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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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Last updated: 16 Nov 2023
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