Master prompt
Apostille + authentication chain — NZ inbound documents
NZ is a Hague Apostille Convention signatory (acceded 1970). For Indian-origin documents into NZ: MEA apostille accepted post-2005. For non-Hague countries: full notary-state-foreign ministry-NZ mission chain.
NZDocumentsApostilleHague ConventionMEAAuthenticationDIA
You are advising [CLIENT_NAME] on apostille / authentication for [DOCUMENTS_REQUIRING_AUTH] from [ISSUING_COUNTRY] for use in a New Zealand immigration application. NZ acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention (1961) on 22 November 1970. India acceded on 14 July 2005.
§1 — THE HAGUE APOSTILLE FRAMEWORK
What an apostille does:
• Single-step authentication recognised between Hague Convention member states
• Eliminates the need for further consular legalisation
• Issued by the designated "Competent Authority" of the issuing country
• Format: standardised square stamp / certificate with 10 numbered fields (Convention Article 4)
When apostille applies:
• BOTH the issuing country and the receiving country are Hague signatories
• Document is a "public document" within the meaning of Article 1 (court documents, administrative documents, notarial acts, official certificates affixed to private documents)
§2 — IS [ISSUING_COUNTRY] A HAGUE SIGNATORY?
Verify against the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) list — https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41
Hague members relevant to NZ immigration practice (non-exhaustive):
[Y] India (acceded 2005)
[Y] Australia (acceded 1995)
[Y] Canada (acceded 2024 — recent, verify reception by NZ INZ) // 2026-05 — verify current INZ guidance on Canada-apostilled docs (Canada acceded January 2024)
[Y] UK (1965 — original signatory)
[Y] USA (acceded 1981)
[Y] Philippines (acceded 2019)
[Y] Pakistan (acceded 2023 — verify reception)
[N] UAE — acceded 2024 but check effective-date status for inbound to NZ
[N] Iran — NOT a signatory; full chain required
[N] Saudi Arabia — NOT a signatory; full chain required
[N] Vietnam — NOT a signatory; full chain required
[N] Bangladesh — NOT a signatory; full chain required (verify — Bangladesh has discussed accession)
[N] Sri Lanka — NOT a signatory; full chain required
State explicitly: [ISSUING_COUNTRY] is Hague member YES / NO.
§3 — INBOUND PATH A — HAGUE APOSTILLE (if [ISSUING_COUNTRY] is a signatory)
For Indian-origin documents (most common for IAA-NZ practice):
Step 1 — Pre-authentication by state-level authority:
• State Home Department (HCD) / General Administration Department (GAD) attests the document
• For Punjab: Home Department, Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh
• For Delhi: Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) / Home Department, GNCTD
• For Maharashtra: Mantralaya, Mumbai
• For Gujarat: GAD, Gandhinagar
• For some documents (educational): HRD / state Board pre-attestation required before Home Dept
• Personal docs (birth/marriage/death cert): direct to Home Dept usually
• Cost: ₹5-50 per document (state-dependent)
• Time: 5-15 working days
Step 2 — MEA Apostille (Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi):
• Apply online: https://www.mea.gov.in OR through outsourced agencies (VFS, BLS)
• As of 2012, MEA outsources via authorised service providers
• Cost: ₹50 government fee + ₹90 service charge per document (verify current MEA fee schedule)
• Time: 3-7 working days
• Output: square apostille sticker affixed to back of original (or attached as separate certificate)
• The MEA apostille is internationally valid — no further authentication needed for NZ
Step 3 — Submit to INZ:
• Original apostilled document
• Certified translation (if not in English) — Prompt 2 covers this
• INZ Online upload
For Australia-issued documents (e.g. NZ-resident dependants with AU-origin docs):
• DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) is the Australian Competent Authority
• Apply online at smartraveller.gov.au/services/notarial
• Cost: AUD 91 per document (verify current)
• Time: 5-10 working days
For UK-issued documents:
• FCDO Legalisation Office, Milton Keynes
• Standard service: £45 per doc, 1-3 weeks; premium next-day available
• Apply online at gov.uk/get-document-legalised
§4 — INBOUND PATH B — FULL AUTHENTICATION CHAIN (if [ISSUING_COUNTRY] is NOT Hague)
For Iran / Saudi Arabia / Vietnam / Bangladesh / etc., NZ requires a chain of authentications:
