Story: Citizenship

New Zealand issues its own passports

New Zealand issues its own passports

The right to a passport is a major benefit of citizenship. In 1948 the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act created a separate New Zealand citizenship (though the words ‘British subject’ remained on New Zealand passports until 1973, along with ‘New Zealand citizen’). After the 1948 act had been passed, New Zealand passports were issued by the Department of Internal Affairs. In this 1949 photograph, a departmental officer is dealing with an applicant for one of the first New Zealand passports.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, National Publicity Studios Collection
Reference: 1/2-027793; F
Photograph by W. Walker

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

David Green, 'Citizenship - Towards New Zealand citizenship', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/914/new-zealand-issues-its-own-passports (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by David Green, published 8 Feb 2005