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  • Get support
    The support you may be able to get depends on your circumstances.
    Currently serving
    While serving, the NZDF will take care of your health and wellbeing issues. If you have qualifying service, we may be able to provide you with home help. Register now with Veterans’ Affairs, and when you need some support, we’ll be ready to help you.
    Ex-serving
    We can provide you with health, rehabilitation and financial support if you have a condition related to your service. We can also provide home help assistance and financial support for you to commemorate your service.
    Family and whānau
    How we can support you, your family and whānau.
    Non-military personnel
    Non-military personnel can have Qualifying Operational Service in certain circumstances.
    Entitlements, services, and support
    Eligibility for these entitlements, services, and support will depend on your own circumstances.
  • Remembrance
    We're proud to honour the service of the veteran community.
    Services Cemeteries and plaques and headstones
    We help look after Services Cemeteries. We're also able to contribute towards plaques and headstones.
    Commemorative funding
    There are two types of financial contributions available from the Commemorative Fund.
    Medals and service records
    The NZ Defence Force's Personnel Archives and Medals team ​administer medals and hold most New Zealand military service records.
    ​When someone dies
    We may be able to provide support when someone who had Qualifying Service dies.
    Your family's military history
    Learning more about your family's military history is a great way to honour their service.
    Certificate of Appreciation and Veterans' Pins
    The Certificate of Appreciation and Veteran's Pin recognise operational service.
    NZ Post Stamps
    This series of stamps explores the stories of 6 veterans deployed after 1995. You can purchase the stamps on the NZ Post website.
  • Eligibility
    To be eligible to receive support from us, you — or certain family members — need to have Qualifying Service.
    Check your eligibility
    Check the support, services, or entitlements you may be able to get from us.
    Qualifying Service
    To get support from us you — or certain family members — need to have Qualifying Service.
    Living outside NZ
    You can still get support from us even if you live outside NZ.
    Eligibility criteria for family and dependants
    You may be able to get support if you're the spouse, partner, child or dependant of someone with Qualifying Service.
    Veterans of foreign militaries
    Veterans' Affairs New Zealand was established to support New Zealand veterans.
  • For clients
    We put veterans and our clients at the heart of everything we do.
    If you have a question at any stage, please contact us — we're here to help.
    How we'll work with you
    We'll work with you to help you get the best support available.
    Your treatment card
    Your treatment card helps you get no-cost treatment and medication for your approved conditions.
    Your rights and responsibilities
    ​We want to make sure you have the best possible experience when you deal with us.
    Payments
    Information on payment rates and dates.
    How we make decisions
    We use a number of tools and processes to make decisions. This helps ensure each decision we make is fair and treats our clients consistently.​
    Living outside NZ
    You can still get support from us even if you live outside NZ.
    Other benefits
    You may be able to access a range of discounts and benefits. Not only that, your family may get access too.
    Information about claims
    Information on processing times, how to make a claim, and what happens next.
    Te reo Māori
    Read some of our key pages in te reo Māori.
  • For providers
    Information for providers of services to Veterans' Affairs and our clients.
    Treatment cards and letters
    To help you identify our clients, we issue treatment cards and letters.
    Invoicing us
    How to invoice us to ensure we pay you quickly and correctly.
    Treating our clients
    Information for healthcare professionals providing treatment to our clients.
    Councils and local authorities
    Guidance for councils and local authorities relating to services cemeteries and memorials
    Forms
    Forms for our clients, family and whānau, and our providers.
    Audiologists
    Schedules of fees, invoicing and application instructions, and information for treating hearing needs.
    How military service affects the health of veterans
    Veterans can experience physical and mental health conditions disproportionately compared to the general public. Different NZDF 'operations' may be linked to higher rates of specific conditions. Understanding a veteran's service can help you to understand their health.
    Transition Health Check
    A post-release health assessment for veterans.
    We will be using ProCare to reimburse treatment costs in 2026
    We will be changing the provider for claiming and reimbursing medical and pharmacy costs associated with a veteran’s service-related condition.

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Displaying 1-10 of 353 results for "2026 ako center guide"

  • Veterans' Medical Research Trust Fund

    From time to time, the Veterans’ Health Advisory panel call for proposals for research that benefits the health and wellbeing of New Zealand Veterans. This research is funded from the interest...

  • Your rights and responsibilities

    This is a guide to: what you can expect from us what we expect from you. There's also information on what to do if you are not happy with our service or a decision we have made....

  • Minister's end of year message

    Chris Penk | Minister for Veterans As we approach Christmas and the summer break, many of us will be taking time to rest, to reconnect with family, and to look back on the year that has been. For our...

  • Style guide

    On this page About this guide How we write Grammar and punctuation Links, URLs, and filenames Lists Numbers, dates and times Symbols, currency and abbreviations Headings, summaries and paragraphs...

  • Entitlements, services, and support

    About the Entitlements, services, and support page This section of our website contains information on all the entitlements, services, and support we offer. Eligibility for some of these will depend...

  • Have your say on the draft Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2025–2029

    Suicide affects far too many New Zealand families, whānau and communities. Suicide prevention efforts in New Zealand are guided by Every Life Matters – He Tapu te Oranga o ia Tangata: Suicide...

  • Minor changes to six Statements of Principles, 12 March 2026

    On 12 March 2026, minor changes were made under section 24 of the Veterans’ Support Act 2014 to: both Statements of Principles for sensorineural hearing loss both Statements of Principles for suicide...

  • Korean War — the Revisit Korea Programme

    The Korean Embassy and the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) would like to invite and pay the travel expenses for New Zealand veterans of the Korean War and one...

  • News and events

    Latest news See all Recognising the value of veterans 15 June 2026 Veteran Supporting Air Force veterans and their families 12 June 2026 Family or whānau New veterans' support centre in Tauranga...

  • Thinking about leaving?

    There are a number of reasons you may want to leave the New Zealand Defence Force. You should think about these reasons to make sure it's the best decision for you.   Get Advice If you are...