If a parent lives overseas

If you want to apply for child support from a parent who is not a NZ citizen, you may be able to get child support even if the other parent lives outside New Zealand.

For you to get child support through us, the country the other parent lives in must have joined one of the following international agreements.

Reciprocal Agreement with Australia
Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance (2007 Child Support Convention).

If these agreements do not apply, and the other parent lives in a country that has joined one of the following agreements, you may be able to apply to the Family Court.

Commonwealth and Designated Countries Scheme
1956 United Nations Convention on the Recovery Abroad of Maintenance Agreement (UNCRAM)

You can find out more about these agreements on the Ministry of Justice website

If a parent lives overseas (justice.govt.nz)

Check which agreement applies

If a country has joined both the 2007 Child Support Convention and UNCRAM then the 2007 Child Support Convention will apply if the matter is covered by both agreements.

Child support agreements with 2007 Child Support Convention, UNCRAM and Commonwealth scheme countries

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Albania	Yes	No	No
Algeria	No	Yes	No
Antigua and Barbuda	No	No	Yes
Argentina	No	Yes	No
Australia	No	Yes	Yes
Austria	Yes	Yes	No

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Bahamas, The	No	No	Yes
Bangladesh	No	No	Yes
Barbados	No	Yes	Yes
Belarus	Yes	Yes	No
Belgium	Yes	Yes	No
Belize	No	No	Yes
Bolivia	No	Yes	No
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Yes	Yes	No
Botswana	Yes	No	Yes
Brazil	Yes	Yes	No
Brunei Darussalam	No	No	Yes
Burkina Faso	No	Yes	No
Bulgaria	Yes	No	No

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Cabo Verde	No	Yes	No
California (State of)	Yes	No	Yes
Cambodia	No	Yes	No
Cameroon	No	No	Yes
Canada	No	No	Yes
Central African Republic	No	Yes	No
Chile	No	Yes	No
Colombia	No	Yes	No
Cook Islands	No	No	Yes
Croatia	Yes	Yes	No
Cuba	No	Yes	No
Cyprus	Yes	Yes	Yes
Czech Republic	Yes	Yes	No

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Denmark	No	Yes	No
Dominican Republic	No	Yes	Yes

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Ecuador	Yes	Yes	No
El Salvador	No	Yes	No
Estonia	Yes	Yes	No

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Fiji	No	No	Yes
Finland	Yes	Yes	No
France	Yes	Yes	No

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
The Gambia	No	No	Yes
Germany	Yes	Yes	No
Ghana	No	No	Yes
Greece	Yes	Yes	No
Grenada	No	No	Yes
Guatemala	No	Yes	No
Guyana	Yes	No	Yes

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Haiti	No	Yes	No
Holy See	No	Yes	No
Honduras	Yes	No	No
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.	No	No	Yes
Hungary	Yes	Yes	No

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
India	No	No	Yes
Ireland	Yes	Yes	Yes
Israel	No	Yes	No
Italy	Yes	Yes	No

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Jamaica	No	No	Yes

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Kazakhstan	Yes	Yes	No
Kenya	No	No	Yes
Kingdom of Eswatini	No	No	Yes
Kiribati	No	No	Yes
Kyrgyzstan	No	Yes	No

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Latvia	Yes	No	No
Lesotho	No	No	Yes
Liberia	No	Yes	No
Lithuania	Yes	No	No
Luxembourg	Yes	Yes	No

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Macau Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China	No	No	Yes
Malawi	No	No	Yes
Malaysia	No	No	Yes
Maldives	No	No	Yes
Malta	Yes	No	Yes
Mauritius	No	No	Yes
Mexico	No	Yes	No
Monaco	No	Yes	No
Montenegro	Yes	Yes	No
Morocco	No	Yes	No
Mozambique	No	No	Yes

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Namibia	No	No	Yes
Nauru	No	No	Yes
Netherlands	Yes	Yes	No
New Zealand	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nicaragua	Yes	No	No
Niger	No	Yes	No
Nigeria	No	No	Yes
Niue	No	No	Yes
North Macedonia	No	Yes	No
Norway	Yes	Yes	No

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Pakistan	No	Yes	Yes
Papua New Guinea	No	No	Yes
Philippines	Yes - from 1 October 2022	Yes	No
Poland	Yes	Yes	No
Portugal	Yes	Yes	No

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Republic of Moldova	No	Yes	No
Romania	Yes	Yes	No
Rwanda	No	No	Yes

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Saint Lucia	No	No	Yes
Samoa	No	No	Yes
Serbia	Yes	Yes	No
Seychelles	No	Yes	Yes
Sierra Leone	No	No	Yes
Singapore	No	No	Yes
Slovakia	Yes	Yes	No
Slovenia	Yes	Yes	No
Solomon Islands	No	No	Yes
South Africa	No	No	Yes
Spain	Yes	Yes	No
Sri Lanka	No	Yes	Yes
St Kitts and Nevis	No	No	Yes
St Vincent and the Grenadines	No	No	Yes
Suriname	No	Yes	No
Sweden	Yes	Yes	No
Switzerland	No	Yes	No

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Tokelau	No	No	Yes
Tonga	No	No	Yes
Trinidad and Tobago	No	No	Yes
Tunisia	No	Yes	No
Tuvalu	No	No	Yes
Turkey	Yes	Yes	No

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Uganda	No	No	Yes
Ukraine	Yes	Yes	No
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island	Yes	Yes	Yes
United Republic of Tanzania	No	No	Yes
United States of America	Yes	No	No
Uruguay	No	Yes	No

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Vanuatu	No	No	Yes

Country	2007 Hague Convention (Child Support)	UNCRAM	Commonwealth Scheme
Zambia	No	No	Yes

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