New Zealand visa: Indians must get police certificate from passport office

New Zealand visa Rule: From December 1, 2025, only police clearance certificates issued by a Regional Passport Office will be accepted for New Zealand visa applications from Indians residing in India

Applying for a New Zealand visa? You will now need a police clearance certificate issued by a Regional Passport Office, not your local police station. Starting December 1, 2025, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) will accept police clearance certificates from Indian nationals residing in India only if they are issued by a Regional Passport Office of the Ministry of External Affairs.

 

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.

 

“This change applies only to Indian nationals living in India,” said Immigration New Zealand in a public advisory. “The requirements for Indians living overseas or for non-Indian nationals who currently or previously lived in India are not changing.”

 

Key things to know for Indian applicants in India

 

• Police clearance certificates must be issued by a Regional Passport Office

• Certificates from local police or SP offices will no longer be accepted

• The certificate must be less than six months old at the time of submission

• If issued in a regional language, an English translation must be included

• Some passport offices may require fingerprinting

• A previously submitted certificate may still be valid unless it is over one year old

• INZ can request a fresh certificate at any point during processing

 

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.

 

Why the change?

 

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.