<P> The Minister of Internal Affairs has the discretion to grant New Zealand citizenship to a person who would otherwise be stateless . </P> <P> The Minister of Internal Affairs has the discretion to grant New Zealand citizenship to any person in exceptional circumstances where to do so would be in the public interest . </P> <P> New Zealand has permitted dual or multiple citizenship since the creation of New Zealand citizenship on 1 January 1949, although dual citizens who actively acquired or exercised their other citizenship could lose their New Zealand citizenship if their continued citizenship was judged "not conducive to the public good". The modern wording is similar; dual citizens may lose New Zealand citizenship by acting "in a manner that is contrary to the interests of New Zealand". A New Zealand citizen who holds another citizenship may renounce their New Zealand citizenship (see below), although this may not be registered if they reside in New Zealand or the country is at war . </P> <P> New Zealand citizenship was granted only to British subjects (exceptions could be made for married women and minors); therefore, New Zealanders who lost British subject status before 1949 were not necessarily entitled to automatic New Zealand citizenship and so would have been required to apply for naturalisation . </P>

Can you hold dual citizenship in new zealand