Applying for child support from a 2007 Child Support convention country

 New Zealand joined the 2007 Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and other forms of Family Maintenance (the 2007 Child Support Convention), on 1 November 2021. This means that 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 us. Inland Revenue is the Central Authority for New Zealand for the 2007 Child Support Convention.

If the applicant lives in a 2007 Child Support Convention country and the other parent lives in New Zealand 

If you and the child live in a member country and the other parent lives in New Zealand, you can either apply through your country's Central Authority or directly to us for a formula assessment of child support. If you apply through your country's Central Authority, they can help you apply and send us the information we need to make the assessment. 

You can find a list of Central Authorities for each member country on the Hague website.

2007 Child Support Convention Central Authorities

In most cases the country the applicant lives in makes the assessment, but both countries can collect or enforce payments. 

Formula assessment

If the applicant lives in New Zealand and the other parent lives in a 2007 Child Support Convention country 

If you and the child live in New Zealand, you'll need to apply to us for child support. If you were receiving child support in another country, you'll need to let them know when you've applied in New Zealand. 

If you're owed child support and the other parent is in another Hague member country, we can ask the other country to collect the payments. It may take some time before you receive payments, as that country’s collection processes will apply.

When you're a liable parent living in another member country and you have a child support assessment from us in New Zealand, you'll need to make your child support payments to us. If you do not keep up with your payments, we may ask the Central Authority in the country you're living in to collect your child support for us.

If you already have an overseas Court Order, Child Support Assessment or formal Agreement for Child Support

If you're a liable parent living in New Zealand and have been assessed to pay child support in another Hague country, you'll need to make payments to the Central Authority there. However, we may be asked to collect your child support payments on their behalf. If that happens, we'll contact you and collect the payments and pass them on.  

If we're collecting your payments, you'll still need to discuss your child support assessment with the Central Authority in the country that made the court order or assessment. For example, if you have a change in circumstances you will need to contact that Central Authority.  

Domestic Maintenance

Domestic Maintenance is called spousal support in the 2007 Child Support Convention.

If you have an order or agreement for maintenance that was made in New Zealand or another member country, you may be able to apply to have it registered and collected on your behalf if the payer is living in another member country.

If you do not have an order for maintenance, you may be able to apply for one.

Please contact us for more information.

2007 Child Support Convention information sharing summary