
Eligibility of children for free dental care
Te āheinga a ngā tamariki ki te manaakitanga ā-niho kore utu
A tamaiti (child) under the age of 18 years is eligible for free dental care if a parent, legal guardian or person applying to be their guardian or adoptive parent has the following immigration status.
- New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.
- Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident (if staying 2 years in New Zealand).
- Work visa holder (if the visa allows them to be in New Zealand for 2 years or longer).
- Interim visa holder (application between visas but needs to be 2 years from time of arrival).
Tamariki (children) of parents who hold a student visa are not eligible until the parents get a work visa and have been in New Zealand for a total of 2 years.
Proof of eligibility
To prove eligibility, you need to provide the following.
- Evidence that the tamaiti is in the care of the adult. For example, a birth certificate, adoption papers or guardianship papers.
- Evidence of the parent's eligibility status. For example, a passport with resident visa, current work visa or interim visa letter.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed March 2025.
Sources
Image and embedded video sources
Image of a child in a dental chair holding a soft toy from Shutterstock (image ID 532482013). March 2022.
Image of a child with a dentist examining her mouth from Shutterstock (image ID 525121021). March 2022.
Image of a teenager brushing her teeth from Shutterstock (image ID 1962557119). March 2022.
Image of a woman holding the side of her face from Shutterstock (image ID 174163370). May 2023.
Image of a young girl smiling from Mychillybin (image ID 100402_1756). January 2016.
Image of an adult in a dentist's chair with a dentist looking in his mouth from Shutterstock (image ID 2116894400). March 2022.
Image of an adult with a dentist's implements in his mouth from Shutterstock (image ID 1892583412). March 2022.
Page reference: 53801
Review key: HIDCC-49010