New Zealand honours order of wearing

The order of wear for decorations and awards within New Zealand's honours system is published by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Order of wear

Many awards come from the orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom. Medals in bold are distinctly New Zealand awards.

Special awards

Victoria Cross and Victoria Cross for New Zealand VC
New Zealand Cross NZC
George Cross GC

Orders

Knight/Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter KG/LG
Knight/Lady of Order of the Thistle KT/LT
Knight/Dame Grand Cross of Order of the Bath GCB
Member of the Order of Merit OM
Member of the Order of New Zealand ONZ
Baronet/Baronetess (Bt., Bart. or Btss.)
Knight/Dame Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit GNZM (formerly Principal Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit – PCNZM)
Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George GCMG
Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order GCVO
Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire GBE
Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour CH
Knight/Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit KNZM/DNZM (formerly Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit – DCNZM)
Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath KCB/DCB
Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George KCMG/DCMG
Knight/Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order KCVO/DCVO
Knight/Dame Commander Order of the British Empire KBE/DBE
Knight Bachelor Confers the title of Sir with no postnominals
Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit CNZM
Companion of the Order of the Bath CB
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George CMG
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order CVO
Commander of the Order of the British Empire CBE
New Zealand Gallantry Star NZGS
New Zealand Bravery Star NZBS
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order DSO
Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order LVO
Companion of the King's Service Order KSO
Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit ONZM
Officer of the Order of the British Empire OBE
Companion of the Imperial Service Order ISO
Member of the Royal Victorian Order MVO
Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit MNZM
Member of the Order of the British Empire MBE

Decorations

New Zealand Gallantry Decoration NZGD
New Zealand Bravery Decoration NZBD
Member of the Royal Red Cross RRC
Distinguished Service Cross DSC
Military Cross MC
Distinguished Flying Cross DFC
Air Force Cross AFC
Associate of the Royal Red Cross ARRC
(Insert membership grade) of the Order of St John

Grade I – Bailiff or Dame Grand Cross GCStJ
Grade II – Knight or Dame of Justice or Grace KStJ or DStJ
Grade III – Chaplain ChStJ
Grade III – Commander CStJ
Grade IV – Officer OStJ
Grade V – Member MStJ
Grade VI – Esquire EsqStJ

Medals for gallantry and bravery

Distinguished Conduct Medal DCM
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal CGM
George Medal GM
Distinguished Service Medal DSM (Imperial)
Military Medal MM
Distinguished Flying Medal DFM
Air Force Medal AFM
Queen's Gallantry Medal QGM
New Zealand Gallantry Medal NZGM
New Zealand Bravery Medal NZBM

Medals for meritorious service

Royal Victorian Medal (Gold, Silver, Bronze) RVM
King's Service Medal KSM
New Zealand Antarctic Medal NZAM
New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration DSD
British Empire Medal BEM
Queen's Police Medal for Distinguished Service QPM
Queen's Fire Service Medal for Distinguished Service QFSM

Campaign medals

(Worn in order of date of participation in campaign or operation for which awarded.)

see New Zealand campaign medals

Other service medals

New Zealand Special Service Medal (Nuclear Testing)
New Zealand Special Service Medal (Asian Tsunami)
New Zealand Special Service Medal (Erebus)
Polar Medal (In order of date of award.)
Imperial Service Medal

Jubilee, Coronation and New Zealand Commemoration medals

King George V Coronation Medal, 1911
King George V Silver Jubilee Medal, 1935
King George VI Coronation Medal, 1937
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal, 1953
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, 1977
Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, 2002 (Only for personnel who were awarded the medal while a member of the British forces)
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, 2012
Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, 2022
King Charles III Coronation Medal, 2023
New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal
New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal 1993

Efficiency and long service decorations and medals

New Zealand Meritorious Service Medal (formerly the Medal for Meritorious Service awarded only to members of the New Zealand Army)
New Zealand Defence Meritorious Service Medal
New Zealand Police Meritorious Service Medal
New Zealand Public Service Medal
New Zealand Armed Forces Award
New Zealand Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (formerly the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, Military)
Royal New Zealand Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
Royal New Zealand Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
New Zealand Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
New Zealand Fire Brigades Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
New Zealand Prison Service Medal
New Zealand Traffic Service Medal
New Zealand Customs Service Medal
Efficiency Decoration ED
Efficiency Medal
Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve Decoration RD
Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve Decoration VRD
Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
Air Efficiency Medal AE (post-nominal used only when awarded to an officer)
Queen's Medal For champion shots of the New Zealand Naval Forces
Queen's Medal For champion shots of the Military Forces
Queen's Medal For champion shots of the Air Force
Cadet Forces Medal

Service medals

New Zealand Defence Service Medal

Commonwealth Independence medals

Instituted by the Sovereign. Worn in order of date of award.

Papua New Guinea Independence Medal

Miscellaneous medals

The Service Medal of the Order of St John

Commonwealth awards

Instituted by the Sovereign as Head of State, other than in right of New Zealand or the United Kingdom. Worn in order of date of award. At the discretion of the holder, a Commonwealth award may be worn in a position comparable to, but following, the equivalent New Zealand or British Order, Decoration or Medal.

International Force East Timor Medal
Australian Defence Medal (for ex-members of the ADF)

Other Commonwealth awards

Instituted by Commonwealth countries of which the Sovereign is not Head of State. Instituted since 1949, otherwise than by the Sovereign, and awards by the states of Malaysia and the State of Brunei. Worn in order of date of award. These awards may only be worn when The Sovereign’s permission has been given.

Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal

United States awards and decorations

These awards may only be worn when the Sovereign’s permission has been given.

United States Bronze Star Medal
United States Army Commendation Medal
United States Army Achievement Medal
United States Antarctica Service Medal

Foreign medals

Korean War Service Medal
South Vietnamese Campaign Medal
Zimbabwe Independence Medal (Approved for restricted wear only)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Approved for restricted wear only)
Multinational Force and Observers Medal
Timor Leste Solidarity Medal

United Nations medals

Source:

United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation Medal (UNTSO)
United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan Medal (UNMOGIP)
United Nations Service Medal for Korea
United Nations Emergency Force Medal
United Nations Observation Group in Lebanon (UNOGIL)
United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC)
United Nations Yemen Observation Mission (UNYOM)
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)
United Nations India-Pakistan Observation Mission (UNIPOM)
Second United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF II) – Middle East
United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) – Golan Heights
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
United Nations Iran/Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG)
United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) – Namibia
United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM II and UNAVEM III) / United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA)
United Nations Advance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC)
United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) / United Nations Military Liaison Team (UNMLT)
United Nations Operations in Somalia (UNOSOM and UNOSOM II)
United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) – Former Yugoslavia / United Nations Confidence Restoration Operation (UNCRO) – Croatia
United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH)
United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ)
United Nations Preventive Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) – Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES)
United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP)
United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) / United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL)
United Nations Medal for East Timor (UNAMET) (UNTAET) (UNMISET)
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT)
United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)
United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS)
United Nations Special Service Medal

NATO medals

NATO Medal for the Former Yugoslavia
NATO Medal for Non-Article 5 Operations in the Balkans
NATO Medal for the Non-Article 5 ISAF Operation in Afghanistan
NATO Non-Article 5 Medal for Africa
NATO Non-Article 5 Medal for Operation Resolute Support

CSDP medals

Common Security and Defence Policy Service Medal