Skip to main content Skip to navigation
Back to top anchor
Home The Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand
Page url
  • Home
  • News and Events
  • Contact us
  • Tours and Education
Open search Close search
  • The Governor-General
    • Biography of The Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro, GNZM, QSO
    • Biography of Dr Richard Davies
    • Media statements
    • Speeches by The Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro
    • The Governor-General's blog
  • Office of the Governor-General
    • Coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort
      • About the Coronation service
      • The King of New Zealand
      • Get involved
      • Coronation events
    • Roles and functions of the Governor-General
      • Constitutional role
        • New Zealand’s Constitution
          • On the Constitution of New Zealand
          • The Queen's constitutional and public ceremonial roles
        • Credentials ceremonies
        • The Executive Council
        • The Reserve Powers
        • The Royal prerogative of mercy
      • Ceremonial role
        • Investiture ceremonies
        • New Zealand Royal Honours
      • Community role
      • International Role
    • Conditions of Appointment
      • Administrator of the Government
      • The Governor-General Act
      • The Governor-General's Flag
    • History
      • New Zealand's Governor-General - an historical perspective
      • Former Governors-General
    • Invitations, patronage and cards
      • Invitations for the Governor-General
        • Dress code for Government House events
      • Hosting the Governor-General
      • Order of precedence in New Zealand
      • Applying for vice-regal patronage
      • Current Vice-regal patronages
      • Congratulatory messages
    • Contacting the Governor-General
      • Guidance for writing to the Governor-General
    • Official portraits
    • Royal Commission Reports
  • Government House
    • Government House Wellington
      • Government House tours
        • Accessibility Information
        • Group tours
        • School tours
          • Educational resources
      • Rooms of Government House
        • Bledisloe Conservatory
        • Blundell and Porritt Rooms
        • Fitzroy Room
        • Galway and guest suites
        • Liverpool Room
        • Main Hallway
        • Maota Ariki
        • The Ballroom
        • The Council Room
        • The Landing
        • The Norrie State Dining Room
        • The Taupaepae
      • Artwork and artifacts
        • Carved coats of arms
          • The carvers and timber
          • Understanding an Achievement of Arms
          • The Designs
          • New Zealand elements
      • Government House centenary
      • Government House conservation
        • Conservation rationale
        • The project in detail
    • Government House Auckland
      • Visiting Government House Auckland
      • The gardens at Government House Auckland
    • Other Government Houses
    • Staff at Government House
      • Management of Government House

Browse all sections

  • The Governor-General
    • Biography of The Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro, GNZM, QSO
    • Biography of Dr Richard Davies
    • Media statements
    • Speeches by The Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro
    • The Governor-General's blog
  • Office of the Governor-General
    • Coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort
      • About the Coronation service
      • The King of New Zealand
      • Get involved
      • Coronation events
    • Roles and functions of the Governor-General
      • Constitutional role
        • New Zealand’s Constitution
        • Credentials ceremonies
        • The Executive Council
        • The Reserve Powers
        • The Royal prerogative of mercy
      • Ceremonial role
        • Investiture ceremonies
        • New Zealand Royal Honours
      • Community role
      • International Role
    • Conditions of Appointment
      • Administrator of the Government
      • The Governor-General Act
      • The Governor-General's Flag
    • History
      • New Zealand's Governor-General - an historical perspective
      • Former Governors-General
    • Invitations, patronage and cards
      • Invitations for the Governor-General
        • Dress code for Government House events
      • Hosting the Governor-General
      • Order of precedence in New Zealand
      • Applying for vice-regal patronage
      • Current Vice-regal patronages
      • Congratulatory messages
    • Contacting the Governor-General
      • Guidance for writing to the Governor-General
    • Official portraits
    • Royal Commission Reports
  • Government House
    • Government House Wellington
      • Government House tours
        • Accessibility Information
        • Group tours
        • School tours
      • Rooms of Government House
        • Bledisloe Conservatory
        • Blundell and Porritt Rooms
        • Fitzroy Room
        • Galway and guest suites
        • Liverpool Room
        • Main Hallway
        • Maota Ariki
        • The Ballroom
        • The Council Room
        • The Landing
        • The Norrie State Dining Room
        • The Taupaepae
      • Artwork and artifacts
        • Carved coats of arms
      • Government House centenary
      • Government House conservation
        • Conservation rationale
        • The project in detail
    • Government House Auckland
      • Visiting Government House Auckland
      • The gardens at Government House Auckland
    • Other Government Houses
    • Staff at Government House
      • Management of Government House
  1. Home
  2. Office of the Governor-General
  3. Roles and functions of the Governor-General
  4. Constitutional role
  5. Credentials ceremonies

