Urgent travel
If you do not have a current passport and need to travel in a hurry, you can apply for an urgent passport.
Apply for an urgent passport online
It will take us up to 3 working days to process your application.
You can then:
- have your passport delivered by courier, or
- pick your passport up from our office in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Sydney or London.
If you need to travel today or within 2 days
Apply for an urgent passport online, then call us straight away.
If you need an urgent passport after hours
If you urgently need a passport during the following hours, call us straight away:
- 5pm to 10pm on weekdays
- 8am to 10pm on weekends and public holidays.
There is an extra cost to get an urgent passport after hours — see passport costs.
If you have already applied for a passport
If you have already submitted a standard passport application but need to travel soon, you can upgrade to the urgent service.
This costs an additional NZD$215 per application.
Once you complete and submit the form, we will contact you to process your payment.
Upgrade an existing application to urgent
If you need to talk to us about your urgent travel circumstances, call us.
Call us
In New Zealand
Freephone: 0800 22 50 50 (NZ only)
Phone: +64 (4) 463 9360
In Australia
Freephone: 1300 559 535 (Australia only)
Phone: +61 (2) 9225 2300
In the United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (20) 7968 2730
Emergency travel document when outside New Zealand
An emergency travel document is a temporary document you can use to return to New Zealand or your usual country of residence.
You can apply for an emergency travel document if you are outside New Zealand, and:
- your passport is expired, lost, stolen or damaged
- you need to travel urgently, and
- you will not get your new passport before you travel.
You cannot get an emergency travel document if you are in New Zealand. If you are in New Zealand, you should apply for an urgent passport.
Depending on where you are in the world, it may be better to apply online for an urgent passport. Getting a new passport can be quicker, it costs less, and it's valid for longer.
Not all countries accept emergency travel documents
Some countries, like the USA, do not accept emergency travel documents for entry, even if you are just transiting through.
Before you travel, you should check with the embassy or high commission of the countries you intend to travel to, or transit through, to find out if they will accept an emergency travel document.
Foreign representatives to New Zealand
Before you apply
Before you apply, you should contact your nearest New Zealand embassy or high commission to find out if they issue emergency travel documents. Not all New Zealand embassies and high commissions issue emergency travel documents.
Cost
An emergency travel document costs NZD$596.
Validity
An emergency travel document is usually valid for 7 months.
Before it expires, you must send it to the Passport Office so they can issue you a standard passport.
How to apply
Download and fill out the application form below, and return it to a New Zealand embassy or high commission.
Download an application form
Emergency travel document application form (PDF 1.6MB)
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