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Service records

Most New Zealand military service records are held by New Zealand Defence Force's Personnel Archives and Medals.

You can access:

  • your own service records if you are — or have been — a member of the NZ Defence Force
  • the records of someone who’s deceased if you’re eligible.

If you would like the service records of someone who has recently deceased, NZDF can supply them within 24 hours with no charge. 
This is a special arrangement to provide information for funeral services. Other applications will take longer.

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Apply for your own records

You can apply for your own records if you are — or have been — a member of the NZ Defence Force. This includes the Royal New Zealand Navy, New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Air Force, and their territorial, reserve, and auxiliary forces.

If you're a current member of the NZ Defence Force

Contact your single service career management team to request a copy of your military records.

If you're a former member of the NZ Defence Force

Apply for service records(external link)

Contact New Zealand Defence Force’s Personnel Archives and Medals(external link)

Apply for the records of someone who’s deceased

You can apply for a copy of someone else's service records if they are deceased. You do not need to be related to them. 

If the person, whose records you are applying for, died after leaving the military you may need to show they are deceased. You could do this by providing:

  • a copy of their death certificate
  • a copy of a newspaper death notice
  • a copy of their funeral service sheet, or
  • a photograph of the headstone.

You will need to know the person’s full name, date of birth and service number.

Apply for records(external link)

Contact New Zealand Defence Force’s Personnel Archives and Medals(external link)