Criminal Record Check – Required for All International Working Holiday Programs
To take part in an International Working Holidays program, you’ll need to complete a full Criminal Record Check if you live in New Zealand, or provide an official Police Check from your home country if you live outside New Zealand.
NZ Applicants – Criminal Record Check Process
If you live in New Zealand, you can complete your Criminal Record Check through us using the steps below.
If you live outside New Zealand, you will need to apply for an official Police Check through the relevant authority in your home country and provide a copy as part of your application.
How it works for New Zealand applicants
- Add the Criminal Record Check to your cart and complete payment.
- After payment, you’ll be redirected to download the official application form.
- Complete pages 2 and 3 of the form (not including the guide), then send all pages back to us along with a copy of your photo ID.
- We will lodge your application with NZ Police, and the results will be sent directly to us.
Important to know
Purchasing this product covers the NZ Police processing fee only. It does not complete your police check.
To finalise your application, you must complete, sign, and return the form to us.
Urgent Checks (If You’re Leaving in Under 6 Weeks)
If your departure is within the next 6 weeks, please select our Urgent MOJ Criminal Record Check instead.
This option is more expensive but is processed in approximately 3 days.
Third-Party Police Check
This service is available only for clients of International Working Holidays.
Processing is automatic and typically takes 4–6 weeks.
After payment, you will be able to download the application form. Please complete the form and email it back to us so we can submit it to the police on your behalf.
You cannot send this form directly to the police — International Working Holidays holds a designated processing account with them.
Your Police Check result is returned to International Working Holidays as either a “result” or “no result.” It does not come on official letterhead and cannot be used for any personal purposes outside of our screening requirements for IWH programs and projects.
If you require a Criminal Record Check for employment, your CV, or any other purpose, please use our Urgent Criminal Record Check service.
If you’re looking for the free MOJ check, you can find it here.