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Advice on Commonwealth and Foreign Awards

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has a formal policy that requires personnel to obtain approval before wearing any orders, decorations, or medals awarded by other Commonwealth countries or foreign nations.

Current Serving Personnel

If you are currently serving in the NZDF and are awarded a foreign medal, approval for you as an individual is needed before you can wear it.  If approved for you to wear, the medal will be added to your ESS records and listed in your Personal Profile Report. 

Not all Commonwealth and foreign awards will be approved for wear on NZDF uniform.  Each decision is discretionary.  The approving authority varies for each type of award.  Foreign awards require the New Zealand Governor-General's approval; awards from Commonwealth countries require the New Zealand Prime Minister's approval.

Approval for some awards, such as the United States Meritorious Service Medal, is often dependent on the operational area.    If awarded for service in Afghanistan or Iraq, the medal has usually been approved for wear.  The same award for service in other locations may not meet New Zealand's policy for approval for wear.  

If not approved for wear on NZDF uniform, the award is to be recorded in the Additional Achievements and Non-Wearable Awards section of SAP.   Information on the process of uploading awards to SAP can be found by searching "additional achievements" on the internal HR Toolkit application.

For further information:

For questions, please contact Medals Policy - Heritage Commemorations and Protocol Group, HQNZDF.

Lateral Recruits

Personnel who joined the NZDF through lateral recruitment from another country must submit Form MD 1655 to request approval for medals awarded during their prior service overseas.

While the NZDF may approve certain Commonwealth or foreign medals for wear by lateral recruits, NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals does not issue these medals, even if approval has been granted. You will need to obtain the physical medal from the awarding nation or organisation.

Information about United States Awards

Since 1941, approval has been granted to individuals to wear various United States orders, decorations, commendations, and medals.  If presented with a commendation medal or higher-level award, NZDF service members should graciously accept these awards and advise their Service Career Management and NZDF Personnel, Archives, and Medals.  

United States Army Commendation Medals, United States Joint Services Commendation Medals, equivalent Commendation Medals, United States Meritorious Service Medals, United States Defence Meritorious Service Medals, the United States Bronze Star, and the United States Legion of Merit are not to be worn on NZDF uniform until after the Governor-General's approval has been given for that individual to formally accept and wear the award.

In some circumstances, the recipient will not be given approval to wear United States awards and should keep these awards as valued mementoes of their service alongside United States military personnel.  Under current NZDF policy, approval for wear of foreign awards for meritorious service will only be sought on a case-by-case basis if the service was in a warlike operational area (for example, Afghanistan or Iraq).  

Foreign awards not approved for wear

Foreign awards not approved for wear on NZDF uniform is to be recorded in the Additional Achievements and Non-Wearable Awards section of SAP.  Information on the process of uploading awards to SAP can be found by searching "additional achievements" on the internal HR Toolkit application.

United States achievement medals

United States achievement medals, such as the United States Army Achievement Medal and the United States Air Force Achievement Medal, are not submitted for approval for wear because there is no equivalent medal in the New Zealand Honours System. If presented with an achievement medal while deployed overseas, NZDF personnel are to graciously accept these awards and advise your Service Career Management and NZDF Personnel, Archives, and Medals. A copy of the certificate and any accompanying forms will be placed in your military personnel file.  

Service in non-warlike operational theatres

Meritorious service medals awarded for service in South Korea (since 1953), Japan, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Sinai, and other non-warlike operational theatres will not be submitted for approval to wear.  These areas do not meet the NZDF operational threat requirements for medallic recognition.