You can request information from us under the Official Information Act 1982 and the Privacy Act 2020.
What types of requests for information you can make
As a government department, all the information we hold is subject to the Official Information Act 1982. You can make a request under this Act if you're a:
- New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
- person in New Zealand
- corporate entity (a company or incorporated society) which is incorporated in New Zealand, or has a place of business here.
We're also subject to the Privacy Act 2020. The Privacy Act promotes and protects the privacy of individuals and sets out principles for how agencies collect, use, disclose, store and give access to personal information.
Principle 6 of the Privacy Act gives individuals the right to request access to information about themselves that is held by an agency in New Zealand. This means that anyone can contact any government agency and ask to see what information is held about them.
Official Information Act 1982 (legislation.govt.nz)
Privacy Act 2020 (legislation.govt.nz)
Before making a request for information
The information you need might already be publicly available. Before making a request for information we encourage you to check out our other websites and the OIA directory on the Ministry of Justice website.
Directory of Official Information
You can also access some of your information through your myIR account. If you do not have an account, it's easy to register.
Make a request for information
You can make a request under the Official Information Act 1982 using our online form.