Kia ora and Happy New Year!
We’re pleased to let you know that Registrations for the 2026 round of the Game Development Sector Rebate (GDSR) open today, Tuesday 20 January 2026.
GDSR Registration is the first step in applying for the rebate. Even if you have applied in previous years, you still need to complete this step. Once registered, you will then receive a letter confirming whether you are eligible to apply for the rebate in 2026. Only those who complete registration and are confirmed as eligible will be invited to proceed to the application round in April.
Registrations will be open until 4pm, Friday 27 February NZT. We’ll be in touch again in March, once registrations have closed, to confirm next steps.
For those deemed eligible, GDSR Applications will then open on Wednesday 1 April 2026 and close at 4pm, Friday 15 May NZT.
Getting started with GDSR Registration
Kicking off your GDSR Registration is easy. To begin, just go to our NZ On Air Portal.
If you already have a login:
- Click the ‘Login’ button at the top right of the page. Once you’re in, select the ‘New Application’ tab and choose ‘2026 GDSR Registration’ to get started. Follow the steps and click ‘Submit’ when you’re done.
If you don’t yet have a login:
- Click ‘Create Account’ at the top right of the page and follow the prompts to set up an NZ On Air account. You’ll receive an email asking you to verify your address - just click on the link to activate your account (Be sure to check your spam or junk folder if you can’t see it in your inbox).
- You will then be redirected to the NZ On Air Portal where you can now log in to your account and begin your GDSR Registration. Just click on the ‘New Application’ tab, select ‘2026 GDSR Registration’ and follow the easy steps.
GDSR Registration should take around 15 minutes – but you can ‘Save as Draft’ at any time and return to it later. Please note that the form does not save automatically.
GDSR process
Once you have completed your GDSR Registration, we will be in touch in March with either a Letter of Acknowledgement or Decline, letting you know whether you’re eligible to apply when applications open in April.
For new registrants, a member of our team will also get in touch to say hello and offer a short onboarding call. This is a chance to walk through the process, step through the eligibility criteria, and answer any questions you might have.
Please note that this letter can also be used as a legal notice for investors or your bank to show that you may potentially receive the rebate.
Webinars
We will be hosting two webinars in the next six weeks to run through the GDSR process.
- Tuesday 3 February: In this webinar, we will run through the GDSR process and explain the refinements we have made to documents such as the Financial Details Template and Game Details Template to streamline them for further clarity and accuracy.
- Tuesday 17 March: Ahead of applications opening, this webinar will step through the full application process as well as dive deeper into financial reporting and expectations.
Both sessions will be jointly hosted by the NZGDA and NZ On Air, and will include an opportunity for Q&A with the NZ On Air team. To register for one or both webinars, just go to the NZGDA website.
More information
All the information about the GDSR, including a handy flowchart and detailed timeline, is available in the GDSR section of our website.
For all the latest news and updates on the GDSR, you can also sign up for NZ On Air’s GDSR Update newsletter. If you are not already subscribed, just go here to sign up.
For any other questions or queries, you can email us at gamesrebate@nzonair.govt.nz.
Ngā mihi nui,
The GDSR Team