From December 1, 2025, Indian visa applicants to New Zealand will face a stricter rule: only police clearance certificates issued by a Regional Passport Office of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs will be accepted. The move comes as Immigration New Zealand aims to streamline verification and reduce delays caused by inconsistent documentation.
No more local police station certificates
Until now, Indian applicants could submit certificates issued by a Deputy Commissioner, a Superintendent of Police, or even from their neighbourhood police station.
But that’s changing. INZ said the older certificates have proven difficult to verify and vary in format, prompting the department to update the rule.
Key things to know for Indian applicants in India
What if you’re applying from abroad?
If you’re an Indian citizen currently residing outside India, this new rule does not apply to you. The older requirements still hold for Indians living abroad or non-Indian nationals who have lived in India in the past.
The update is meant to streamline the visa process by ensuring all police certificates come in a consistent format and from a trusted source. INZ said this would help reduce delays caused by documents that are difficult to verify.
