Before we can arrange your free STI tests, we need to find you in the New Zealand health system so your laboratory results can be added to your health record. This means we’ll ask for your name and date of birth, so we can look up your NHI number. If you're not a NZ citizen you'll need to upload proof of your eligibility (like your passport and visa) for subsidised healthcare the first time you request a test. 

Information on eligibility (Te Whatu Ora website) 

Sometimes the online Request a Test service can’t find you using your name and date of birth and you need to provide your NHI number. Find out where you can find your NHI number. If you don’t have an NHI number, you need to see a provider in person. You’ll need to show your ID to confirm your identity before you can get an NHI number.

Your results come to us and are held in the laboratory system so that other health providers involved in your care can look up the results if they need to. If you don't want any other provider as part of your care to view your results we can ask the laboratory not to share them.

The request a test form will ask you what body parts you have and what body parts your sexual contacts have. This is so we know what kind of STI tests you need. Different body parts require different types of STI tests.

Your privacy is important to us. Even though we need to know your name and date of birth to find your NHI number, you can have your self-test kit sent to any name and address you want. It will be sent in plain packaging, so people won’t know what’s inside without opening it.

If you’re in the West Coast of the South Island or in a Pathlabs area (Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua Lakes districts), note that your laboratory form – including personal details like your date of birth – will be included inside your parcel.

Read our privacy policy

If you test positive for a notifiable disease – gonorrhoea, HIV, or syphilis – we need to report this to the local Medical Officer of Health at the National Public Health Service. This is to reduce the risk of further spread, to understand how the disease is spreading, and to understand how effective control measures are.

If you test positive, your treatment provider will start the contact tracing process. This means asking about who you’ve recently had sexual contact with to find out who may have been exposed, and asking them to get tested. Many people do this themselves, but some people prefer to get their treatment provider to help.

After you request a test, we’ll process your request then we'll send you a confirmation email with details on next steps.

If you haven't heard from us in five weekdays, make sure you check your junk or spam folder – sometimes our emails end up there. If you still can't find it, email us at contactus@gettestednz.org.nz. 

If you’ve requested to have your self-tests posted, you’ll receive an email with a tracking number so you can track your parcel.

If you want to do any testing at a laboratory, we have to let the laboratory know you’ll be coming. We’ll send you an email from noreplyswa@mail.indici.nz when they’re expecting you. It’s important you wait for this email before you go to the laboratory.

If you use an HIV self-test, it will take about 20 minutes to get your results.

Chlamydia and gonorrhoea self-tests are tested at a laboratory. Different laboratories have different collection and processing times. We’ll get the results to you as soon as we can. 

We recommend dropping off your samples to your nearest laboratory or collection point – this is the fastest way to get your results. 

Or if you asked for a free return envelope, you can send your samples back in this. But this will mean it takes longer to get your results. 

Different laboratories have different processing times. We’ll get the results to you as soon as we can.

We’ll contact you when we have the results.

We’ll send a text message if your test is negative.

If your test is positive, a nurse will call you to talk about next steps – like further testing or treatment.

If we can’t get in touch with you, we will refer you to a service for treatment.

What to do if you test positive

You can request tests through Get Tested NZ every three months. You don't need to test more often than every three months.

Read more about when to get tested

Please know: If someone made you have sex that you didn’t want to have, you can talk to us.

If your situation is unsafe, you can use the Shielded Site tool at the bottom of this page to contact Women's Refuge.

There's also lots of helpful information on the sexual harm website Safe to talk and instructions for getting specialist medical help after sexual assault on the MEDSAC (Medical Sexual Assault Clinicians Aotearoa) website.