Vote from overseas!
Follow these steps to make sure your vote counts.
Step 1. Enrol to vote
Update your details by midnight (NZ time) on Sunday 25 October 2026.
Use your New Zealand driver’s licence, New Zealand passport or RealMe verified identity on vote.nz.
When enrolling or updating your details, you:
- Must provide your last New Zealand address where you lived for one month or more as this determines which electorate you’re eligible to vote in
- Should include your email address as this helps us send you information on the 2026 General Election.
Check or update your enrolment here:
Step 2. Get your voting papers
Overseas voting opens on Wednesday 21 October 2026.
Voting papers are not automatically sent to you and you cannot apply for postal votes to be sent from New Zealand or post voting papers back to New Zealand.
Just download your voting papers from vote.nz once overseas voting opens. You may also be able to vote in person at an overseas voting place. Check vote.nz/overseas to find your nearest overseas voting place.
Important: if you’re on the unpublished roll you won’t be able to download your voting papers. Please contact your nearest overseas voting place to vote in person. Check vote.nz/overseas to find your nearest overseas voting place.
Step 3. Complete your voting papers
You have two votes:
- Party Vote – vote for the party you want to form the next government
- Electorate Vote – vote for the candidate you want to be your local MP.
Only the party vote decides who forms a government. If you want National to lead the next government, it’s crucial to give your Party Vote to National.
You can complete your voting papers digitally, or print them, complete them by hand and scan or photograph them. You’ll need a witness, who can also sign the special vote declaration electronically, provided it shows their normal signature.
Step 4. Return your voting papers
Upload your completed voting papers online. They must be received by 7pm (NZ time) on Saturday 7 November 2026.
You can also return your voting papers to an overseas voting place: Check vote.nz/overseas to find your nearest overseas voting place, how it is accepting voting papers and by when (times will vary).
Important: you cannot return your voting papers by email or fax.
Heading overseas during the voting period? Vote before you go.
If you’re in New Zealand during the voting period (Monday 26 October to Saturday 7 November), vote in New Zealand before you head overseas. Information about where and when you can vote will be available at vote.nz soon. Just make sure you are enrolled to vote by 25 October.