Every child born in New Zealand receives a birth certificate including the details surrounding the time and place, who the parents are and the sex of the child. It has always been the base document for New Zealand citizens, a confirmation of their place in the world and in the system which subsequently relies on this initial information for many legal and statistical purposes. So it must be correct.
Enter the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Act 2021. The Act allows for a New Zealand Citizen to self-identify. Rights are upheld for transgender, LGBT and intersex, and non-binary New Zealanders. By way of clarification, while self-identification on birth certificates has been allowed since 2018, it is now a simpler process and less intrusive to the applicant. No evidence of a medical procedure needs to be produced.
An applicant may apply to the Family Court stating that the information on the birth certificate is incorrect. It must be stated that the applicant now has a different gender identity from the one specified on the birth certificate. Some ancillary information is required also; a lawyer will be able to assist with completing the compliance paperwork.
