The government is extending its offer to bring home the remains of soliders killed and buried overseas.
Ron Mark Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
The Defence Force is expected in May to begin repatriating about 30 personnel who were buried in Malaysia and Singapore between 1955 and 1971.
The government has agreed to widen that to also include those buried in Fiji, American Samoa, the United Kingdom and South Korea, and those buried before 1955.
The Veterans Minister Ron Mark said that would bring the total number of servicemen to about 36.
"It may go down because some familes may choose - and some already have indicated - that they do not wish to repatriate their loved one," he said.
"We have a sense that some who've said no might change their mind once everything starts to happen."
The repatriations are expected to start in May and be completed around October at a total cost of about $7m.
"We want to make this process as dignified and as peaceful as possible for the families ... the Defence Force will take care of them, and their loved ones," he said.
An earlier estimate put the cost around $10m.
