Police clearance certificate from New Zealand

Please Note:

We do NOT provide services or assistance in getting police clearance certificates from different countries.
We have just provided information on how to get the police clearance certificates from different countries.
We request you to refer to the Department of immigration and border protection website for latest information to get police clearance certificates from different countries.

Police Check – New Zealand

Relevant document: ‘Record of Convictions’.Apply to the address above or email the completed form.

Provide: Applications must be made using the ‘Request your own Criminal Conviction History’ Form and the request must be for a Full Record of Convictions (the Full Record of Convictions box on Step 3 of the form must be ticked). You should not use a third party to obtain your record on your behalf as this will not satisfy the requirements of the Department.

If you receive more than one letter from the NZ Ministry of Justice, one indicating ‘no convictions’ and one indicating ‘convictions’ with an attached convictions list, both letters must be provided to the Department.

If you receive only one letter from the NZ Ministry of Justice, indicating ‘no convictions’ you will need to supply this letter and your consent for the Department to seek confirmation from the NZ Ministry of Justice in relation to the number of letters issued.

Your consent must include the following information: You Full Name; Date of Birth; Gender; Address; email; contact number; your MOJ reference number and the following declaration:

I hereby consent to the disclosure, by the Ministry of Justice New Zealand information to the Australian Department of Home Affairs that is restricted to whether I was issued more than one letter in response to my application for a Criminal Records Check. I understand that the response from the Ministry of Justice will be a Yes/No response only.

The disclosure of this information to the Australian Department of Home Affairs is to be used for visa and citizenship purposes only.

The declaration must be signed and dated.

Note: You will first obtain a full NZ Ministry of Justice police clearance. If there are any sentences of imprisonment, you will be required to provide the aforementioned declaration and Form 80 (available from the Department).

A ‘no convictions’ letter will have the wording: “As at … (date) … you have no convictions based on the following information you provided: …”

A ‘convictions’ letter will have the wording: “As at … (date) … and based on the information you provided below, please find enclosed the result of your conviction check: …” The letter will include an attached list of conviction/s that must be provided to the Department.

Postal address:

Criminal Records Unit
Ministry of Justice
SX10161
Wellington
New Zealand

Phone:

+64 4 9188800

Fax:

+64 4 9188974

Email:

criminalrecord@justice.govt.nz

Website:

http://www.justice.govt.nz/

Police Check – New Zealand – New Zealand citizens travelling with criminal convictions

If you are a New Zealand citizen with criminal convictions, no matter how long ago your convictions were, or whether they have been removed from government records, you are required to obtain written confirmation from the Department of Home Affairs before you travel to Australia. See Travelling with a Criminal Conviction

Please note:

The information provided here is correct as on 20 November 2018. The information is taken from the Department of Home Affairs website: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/contact-us/offices-and-locations/list
Please refer to the Department of Home Affairs website (https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/) to get updated and accurate information.
Please always rely on the information provided by the Department of Home Affairs. The information in our website may become outdated when the Department of Home Affairs makes any changes in their website.

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Police clearance certificates

Depending on your Australian visa application type and your personal circumstances, you may be required to provide a police clearance certificate with your Australian visa application so that the Australian Government can determine whether you are of good character.

If you are required to provide a police clearance certificate, you must obtain the certificates from all the countries you have lived for 12 months or more cumulatively during the last 10 years.

Police clearance certificates are also known as a penal clearance certificate or Certificate of Criminal Record in some countries. Unless otherwise requested by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, police clearance certificates are not required for persons under the age of 16 years.

Character requirements for an Australian Visa

If you want to enter Australia with a visa, you must be of good character and you will be assessed against the character requirements for the type of Australian visa you will be applying. As part of your Australian visa application, you might be required to provide a police clearance certificate (from each country where you have stayed for 12 months or more in the last 10 years) or other suitable evidence to satisfy the character requirements.

Under Section 501 of the Migration Act 1958, the Minister for Immigration or the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection can refuse or cancel your visa, if you do not meet the character requirements.

Character test to get an Australian visa

You will not pass the character test for an Australian visa if:

you have a substantial criminal record. This means that you have been sentenced to 12 months or more in prison, or multiple sentences that add up to more than 12 months in prison. A suspended sentence is also considered a prison sentence.
you have been convicted of escaping from immigration detention, or convicted for an offence that you committed:
- while you were in immigration detention
- during an escape from immigration detention
- after an escape, but before you were taken into immigration detention again.
you are or have been a member of a group or organisation, or had or have an association with a person, group or organisation that the Minister for Immigration reasonably suspects of involvement in criminal conduct
the Minister for Immigration reasonably suspects that you have been involved in people smuggling, people trafficking, genocide, a war crime, a crime against humanity, a crime involving torture or slavery, or a crime that is of serious international concern, whether or not you have been convicted of such an offence
your past and present criminal or general conduct shows that you are not of good character
there is a risk that while you are in Australia you would:
- engage in criminal conduct
- harass, molest, intimidate or stalk another person
- vilify a segment of the Australian community
- incite discord in the Australian community or in a part of it
- be a danger to the Australian community or a part of it.
you have been convicted of, or found guilty or had a charge proven for one or more sexually based offences involving a child,
you are subject to an adverse security assessment by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
you are subject to an Interpol notice, from which it is reasonable to infer that you a direct or indirect risk to the Australian community, or a segment of the Australian community.

When is a police clearance certificate required?

If you are over the age of 16 and have lived in any of the countries for a total of one year or more in the last 10 years, you must get a Police clearance certificate from that country.

How long my police clearance certificate is valid?

For Australian immigration purposes a police clearance certificate is deemed to be valid for 12 months from the issue date.

How can you get a police clearance certificate?

For instructions on obtaining a certificate from an overseas government or law enforcement authority, refer to the relevant country information.

If you are required to provide an Australian police clearance certificate because you have spent more than 12 months in Australia within the last 10 years, you must complete the Australian Federal Police (AFP) National Police Check application form which is available from the AFP website:

AFP National Police Checks

For information on how to apply for a police clearance certificate from another country, please see the respective country information on this website or in the Department of Immigration Website.