Frequently asked questions

• Eligibility and applications

  Eligibility for honours, awards, and medals depends on the type of award, legislation, and NZDF policy. NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals (PAM) handles service-related medals for both current and former members. If you think you or someone you know might be eligible, you can get in touch with PAM to check eligibility and request the medal.

  Apply for medals

• Processing times

  We strive to handle all requests as quickly as possible, but the time required can vary based on the volume of requests and the specifics of your enquiry. This means that, in some cases, we may not be able to provide you with the information you need within the statutory OIA time period, which is 20 days. We appreciate your patience and are working on rectifying this situation as quickly as possible.

• Duplicates and replacements

  The NZDF does not provide duplicate sets of medals under any circumstances. You can obtain duplicate medals and replacement medal ribbons through commercial providers, which you can find by searching online or using the Yellow Pages.

  Replacement medals can only be purchased during the lifetime of current and former NZDF serving members, and the cost is covered by the applicant. When we receive your request, Personnel Archives and Medals will issue a quote for the cost of replacing the lost medal.

• Wearing and caring for honours

  The wearing of honours, medals, and awards is governed by a number of rules, which vary depending on who’s wearing them, their dress and the type of event. The guidance below is designed to demystify honours protocol and help New Zealanders wear them appropriately.

  Protocols for military personnel, civilians, and families

  NZDF Guide to the Order of Wear

  Mounting and caring for medals

• Medal mounting and medal ribbon bars

  The NZDF does not offer medal mounting services or provide medal ribbon bars for former service members and their families. Unfortunately, we cannot recommend a medal mounter, so we suggest finding one near you by searching online or using the Yellow Pages.

  Medal mounting and the provision of medal ribbon bars at public (NZDF) expense are available only to current NZDF personnel because wearing medals on their uniform is a requirement of their employment.

• Requesting service information

  The NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals holds about 1.5 million service records for 420,000 New Zealand service personnel who served in the military post-WWI. While these records are not currently digitised, we can help you locate the information you need. You can also book an appointment to view the records in Trentham by filling out the form on our Service Record page.

  Request a service record