How to apply for a Kiwi Access Card (eligibility, benefits, documents)

What is the Kiwi Access Card?

The Kiwi Access Card is an optional New Zealand identity card that allows holders to prove their age and identity. It serves as an alternative form of photo ID to a passport or New Zealand driving licence.

To be eligible, you must be:

• at least 18 years of age
• living in New Zealand (Working Holiday Visa holders count)

Benefits of the Kiwi Access Card

1. Proof of age

The Kiwi Access Card gives you the freedom to enjoy life in New Zealand without worrying about losing your passport.

In New Zealand, proof of age is often required to access goods and services, such as tobacco, alcohol, or even the cinema. It is therefore useful – and sometimes important – to carry a photo ID with you at all times.

Lastly, if you’re living in New Zealand temporarily, this card will be a nice souvenir of your time spent there!

2. Administrative procedures

The Kiwi Access Card can serve as a second form of identification, alongside your passport, when applying for your IRD number by paper application, which requires two forms of ID.

If you have an international driving permit, that is accepted as a form of ID as well. But if you don’t have an international driving permit, this card will come in handy.

Applying for Kiwi Access Card

You can apply in several ways:

• at a NZ Post (recommended)
• at an AA office (recommended)
• online (note: birth certificate and local contact person required)

For the online application, you will need your birth certificate as well as a contact person in New Zealand. We will therefore focus on the paper application process through NZ Post and AA offices in the next chapter.