Registration

To enable you to practice as a health professional in New Zealand you will require registration with the relevant associated professional board or council. You will also require a current New Zealand practising certificate.

The role of the professional board is to assess your qualifications against the New Zealand standards and identify any restrictions or additional requirements for your scope of practice. In some cases you may be required to complete additional training to obtain registration and a full practicing certificate. However in most cases, provided that all relevant information is provided and can be easily verified, full registration can be granted.

You do need to be aware that obtaining registration can take between 30 to 90 days. To ensure your application is processed as quickly as possible it is important to provide all information requested in the application and make prompt payment of any associated fees. This may include providing original or verified copies of certificates, criminal record checks from countries where you have resided and identification. 

Having already initiated the process for registration to practice in New Zealand will speed up your job application and may result in you being made a job offer subject to obtaining registration and a practicing certificate. This will also help speed up the process of obtaining the relevant permit or work visa with New Zealand Immigration.

For further information on the requirements for your profession and the registration process, please contact the relevant registration board or council.

List of New Zealand registering bodies and councils

Profession	Board/Council Contact Details
Anaesthetic Technician	New Zealand Anaesthetic Technician Society
Audiologist	New Zealand Audiological Society Inc
Dental Therapist	New Zealand Dental Therapists Association Inc
Dietitian	New Zealand Dietitians Board
Doctor / Medical Officer / Specialist	Medical Council of New Zealand
Medical Laboratory Technologist / Scientist	New Zealand Medical Laboratory Science Board
Medical Radiation Technologist / Therapist	New Zealand Medical Radiation Technologists Board
Midwife	Midwifery Council of New Zealand
Nurse	Nursing Council of New Zealand
Occupational Therapist	Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealand
Pharmacist	Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand
Physiotherapist	Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand
Psychologist	New Zealand Psychologists Board
Social Worker	Social Workers Registration Board
Speech Language Therapist	New Zealand Speech Language Therapists Association