Incorporating a credit union

You may apply to incorporate as a credit union if your organisation has:

• a membership of not less than 21 adults (over the age of 18)
• rules that comply with section 100A of the Act
• objects that are set out in section 101 of the Act, and
• a common bond between the members.

In your application to the Registrar of Friendly Societies and Credit Unions, you must have at least one officer who either:

• lives in New Zealand, or
• lives in a country, state or territory outside New Zealand, and is a director or officer of a body corporate incorporated in that country, state or territory.

The information and supporting documents you need to provide

1. A written application to incorporate a credit union. The application must be signed by each of the 21 applicants and include the names, addresses and designations of the officers.
2. A copy of your credit union’s rules. These must include the provisions set out in Schedule 4 of the Act.

We recommend you seek independent legal advice if you are considering incorporating a new credit union.

File formats for uploading documents

Any application or supporting documents you upload must be:

• clear and easily read
• saved in PDF format
• no larger than 20MB.

Fees and levies apply

When you apply, you must pay an application fee of $245.13 (plus GST). This fee includes both a Financial Markets Authority (FMA) levy and an External Reporting Board (XRB) levy.

Payment options

We offer two payment options for paying fees — credit or debit card, and direct debit. To pay by direct debit, you will need to set up the facility several days before you apply to register your credit union.

How to apply online

You will need:

• a RealMe® login
• card details or a direct debit to pay the fees.

If it is your first time registering a credit union with us, or updating details for another credit union, you will be prompted for information to set up an online account with us.

For help check our guides

Step by step

1. Select the option below ‘Apply to incorporate your credit union’
2. Log in using your RealMe login.
3. Enter the credit union’s name.
4. Upload the documents, including your:
   • written application (Registration form), and
   • rules document.
5. Submit your application and pay the fees.
6. Wait for the payment confirmation before closing the window.
   Find out what payment options are available.

Incorporate a new credit union

We will send you an email confirming that your application has been submitted. We will then review your application and contact you if we have any questions or need any further information.

If we accept your application, we will email you to confirm that your credit union has been incorporated. If we reject your application, we will email you and outline the reasons why.

You can check the status of your application by logging into the Credit Unions Register. Choose the ‘Filing Services’ option to view any applications that are in progress. If your application status shows as ‘Draft’ you can edit or discard it by choosing the drop-down arrow alongside the filing service.

Check the status of an update

Last updated September 2025