How do you set up RealMe in New Zealand in 2026?

Create the account only at realme.govt.nz. Register an email you control, set a strong password, and add recovery options you will still have after changing phones or flats. If you are still overseas, you can create a login before arrival. Authenticator apps are useful when New Zealand text codes are hard to receive.

Phishing messages that copy Inland Revenue, Immigration New Zealand, or bank branding often push fake RealMe links. Open the site yourself rather than following an unexpected refund or visa email. RealMe never needs your IRD number password from myIR, and myIR remains a separate Inland Revenue account even when RealMe is offered as a login method. Get the tax number through get-ird-number-new-zealand.

A verified identity is a government-issued digital identity linked to your login. It can share name, date of birth, gender, and a photo when you consent. Official RealMe guidance is clear: if a site only says "log in with RealMe", you may need only the login. You do not need verified identity to apply for a New Zealand passport or an Immigration New Zealand visa.

You may need verification for tasks such as some bank digital onboarding flows, replacing a driver licence online, or other services that demand higher assurance. DIA processes verified applications by matching identity details and facial biometrics against official records. People with a New Zealand passport or recent citizenship certificate can often complete the photo step on their own device. Others may need a participating photo store and supporting records, including New Zealand immigration details for some newcomers.

After you submit, expect email confirmation within roughly five to ten working days depending on the current RealMe processing message. You can also verify a New Zealand home address through New Zealand Post's address service later; overseas addresses and PO Boxes do not qualify.

Verified RealMe helps some banks finish electronic identity checks for open-bank-account-new-zealand, but the bank still runs its own AML/CFT process. It does not enrol you in public healthcare or convert a licence. Those remain separate: enrol-public-health-new-zealand and convert-driving-licence-new-zealand.