How you will get your 2023 Census forms

We are delivering census packs from 13 February 2023. Find out how you might receive yours.

2023 Census Family member receiving bilingual pack

Census delivery timeline

In most parts of the country

You should have been delivered what you need to take part in the 2023 Census. This could be:

  • a letter with an access code to let you do the census online
  • paper forms
  • both a letter with an access code and paper forms.

If you have not got what you need yet, please let us know and we will get it to you as soon as possible.

In Hawke's Bay and Te Tairāwhiti

The census collection in the Hawke’s Bay and Te Tairāwhiti has been extended to June 2023, due to the devastating impact of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Census delivery began in April 2023. Census collectors will be in the area until 1 June 2023.

Contact us

We aim to make it as easy as possible for everyone to do the census. But different people will need different things to make it easy.

Because of this, we will deliver census forms and instructions in different ways in different parts of the country. We base this on what we understand from past censuses, and from different communities.

 So depending on where you live or stay, you may get your forms and instructions:

  • before or after others in your community
  • either directly from a census collector, or in the post.

Before census day, we will deliver what you need to do the census

This will come to your dwelling (the place where you live or stay). It will be either:

  • a letter with an access code, which lets you do the census online
  • a letter with an access code, and forms to do the census on paper if you prefer.

No matter where you live, you can choose to do the census online or on paper.

  • If you get paper forms, you can still choose to do the census online.
  • If you do not get paper forms but would like them, you can order them for free.

Thursday 22 June 2023: Orders for new sets of paper forms have now closed.

In some parts of the country, census collectors will deliver census materials to each dwelling

If you live in one of these areas, a census collector will come to your door with a letter and paper forms. They will also offer support to do the census.

If you are not at home, they will either:

  • come back later
  • leave the letter and paper forms in your letterbox

This type of delivery begins on 13 February 2023.

In other parts of the country, census materials will arrive in the post

If you live in one of these areas, keep an eye on your letterbox for either:

  • a letter with an access code
  • a letter with an access code, and paper forms.

This type of delivery begins on 21 February 2023.

In communal or temporary accommodation, the person in charge will supply census materials

Communal or temporary accommodation includes places like hotels, hospitals, and retirement villages.

If you are staying somewhere like this on census day, the person in charge will give you what you need to do the census.

After census day, we will follow up if we have not received your forms

If we have not received all your completed forms after census day, we will be in contact with you. Depending on how we delivered your census materials, we will:

  • visit your dwelling one or more times to collect your forms, or offer support to complete them
  • post reminder letters to your dwelling
  • both visit your dwelling and post you reminder letters.