Recognition
The NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals (PAM) team is responsible for issuing war, operational, and service medals to current and former members of the New Zealand Defence Force. Within the limits of the Privacy Act 2020, we can also provide guidance on medal entitlements and help you find out what medals have already been issued.
Submitting an application
- For yourself
- On behalf of someone else
Information & evidence you will need
- Your full name, phone number and postal address
- The service person's full name and any alias/other names
- Their service number (if known)
- The branch they served in (Navy, Army, or Air Force)
- Approximate dates of their service
- Any deployments, operations, or campaign involvement
- If deceased: Proof of relationship, notification of death and signed permission of the legal beneficiary of the will or person with best legal entitlement
- If living: Authorisation of the individual concerned. If you cannot do this because the person concerned is unable to provide this authorisation, then we will need to receive a signed request from the person who holds the relevant Power of Attorney. In this case, we will also require a copy of the Power of Attorney documents for verification purposes.
Processing times and things to know
We strive to handle all requests as quickly as possible, but the time required can vary based on the volume of requests and the specifics of your enquiry. This means that, in some cases, we may not be able to provide you with the information you need within the statutory OIA time period, which is 20 days. We appreciate your patience and are working on rectifying this situation as quickly as possible.
We’ll contact you if we need more information. Please be aware that only one original issue of medals is provided. If you’ve previously received your medals, you may need to apply for replacements instead.
Cost
- There is no cost to apply for or receive previously unclaimed medals. However, if your request involves significant research under the Official Information Act, a charge may apply. We’ll let you know before any costs are incurred.
- Replacement medals are only available during the lifetime of current and former NZDF service members. The applicant must cover the cost, and the Personnel Archives and Medals team will provide a quote once your request has been received.
- NZDF does not provide replica medals. Only one original issue is available per person. Miniatures or duplicates can be purchased from licensed medal dealers.