place

You cannot return your voting papers by email or fax.

Your voting papers will include full information on how to return them.