Credentials ceremonies

The Ambassador of the Republic of Suriname, His Excellency Dr Lloyd Lucien Pinas hongis with a member of the cultural party
The Ambassador of the Republic of Suriname, His Excellency Dr Lloyd Lucien Pinas hongis with a member of the cultural party at a credentials ceremony at Government House in Wellington

Ambassadors and High Commissioners present their credentials to the Governor-General of New Zealand at ceremonies held at Government House throughout the year.

Credentials are a letter from an Ambassador or High Commissioner’s Head of State appointing them as their diplomatic representative.

Credentials ceremonies are an important part of the Governor-General’s constitutional and ceremonial duties. The ceremony has a distinctively New Zealand character, and welcomes the new Head of Mission to Government House and New Zealand.

The pōwhiri or traditional Māori welcome is followed by the inspection of a New Zealand Defence Force guard of honour. The Head of Mission-designate then heads inside Government House to formally present their credentials to the Governor-General.

High Commissioners that have His Majesty King Charles III as their Head of State do not present credentials to the Governor-General, and instead present a letter of introduction from their Prime Minister to the Prime Minister of New Zealand.However, at a later date they are formally welcomed to New Zealand by the Governor-General at Government House along with Heads of Mission presenting their credentials.

The order in which each Head of Mission presents their credentials is determined by the date and time of envoy’s arrival in New Zealand and establishes an Ambassador or High Commissioner’s precedence in the Diplomatic Corps.

List of diplomatic representatives to New Zealand

 

Sidebar anchor
In this section
  • Coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort
  • Roles and functions of the Governor-General
    • Constitutional role
      • New Zealand’s Constitution
      • Credentials ceremonies
      • The Executive Council
      • The Reserve Powers
      • The Royal prerogative of mercy
    • Ceremonial role
    • Community role
    • International Role
  • Conditions of Appointment
  • History
  • Invitations, patronage and cards
  • Contacting the Governor-General
  • Official portraits
  • Royal Commission Reports

New Zealand Royal Honours and Investitures

Image of the insignia of the New Zealand Royal Honours system

 

The Governor-General holds investiture ceremonies for New Zealand Royal Honours on behalf of The King.

Information for recipients

Find out more about the honours system

Content wrapper

Help us improve the Governor-General website

Your feedback is very important in helping us improve the the Governor-General website.


More menu anchor

Back to top

The Governor-General
  • Biography of The Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro, GNZM, QSO
  • Biography of Dr Richard Davies
  • Media statements
  • Speeches by The Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro
  • The Governor-General's blog
Office of the Governor-General
  • Coronation of King Charles III and the Queen Consort
  • Roles and functions of the Governor-General
  • Conditions of Appointment
  • History
  • Invitations, patronage and cards
  • Contacting the Governor-General
  • Official portraits
  • Royal Commission Reports
Government House
  • Government House Wellington
  • Government House Auckland
  • Other Government Houses
  • Staff at Government House
News and events
  • News archive
Publications
  • Publications archive
  • Historical essays
  • Media statements
  • Speeches
  • Image galleries
  • Image search

© Copyright 2023 Government House.

  • Contact us
  • Copyright and licensing
  • Privacy
  • Site map
Visit the Homepage | New Zealand Government Visit the Homepage | New Zealand Government
New Zealand Government