Philippine-New Zealand Bilateral Relations

The bilateral relations between the Philippines and New Zealand were formally established on 06 July 1966. From then on, the two countries maintain regular high-level engagements and foreign ministry consultations aimed at deepening ties across multiple areas.

The relationship is supported by strong people-to-people ties, including the 108,000 vibrant Filipino diaspora in New Zealand, tourism exchanges, and cooperations in education.

Defence cooperation between PH and NZ has grown substantially, highlighted by the signing of a Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement (MLSA) in 2024 to enhance future military engagements and the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) signed in April 2025 to enable joint exercises and other military cooperation activities. These agreements reflect a deeper security partnership amid shared concerns about regional stability.

Economic ties between the Philippines and New Zealand are substantial and steadily expanding, with the Philippines ranking as New Zealand’s 21st largest trading partner and among its key partners in Southeast Asia. Bilateral trade spans a wide range of goods and services, including dairy products, machinery, travel, and telecommunications, and is supported by regional trade frameworks such as the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

In April 2024, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. reaffirmed their commitment to deepen economic engagement, setting a target to increase bilateral trade by at least 50% by 2030.

Leaders from both sides have agreed to elevate relations toward a Comprehensive Partnership by 2026, marking the 60th Anniversary of Philippine-New Zealand Diplomatic Relations and reflecting an intent to expand collaboration in trade, energy, recruitment and rights of workers, elimination of trafficking, security, maritime, education, culture, tourism, sports, and climate change, among others.

The recent significant milestones in PH-NZ relations are the 6th Bilateral Defense Talks in February 2026 in Wellington, Inaugural Vice Ministerial Foreign Ministry Consultations in August 2025 in Manila, Inaugural Maritime Dialogue in June 2025 in Manila and signing of the PH-NZ SOVFA in April 2025 in Malacanan Palace.

Philippines and New Zealand have had high-level exchanges of visits since then. For Philippines:

  • President Fidel V. Ramos undertook a state visit to New Zealand in August 1995;
  • President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo undertook a state visit to New Zealand in May 2007;
  • Secretary Albert del Rosario undertook an official visit to New Zealand in August 2012;
  • President Benigno S. Aquino undertook a state visit to New Zealand in October 2012;
  • President Rodrigo Roa Duterte visited Auckland, New Zealand, during stopovers on his way to and from Peru for the APEC Leaders Meeting on 19-20 November 2016 and was received by New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully in November 2016;
  • Secretary of Cabinet Leoncio Evasco visited New Zealand as an ASEAN Prime Minister’s Fellow, meeting Prime Minister Bill English and Minister of Foreign Affairs Gerry Brownlee in May 2017; and
  • CHED Chairman J. Prospero E. De Vera III spearheaded the Philippine Higher Education Mission to Wellington, New Zealand on 19-23 August 2024 for the signing of the CHED-NZQA Joint Statement.

For New Zealand:

  • Foreign Minister Murray McCully visited the Philippines in July 2012;
  • Trade Minister Tim Groser led a business mission to the Philippines in June 2014;
  • Prime Minister John Key visited for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November 2015;
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs Gerry Brownlee visited Manila for the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting in August 2017;
  • Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Foreign Minister Winston Peters attended the East Asia Summit and related meetings in Manila in November 2017;
  • Member of Parliament (MP) Honorable Simon Bridges, Hon. Gerry Brownlee, Hon. Mark Mitchell, and Hon. Paulo Garcia, visited the country to meet with counterparts and other Philippine officials in January 2020;
  • Minister for Pacific Peoples and Courts and Associate Minister for Foreign Affairs Aupito William Sio visited for the 55th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank Board of Governors in September 2022;
  • Prime Minister Christopher Luxon undertook official visit in April 2024;
  • Foreign Minister Winston Peters undertook official visit in June 2024;
  • Defence Minister Judith Collins KC MP undertook official visit in April 2025; and,
  • Mr. Bede Corry, Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Chief Executive, undertook official visit for the Inaugural Vice Ministerial Foreign Ministry Consultations in August 2025.

Agreements with New Zealand in the fields of defense cooperation, development, agriculture, education, energy, labor, food safety, penal matters, visa, air services, environment, fiscal matters, trade, and postal matters are as follows:

  • Philippines-New Zealand Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA), 30 April 2025
  • Arrangement between the Department of Agriculture of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry for Primary Industries of New Zealand Regarding Cooperation on Sanitary and Phytosanitary and Certification Matters, 5 March 2018
  • Amended Memorandum of Arrangement between the Department of National Defense of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of Defense of New Zealand and the New Zealand Defense Force concerning defense cooperation, 14 November 2017
  • Exchange of letters to the Discussions in relation to temporary employment in New Zealand of Nurses, Farm Managers and Engineering Professionals for Philippine nationals, 27 February 2017
  • Arrangement between the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health of the Philippines and the Ministry for Primary Industries of New Zealand regarding safety cooperation, 18 January 2026
  • Arrangement on the principles and controls on the recruitment and protection of Filipino workers in New Zealand, 17 September 2015
  • Proposed amendments by New Zealand on the text of 2007 Air services agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and New Zealand, 12 November 2014
  • Memorandum of understanding between the delegations representing the aeronautical authorities of New Zealand and the Republic of the Philippines to discuss amendments to the air services arrangements pursuant to the Agreement on air services, 06 March 2014
  • Arrangement between the Republic of the Philippines and New Zealand on Geothermal Energy Cooperation, 29 October 2012, Manila, 12 December 2012
  • Arrangements on a working holiday scheme between the Republic of the Philippines and New Zealand, 23 October 2012
  • Memorandum of arrangement between the Department of National Defense of the Republic of the Philippines and the Ministry of Defence of New Zealand and the New Zealand Defence Force concerning Defense Cooperation, 23 October 2012, entered into force on 26 November 2013
  • Memorandum of agreement on labour cooperation between the Republic of the Philippines and New Zealand, 09 December 2008
  • Memorandum for agreement on environmental cooperation between the Republic of the Philippines and New Zealand, 04 November 2008, entered into force on 08 October 2008
  • Arrangement between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Republic of the Philippines and the Department of Conservation, New Zealand on cooperation in management, research and protection of natural protected areas, 08 May 2008
  • Arrangement between the Republic of the Philippines and New Zealand on Law Enforcement Cooperation to combat transnational crime, 27 May 2007
  • Protocol amending the convention between the government of the Republic of the Philippines and the government of New Zealand for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, 21 February 2002, ratified on 17 August 2004
  • Note verbale of the government of New Zealand regarding to the instrument of ratification to the convention for the prohibition of fishing with long driftness in the South Pacific, done at Wellington, on 24 November 1989 by the Republic of Palau on 21 January 1999, 13 May 1999 and 15 February 2000
  • Memorandum of understanding between the government of the Republic of the Philippines and the government of New Zealand concerning the deployment of a New Zealand Air Force contingent in the Philippines for the purposes of the Cope Thunder exercises, 21 October 1982
  • Memorandum of understanding between the government of the Republic of the Philippines and the government of New Zealand concerning the deployment of a New Zealand Special air service contingent in the Philippines for the purposes of the Special Warfare exercise 1982, 5 February 1982
  • Protocol of exchange, 14 May 1981
  • Convention between the government of New Zealand for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, 29 April 1980
  • Instrument of ratification for the Convention between the government of New Zealand and the government of the Republic of the Philippines for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, 29 April 1980
  • Memorandum of understanding between the government of the Republic of the Philippines and the government of New Zealand concerning a five-year energy cooperation program, 27 January 1980
  • Trade agreement between the government of the Republic of the Philippines and the government of New Zealand, 30 November 1976
  • Trade agreement between the government of New Zealand and the Republic of the Philippines, 19 July 1968

Under Parliamentary Democracy and a Commonwealth Realm system, New Zealand recognizes King Charles III as Chief of State, while being represented by Governor-General Dame Alcyion Cynthia (Cindy) Kiro GNZM, QSO since 21 September 2021. Its Head of Government is Prime Minister Christopher Luxon as of 14 October 2023.