Step 1: Notarisation in the issuing country (notary public)
Step 2: State-level attestation (Home Dept / equivalent)
Step 3: Foreign Ministry attestation in the issuing country
• Saudi: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
• Iran: MFA Tehran
• Vietnam: Department of Consular Affairs, Hanoi
Step 4: NZ Embassy / High Commission attestation in (or accredited to) the issuing country
• For Saudi Arabia: NZ Embassy Riyadh
• For Iran: NZ has no embassy; documents must go via NZ Embassy Tehran (closed since 2024 — verify) OR an accredited mission
• For Vietnam: NZ Embassy Hanoi
• Cost: NZD 80-120 per document (verify current NZ Consular Services schedule)
• Time: 2-4 weeks
Where NZ has no diplomatic post in [ISSUING_COUNTRY]:
• Use the next-nearest NZ mission
• OR (uncommon) the British High Commission acting on NZ's behalf under reciprocal arrangements
§5 — OUTBOUND — NZ DOCUMENTS BEING USED ABROAD
If Inbound — foreign documents into NZ is outbound (NZ documents used overseas):
NZ Competent Authority: Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) — Authentication Unit, Wellington
• Address: Authentication Unit, DIA, 109 Featherston Street, Wellington
• Apply online at: dia.govt.nz/authentications
• Apostille (for Hague-member destinations): NZ$50 per document
• Certificate of Authentication (for non-Hague destinations): NZ$60 per document, then further legalisation at the receiving country's mission in Wellington (or via courier)
• Time: 3-10 working days standard; same-day premium service available
• Documents authenticable: NZ-issued birth/marriage/death certs (BDM), academic transcripts from NZ institutions (after prior NZQA verification for some), NZ court documents, NZ police certificates, NZ Companies Office documents
§6 — TIMING PLAN FOR [TIME_AVAILABLE]
If [TIME_AVAILABLE] is 4 weeks (tight):
• For Hague-member [ISSUING_COUNTRY]: feasible if all docs already in hand
Week 1: State-level pre-attestation
Week 2: MEA / FCDO / DFAT apostille
Week 3: Translation (if needed)
Week 4: QA + INZ submission
• For non-Hague [ISSUING_COUNTRY]: NOT feasible without premium / expedited services across all stages; recommend extending timeline
If [TIME_AVAILABLE] is 8 weeks (standard):
• Both paths comfortable
• Buffer for re-do of any rejected step
If [TIME_AVAILABLE] is 12 weeks:
• Comfortable even with re-do
• Recommended for first-time INZ applications
§7 — COMMON MISTAKES / RED FLAGS
• Submitting only a notarised photocopy without MEA apostille → INZ refuses
• MEA apostille on the photocopy instead of the original → invalid; must redo on original
• Translation done BEFORE apostille (some translators stitch translation onto original; MEA may then refuse to apostille the bound bundle) → translate AFTER apostille, attach separately
• State-level attestation skipped for personal documents (some states require Home Dept stamp; MEA refuses without)
• Educational documents missing HRD pre-attestation
• Older documents (pre-2005 Indian docs) — pre-Hague era — may need conversion path; some Indian states still require manual MEA processing
• Damaged / laminated original — MEA refuses to apostille laminated docs; arrange fresh issuance first
• Multiple documents bound together — MEA apostilles each separately; client paying per-doc fees
§8 — CHECKLIST FOR [CLIENT_NAME]
For each document in [DOCUMENTS_REQUIRING_AUTH]:
□ Original (not photocopy) in hand?
□ Document not laminated / damaged?
□ State-level pre-attestation completed (if required)?
□ MEA apostille / Foreign Ministry attestation completed?
□ For non-Hague [ISSUING_COUNTRY]: NZ Embassy attestation completed?
□ Document in English OR translation arranged (post-apostille)?
□ Document within INZ validity window (6 months for PCC; 3 months for medical; indefinite for birth/marriage certs)?
§9 — POST-AUTHENTICATION STORAGE
• Scan apostilled documents at 300 DPI minimum
• Store originals in client file (return to client post-application — important for client's other future uses)
• INZ accepts uploaded scans; originals only requested in ~5% of cases for verification
• If original requested by INZ post-lodgement: courier with tracking, request return
End with: "DRAFT — for IAA-licensed immigration adviser review. Verify against current INZ Operations Manual before submission."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt