Types of minerals permits

These permits are defined in the Crown Minerals Act 1991 and the Minerals Programme for Minerals 2013.

Rules and regulations

Minerals permits are classified as Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3.

Permits do not give the permit holder automatic rights to access the permit area. Generally, for exploration and mining activities, permit holders must arrange land access with the landowner and occupier. For minimum impact activity, 10 days' notice is required (except over special classes of land, such as urban conservation land).

Permits and Land Access in New Zealand [PDF 713KB]

Permit types

Prospecting permits

Prospecting permits give the permit holder the right to prospect for specified minerals. Allowed activities are very low-impact, such as literature searches, geological mapping, hand sampling, offshore sampling (by low-impact mechanical methods), or aerial surveys.

Generally, onshore permits are no larger than 500 square kilometres, and offshore permits have a maximum area of 5,000 square kilometres. Permits are normally granted for 2 years. An extension for up to half the permit area can be granted for 2 years and this can be extended up to a total of 4 years from the permit commencement date.
Permits are granted to the first acceptable work programme. They are normally exclusive (unless a non-exclusive permit is requested).

Exploration permits

Minerals exploration permits give the permit holder the exclusive right to explore for specified minerals in an area.

It is not necessary to have a prospecting permit before applying for an exploration permit. It is common for operators to ‘skip’ a prospecting permit and apply for an exploration permit where ‘higher impact’ work is planned. Permitted activities may include literature reviews, drilling, bulk sampling and mine feasibility studies.

Mineral exploration permit areas are a minimum of 150 hectares.

Permits may be allocated through an acceptable work programme offer, subsequent to a prospecting permit, as part of a competitive process for newly available acreage (NAA), or as part of a Minerals tender.

Ordinarily granted for five years, exploration permits may be extended up to 10 years from commencement, for either half of the area or 150 hectares, whichever is greater. Appraisal extensions are possible for up to 4 years, with a second 4-year extension possible.

There are three ways to apply for a minerals exploration permit:

Mining permits

Minerals mining permits grant the permit holder the exclusive right to mine for specified minerals. Permits are granted where the exact nature and extent of the mineable mineral resource or exploitable mineral deposit is known.

Tier 1 and Tier 2 permits may be allocated for an acceptable work programme offer, subsequent to an exploration permit or as part of a newly available acreage (NAA) allocation process.

Tier 3 permits may only be allocated by acceptable work programme offer.

The size of a Tier 1 permit will reflect the extent of the discovery and the proposed work programme.

Tier 2 permits are ordinarily no larger than 200 hectares for other purposes.

The size and duration of Tier 2 permits reflects the discovery.

Tier 3 permits are no larger than 50 hectares.

Permit tiers and restrictions

NZP&M's tiered system of permit management allocates a Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 status to all permits.

Tier 1 permits are complex, higher-risk and -return mineral operations requiring a more hands-on, proactive management and regulatory regime.

Any permit – irrespective of mineral type, the year of permit’s life, or any threshold amounts – is classified Tier 1 if it:

• relates to an underground operation
• relates to an operation that is wholly or partially 50m or more beyond the seaward side of the mean high-water mark
• is not for a special purpose mining activity.

Tier 2 permits are lower-return industrial, small business, mineral operations needing a simpler, more pragmatic management regime. Tier 2 permits cover prospecting, exploration, mining permits, and any other permit that does not fall under the Tier 1 definition and is not Tier 3.

Tier 3 permits are for small-scale, non-commercial gold mining. This small-scale, non-commercial gold mining activity is sometimes referred to as ‘hobby or recreational mining’ and was previously done under a Tier 2 minerals permit. 

The rules around gold fossicking have not changed.

Prospecting permits

Prospecting permits for gold, silver, platinum group metals, coal, ironsand or any other metallic mineral (excluding alluvial gold) are classified tier 1.

Exploration permits

Exploration permits for gold, silver, platinum group metals, coal, ironsand or any other metallic mineral are classified tier 1 unless the expected total work programme expenditure in relation to the permit for the final 5 years of its life, or for the entire duration (if the permit is less than 5 years) is – in the Minister’s opinion – less than $1,250,000.

Mining permits

Mining permits for gold, silver, and platinum group metals are classified tier 1 if in any one permit year in the next 5 years of its life, the annual royalty will be equal to or more than $50,000

Mining permits for coal, ironsand or any other metallic mineral are classified tier 1 if in any one permit year in the next 5 years of its life, the annual production will be equal to or more than:
•    200,000 tonnes of coal
•    500,000 tonnes of ironsand
•    500,000 tonnes of metallic minerals ore.

Transitioning from a Tier 2 to a Tier 3 permit

If you wish to change from Tier 2 to Tier 3, you may make a proposal to the Crown to do so before close of 11 December 2026. 

Proposals for transitioning from Tier 2 to Tier 3 will open in late 2025.

Even if your Tier 2 permit does not meet the requirements to be Tier 3, you may include proposed changes to your permit so that you can meet the requirements.

If you have a pre-existing application for a Tier 2 permit (including a change of permit) that has not been decided at the time that Tier 3 comes into effect, you may also transition to Tier 3 without making a further application or proposal. We will contact you directly regarding your options.

You will not be able to move from Tier 1 to Tier 3. You also will not be able to move from Tier 3 up to Tier 1 or 2.

Letters will be sent to our current list of Tier 2 ‘hobby or recreational mining’ permit holders asking whether they wish to express an interest in transitioning to a Tier 3 permit at no cost. These letters will inform these permit holders either that: 

• they appear to meet the requirements with no change; or
• they appear to be able to meet the requirements with a few small changes; or 
• they appear to meet the requirements after substantial change. 

Making an application for a new Tier 3 permit

Applications for new Tier 3 permits will open in late 2025.

You can apply either through our online permitting system (OPS) or by submitting a paper form, which will be available on our website.