If a parent lives overseas
You may be able to get child support even if you or the other parent lives outside of New Zealand. For you to get child support, the country the other parent lives in must have joined 1 of the following 4 international agreements:
- Reciprocal Agreement with Australia
- Hague Convention of International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance (the 2007 Child Support Convention)
- Commonwealth and Designated Countries Agreement
- United Nations Convention for the Recover Abroad of Maintenance Agreement (UNCRAM)
What agreement is the other parent’s country a member of?(external link)
Reciprocal Agreement with Australia
If you live in New Zealand and the other parent lives in Australia, you can apply for child support through Inland Revenue.
Apply for child support if the other parent lives in Australia(external link)
If you live in Australia and the other parent lives in New Zealand, you can apply for child support through the Australian Government Services.
The 2007 Child Support Convention
If you live in New Zealand and the other parent lives in a 2007 Child Support Convention member country, you can apply for child support through Inland Revenue.
If you live in a 2007 Child Support Convention member country and the other parent lives in New Zealand, you will need to contact your country’s Central Authority to apply for child support.
Find out my country’s Central Authority for international child support(external link)
Commonwealth and Designated Countries
If you live in New Zealand and the other parent lives in a Commonwealth or Designated country, you can apply for child support through the Ministry of Justice.
If you live in a Commonwealth or designated country and the other parent lives in New Zealand, contact the agency in your country in charge of child support. You can also contact a lawyer in your country.
UNCRAM Countries
If you live in New Zealand and the other parent lives in an UNCRAM country, you can apply to that country for child support through the Ministry of Justice.
Find out more about applying for child support if the other parent lives in an UNCRAM country.
If you live in an UNCRAM country and the other parent lives in New Zealand, contact the agency in your country in charge of child support. You can also contact a lawyer in that country.
