Alcohol
What is the drinking age in New Zealand? To be safe and have a great experience, you must follow the alcohol laws while you’re studying here. Find out what they are and how to drink alcohol responsibly.
New Zealand drinking culture
Alcohol is a legal drug in New Zealand and is popular with New Zealanders. Typically New Zealanders drink less alcohol than the Irish and British and more than Americans, Canadians and South Africans.
New Zealand drinking culture has changed over the last 30 years. Alcohol is widely available at bottle stores, grocery stores and online. Alcohol has also become a lot cheaper, which means it’s easier to buy.
Most New Zealanders love to socialise over a drink or two at bars, parties, and barbecues. It’s totally fine to join in the fun if you want to, just drink responsibly. If you don't like alcohol or it's not part of your lifestyle, New Zealanders will respect your decision not to drink and they'll usually have a non-alcoholic option available like water, soda (New Zealanders call this 'soft drink' or 'fizzy drink') or juice.
Alcohol laws
The legal age for drinking alcohol in New Zealand is 18+. It’s illegal to give someone under the age of 18 alcohol unless you are their parent or guardian. You could get a $2000NZD fine if you break the rules! You must be 18 years old or older to buy alcohol in New Zealand and you need to show proof of your age.
If you’re under 18 years of age but you're with people who are older than 18 years old, you may still be able to go to a bar with them but you won’t be served alcohol.
To prove that you are 18 years old or older you must have an approved identification (ID) – a driver licence, passport or Kiwi Access card (18+) – to enter places that sell alcohol and to buy it.
Kiwi Access card (18+)
If you don’t have a driver licence or you don't want to take your passport out with you the Kiwi Access card (18+)(external link that opens in a new tab) is another approved ID that you can use to prove you are 18 years old or older and allowed to drink and buy alcohol.
To apply for your Kiwi Access card (18+) you’ll need:
- a passport-sized photograph – you can get one taken at selected pharmacies.
- proof of your address – which can be found on your offer of accommodation, your bank statement or phone bill.
- photo ID to prove who you are – like your passport.
Tip: If you don’t have one of these, you can still apply but you need to bring someone with you who can prove you are 18 years old or older and you need to bring some other form of identification, like a birth certificate.
Drinking and driving
Between 600 and 800 people in New Zealand die each year from alcohol-related causes like car accidents. New Zealand has alcohol limits if you’re drinking and driving:
For drivers under 20 years old the limit is zero alcohol consumption. You must not drink alcohol and then drive if you're under 20 years old.
For drivers 20 years and over there is a breath alcohol limit of 250 micrograms (mcg) of alcohol per litre of breath and a blood alcohol limit of 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. Because everyone is a different height and weight it may take more or less alcohol for you to reach this limit than your friends. It's important to know your limit.
The alcohol limit for driving can be tested through breath testing to measure the number of micrograms of alcohol (mcgs) per litre of breath.
The alcohol limit for driving can be tested through blood testing to measure the number of milligrams of alcohol (mgs) per 100 millilitres (mls) of blood.
Police checks
The Police typically breath test for alcohol. They can ask you for a blood test if you refuse to do a breath test.
There are a lot of things that determine how quickly alcohol is absorbed into your system, including your body type, gender, weight and what you’ve eaten. Remember, even small amounts of alcohol can affect you. Your ability to drive safely can change after one drink.
Most adults may be able to drink two standard drinks over two hours and still drive.
Tip: There’s no safe level of alcohol when you’re driving. If you’re going to drink, don’t drive. Call a taxi (find local taxi numbers in Transport options in your area(external link that opens in a new tab)) a Zoomy(external link that opens in a new tab) or an Uber(external link that opens in a new tab). Or get someone who hasn’t been drinking (we call this a 'sober driver') to drive you home. It’s best to have a plan before you go out.
Standard drinks
A standard drink contains 10g of pure alcohol. This is equivalent to 330ml of beer, 100ml of wine or 32ml of straight spirits. In New Zealand all bottles, cans and casks of alcoholic drinks must be labelled with how many standard drinks they contain. Looking at labels and counting standard drinks is a reliable way of knowing and controlling how much alcohol you are drinking.
The number of standard drinks in different alcoholic drinks varies. It depends on the size of the container and the amount of alcohol it contains. Use this tool to find out how many standard drinks are in typical containers of different types of drinks.(external link that opens in a new tab)
How to drink alcohol responsibly
If you’re over 18 and you want to drink alcohol, be smart about it. Eat a healthy meal before drinking and make sure there is food and water where you’re going. You can also:
- take turns drinking both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (instead of just alcoholic drinks on their own).
- count your drinks.
- avoid 'drinking games' (these are games where the point is usually to get as drunk as possible).
- don’t accept drinks from strangers.
- watch your drink at all times.
- know your limit (how much alcohol it takes before you are drunk) and don't drink more than this.
Remember, drinking alcohol can affect your health in both the short term and the long term. The effect of drinking too much alcohol doesn't stop when your hangover finally goes away!
For more information on staying safe around alcohol, check out Staying safe in New Zealand.
Tip: If you need to talk to someone about any problems you or someone else is having with alcohol or drugs, call the Alcohol Drug Helpline(external link that opens in a new tab). It is a free 24–hour phone counselling service with trained counsellors. Call 0800 787 797.