1,350-day total
The five-year look-back must contain at least 1,350 eligible presence days.
Calculation transparency
How the NZ Citizenship Calculator works
The method, assumptions and public regression tests behind the independent estimate of the earliest date your entered history may meet the standard numerical presence test.
Last reviewed against official presence requirements: 12 November 2026
What the calculator models
A rolling five-year numerical presence test
The Citizenship Act requires at least 1,350 qualifying days in the five years immediately before an application and at least 240 qualifying days in each of those five years. Govt.nz explains the public test as five 12-month periods counted backwards from the day you apply.
240 days in every period
Each of the five separate 12-month periods must contain at least 240 eligible days. A large total cannot compensate for a period below 240.
Candidate date sets the window
The calculator tests proposed application dates and counts backwards five years from each candidate. It does not create five fixed years from the resident start date.
Resident start used by this site
- If residence was granted while you were in New Zealand, the calculator uses the resident grant date entered.
- If residence was granted while you were overseas, the calculator asks for the first date you entered New Zealand as a resident.
- Days before the resolved resident start are shown separately and do not count as eligible presence days.
Conservative travel boundaries
- The departure date is treated as the first day outside New Zealand.
- The return date is treated as the first day back in New Zealand.
- This intentionally conservative convention can produce a slightly later estimate than another calculator or an official assessment using movement records.
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Independent estimate, official rules
The calculator is a planning tool. DIA makes the official citizenship decision and can use official visa and movement records. The site does not assess every citizenship requirement.
Public regression tests
Cases we use to catch calculation errors
These are independent software regression cases, not official DIA test cases. They are published so users can see the boundaries the calculator is expected to handle consistently.
| Test case | Input / condition | Expected behaviour | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date-setting period | Resident start 22 Nov 2022; trips 8 Jan–1 Mar 2023, 13 Mar–1 Apr 2025, 7 Feb–10 Mar 2026 | Earliest estimate 10 Sep 2027; periods 240 / 366 / 346 / 334 / 365; total 1,651. One day earlier, Period 1 has 239. | Checks that the first date is set by a 240-day boundary, not only the five-year total. |
| No travel | Resident start 1 Feb 2022; no trips | Earliest estimate 29 Sep 2026; first period exactly 240; five-year total 1,701. | Checks deterministic rolling-window behaviour without travel. |
| 239 / 240 / 241 boundary | Synthetic first-period cases with one extra or one fewer day outside New Zealand | 239 fails the per-period minimum; 240 and 241 pass that threshold. | Checks the exact statutory minimum rather than a rounded approximation. |
| 1,349 / 1,350 / 1,351 total | Synthetic five-period cases where every period remains at least 240 | 1,349 fails the total requirement; 1,350 and 1,351 pass the total threshold. | Checks the exact five-year total independently of the annual minimums. |
| Overlapping travel | Two travel periods overlap | The input is rejected with “Travel periods cannot overlap.” | Prevents the same dates being double-counted as absence. |
| Departure / return boundary | Trip departs 10 Sep and returns 20 Sep | 10 Sep is outside; 20 Sep is back in New Zealand. | Makes the site’s conservative boundary convention explicit and testable. |
| Residence granted overseas | First resident entry 1 Mar 2022; no travel after entry | Earliest estimate 27 Oct 2026. | Checks that an offshore grant uses the first resident entry date supplied by the user. |
| Historical earliest vs current status | A later long trip occurs after a historical earliest qualifying date | The historical earliest date stays historical; the calculator separately checks whether the rolling window meets the test today or finds the next date. | Prevents later travel from retroactively rewriting an earlier historical result. |
The live calculator has additional automated regression tests for leap years, incomplete trip pairs, future resident dates, future planned travel and long-standing residents.
What this calculator does not decide
Presence is only part of citizenship eligibility
A date from this tool is not a statement that a citizenship application will be approved.
Character
The tool does not assess the good-character requirement or individual convictions, charges or other circumstances.
English and responsibilities
The tool does not assess English-language ability or knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.
Intention and exceptions
The tool does not decide intention to continue living in New Zealand, ministerial discretion, special cases or whether an exemption applies.
Ready to calculate?
Use your own resident and travel history
Your entered dates stay in your browser and are not uploaded by the calculation tool.
Use it like an app
Add NZ Citizenship Check to your phone
Keep the calculator one tap away from your Home Screen. No App Store or Google Play download is required. Installation adapts to the browser and device you are using.
Installs as a web app with its own Home Screen icon and standalone window.