NSNs in early learning services

Licensed early learning services are required to record NSNs for all enrolled children as a condition of funding. The NSN also forms part of the attendance and enrolment information that you must provide to us.

Checking NSNs for enrolments

Children need an NSN as soon as they enrol at your early learning service.

The first service that a child enrols with will create the NSN. Other services can then search for the NSN and allocate it to the child. Each child should have only one unique NSN. If you find a child has more than 1 NSN, you need to inform us immediately.

Search in your student management system (SMS) or ELI web to see if the child already has an NSN. This search should use the child’s full name (including middle names), date of birth and gender as recorded on the child’s official identification documentation (or enrolment form if no documentation has been provided).

If you find a match for the child's record, use this NSN.

Creating an NSN

If you don't find a match, create a new NSN. Only create a new NSN if you are sure the child does not already have one allocated (this could have been done by another service).

You need one of the following official identification documents to create an NSN:

• birth certificate
• passport
• New Zealand citizenship certificate.

For children from the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau, you can also use a:

• Certificate of Naturalisation.
• Certificate of Registration.
• Letter of Confirmation.

Allocating an NSN without official documents

You can still allocate an NSN without an official identification document if there is an existing match. Contact us if the child does not have an NSN and you do not have the official identification document. We will create an unverified NSN for the child. The child can enrol and attend your early learning service with an unverified NSN.

When we have created the unverified NSN, you need to search for the unverified NSN in your system and allocate it to the child.

Ask the parents or caregivers to provide an official identification document within the first 2 weeks of enrolment.

When you receive the official identification document you can verify the NSN. After the verification, email us a copy of the identity verification document so we can update the NSN.

Keeping identification records

We recommend keeping a record of which documents have been sighted. We may require a copy of an official identity document to help with identity verification for data quality purposes.

You can keep a copy of the official identification document if this is your usual process. You must keep copies in a secure location and only give access to staff who need to view it.