Baby entering NZ on Canadian Passport

[munchkin]

My husband and I are planning on moving back to NZ in a couple of months with our newborn.
I'll be using NZ passport, hubby has resident visa, and the baby will be using Canadian passport as her NZ citizenship/passport may still be in process; so the question is, will there be problem for baby entering NZ?

Or are we better off waiting until her NZ citizenship/passport are processed?

Thanks!

[JandM]

It's not certain, but you COULD get a bit of a hold-up at immigration on arrival. The baby will in effect be a visitor. It has been known for immigration officials to solemnly demand to know when s/he is planning to leave the country, and to have proof of means for a return air ticket.

[sophiedb]

What JandM said.

Have you applied for her Kiwiness yet? Our daughter's took less than a month, so I would expect your timeline to be fine!

[G-Mo]

Wait until you get the NZ citizenship paper (no need for passport). We're doing the same thing. Citizenship paperwork took less than three weeks.

[Moomette]

Wait until you get the NZ citizenship paper (no need for passport). We're doing the same thing. Citizenship paperwork took less than three weeks.

Just make sure the airline will accept that though, as we were advised last year that the citizenship certificate on its own was not sufficient, and DD would not have been allowed to board the flight with that alone; she needed either NZ passport, residency visa, or return flight.

[jawnbc]

The Canadian passsport will get her on the plane; the kiwi citizenship paperwork will get her into NZ.

[G-Mo]

Just make sure the airline will accept that though, as we were advised last year that the citizenship certificate on its own was not sufficient, and DD would not have been allowed to board the flight with that alone; she needed either NZ passport, residency visa, or return flight.

You were advised badly. While literally a citizenship certificate is not enough to board a plane (you need a passport of some kind), it is certainly adaquite to prove status. (My wife has worked for both ANZ and QANTAS as well as being a travel agent and travel advisor specializing in visas and travel documents.)

[alldone]

We moved back with NZ citizenship documents & UK passports but not NZ passports for the children with no problem. (Didn't even want to see NZ citizenship documents).

[munchkin]

Thank you all for your help!! We've decided to apply for both citizenship and passport at the same time (since the website says we can submit all docs together).
We sent it off last week, and have already received the application number from Internal Affairs.

Thanks again!