Where will I find the passenger list of someone who emigrated to New Zealand?

The basic rule of thumb is that, for the period prior to 1890, expect the passenger list to have gone with the passenger and end up in the port of arrival. This means that you should not expect to find a passenger list for an outgoing ship in Scotland and you ought to check sources in the New Zealand first.

Surviving passenger lists of ships arriving in New Zealand are held by the National Archives of New Zealand.

The UK National Archives in London holds passenger lists for vessels leaving the UK between 1890 and 1960 (among the records of the Board of Trade For further details consult the Discovery website. <https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/> [all links accessed 26 April 2026].