The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition both condemned the attacks in Paris.
Prime Minister John Key expressed his condolences to the people and government of France.
"Details are still emerging but the coordinated attacks are shocking," he said in a statement this afternoon.
"Our hearts go out to those involved and our thoughts with them and their families," Mr Key added.
"New Zealand stands with France in the global fight against terror and while it is too soon to attribute blame, the attacks have targeted innocent civilians and are therefore an act of terrorism.
"French authorities have not yet released the nationalities of any of the victims but consular officials in Paris and New Zealand are working to determine if any New Zealanders have been caught up," he added.
Labour leader Andrew Little said the attacks were a "horrifying" assault on innocent civilians.
"This is now indiscriminate killing [targeting] members of the public. It is horrifying."
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Mr Little said French authorities would have to ensure security was "absolutely watertight" ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference starting on November 30.
Mr Little said he was confident domestic intelligence organisations including the GCSB and SIS were doing the best they could, with the tools they had, to monitor possible terrorist threats in New Zealand.
"We know that there are people in New Zealand who see these sorts of things happening in the media and for whatever reason they're motivated to act out...in copycat-type sort of behaviours.
Although the risk of something of the magnitude of what's happened in Paris is pretty low, you can't necessarily plan for a slightly unhinged (person) thinking it's time for them to do something and make a name for themselves."
He told NZME News Service New Zealanders travelling in Europe might encounter a culture where some civil liberties were curbed in the wake of the attacks.
"That's the price we end up paying until we find an answer to whatever the underlying issues and causes are."
The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed the number of Kiwis registered as being in France has risen in the past few hours from 249 to 279.
A safe travel alert issued by MFAT this afternoon has since been reviewed but is unchanged, a spokesman said.
"There is an unfolding security situation in Paris with reports of several shootings/ explosions in separate incidents occurring simultaneously in the 10th and the 11th districts, and near the Stade de France, with early accounts indicating at least 40 deaths. There are also reports indicating a hostage situation involving at least 60 people in a theatre in Paris," the update said.
"The French President has declared a State of Emergency and security forces have been deployed in Paris. As a precautionary measure, French borders have been closed.
"New Zealanders in Paris are advised to stay indoors and keep themselves informed of potential risks to safety and security by monitoring the media and other local information sources. You should also contact your family in New Zealand to advise them that you are safe.
"New Zealanders in France are strongly encouraged to register their details on SafeTravel."
New Zealanders who require consular assistance are advised to contact the New Zealand Embassy in Paris on: 01 45 01 43 43 (from within France) or +33 1 45 01 43 43 (from outside France).
Anyone with concerns about a New Zealand family member in Paris should try to make direct contact with them in the first instance. If they had ongoing concerns, they should contact Mfat.
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