Medical Registration in New Zealand
The Medical Council of New Zealand is the registering body for doctors in New Zealand.
There are two ways for junior overseas trained doctors to apply for registration in New Zealand. Both pathways require all junior doctors to have an offer of employment to commence the process.
Consultants/Specialists can apply to have their post-graduate qualifications recognised by the Medical Council and appropriate College before a position is confirmed.
Antipodean Medical Recruitment will assist you with all facets of registrations once a position is confirmed.
House Officers
General scope for Australian graduates
Internships within New Zealand and Australia – Unregistered Australian graduates who have previously completed their internships in New Zealand or Australia will be immediately registered within a general scope, rather than a provisional general scope.
Once a position is confirmed, Antipodean Medical Recruitment will assist you with all the processes required to ensure your registration application is completed in a timely and stress free manner. For more information please register.
General scope for UK and Irish graduates
To apply for registration in New Zealand, UK and Irish graduates require a Letter of Employment from a New Zealand hospital.
You are also required to hold a primary medical degree from a university medical school approved from the Medical Council of New Zealand approved qualifications and to be accredited by the General Medical Council (United Kingdom) or Irish Medical Council to obtain Provisional General Registration. You also need to show either documentation from an employer or regulatory authority that shows you have satisfactorily completed the F1 or intern year or evidence of full or general registration in Ireland or the UK.
Doctors registered through the competent authority pathway need to work under supervision for six (6) months and have two consecutive satisfactory supervision reports to become eligible to apply for registration in a general scope.
Doctors working under Provisional General Registration are restricted to working for the hospital that provided employment. Doctors who have Provisional General Registration are not able to locum, however, you are able to apply for positions at other New Zealand hospitals as long as the Medical Council of New Zealand agrees to change your registration when a new position is confirmed.
Once a position is confirmed, Antipodean Medical Recruitment will assist you with all the processes required to ensure your registration application is completed in a timely and stress free manner. For more information please register.
General scope for other nationality graduates
The comparable health system pathway is for overseas trained doctors who have:-
- Passed an approved medical registration exam (AMC MCQ, NZREX Clinical, PLAB 1 and USMLE 1 & 2 (CK)) within the last 5 years; and
- worked for at least three out of the last four years in a country which has a
comparable health system to New Zealand will be eligible for registration within
a provisional general scope of practice.
NB - Observerships, Clinical attachments and internships do not count towards to this time.
Doctors registered through this pathway need to work for a period of 12 months and have three consecutive satisfactory supervision reports, each covering three months (for a total of nine months of practice) to become eligible to apply for registration in a general scope.
Doctors working under Provisional General Registration are restricted to working for the hospital that provided employment. Doctors who have Provisional General Registration are not able to locum, however, you are able to apply for positions at other New Zealand hospitals as long as the Medical Council of New Zealand agrees to change your registration when a new position is confirmed.
English Requirements
Graduates from the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States and Canada where English is the primary language of instruction are NOT required to pass an approved English test. Effective from 1 February 2009, graduates from other countries applying for registration, will be required to have achieved a minimum score for Reading - 7.0; Writing - 7.0; Listening - 7.5; Speaking - 7.5 within the last two years. There is no minimum overall average requirement. International English Language Testing System
Registration applications through both pathways take approximately 20 working days – so long as all the information is provided.
Once a position is confirmed, Antipodean Medical Recruitment will assist you with all the processes required to ensure your registration application is completed in a timely and stress free manner. For more information please register.
Consultants / Specialists
Vocational Scope
Consultants / Specialist are entitled to commence the registration process without an offer of employment through the Vocational Scope pathway. The Medical Council of New Zealand will assess the eligibility of doctors who have qualifications, training and experience.
Completed forms need to be sent to the Medical Council of New Zealand who then takes advice from the appropriate branch advisory body (BAB) responsible your particular vocational scope.
The BAB will carry out an initial paper assessment and this may be done whilst you are overseas. If you are considered to be suitable to proceed, you will be required to attend an interview with the BAB. You may be allowed to commence work pending the interview; but always under assessment in the first instance.
The BAB will advise Council on whether or not your training, qualifications and experience are equivalent to that of a New Zealand trained doctor in the same vocational scope. The BAB will also advise whether you are suitable for registration within a vocational scope via:
- the supervision pathway; or
- the assessment pathway.
Doctors who have been assessed by Council as eligible for registration within a provisional vocational scope must:
- arrange suitable employment, and
- attend a registration interview.
This process can take some time – up to six months if all the information is not provided in the first instance.
Once a position is confirmed, Antipodean Medical Recruitment will assist you with all the processes required to ensure your registration application is completed in a timely and stress free manner. For more information please register.
Special Purpose Scope
The Special Purpose Scope is for doctors who wish to apply under one of the following categories:
- Teaching as a visiting expert
- Post-graduate training
- Research
- Locum Tenens in a specialist post (not longer than 6 months)
Some Consultants/Specialist apply for registration through the Locum Tenens option as a way to experience the New Zealand hospital system, before deciding if they wish to relocate to New Zealand on a permanent basis. Qualifications for registration within a special purpose scope of practice: Locum Tenens - specialist appointment
To qualify for registration within a special scope, applicants must:
- pass (or be exempt from) the IELTS English Test
- meet the requirements in Registration within a special purpose scope, and
- meet the requirements in the Registration Policy.
Please note - Registration within a Special Purpose Scope of practice under this policy is not a pathway to registration within a General Scope or in a Vocational Scope.
Once a position is confirmed, Antipodean Medical Recruitment will assist you with all the processes required to ensure your registration is completed in a timely and stress free manner. For more information, please register.
Please refer to the link below for additional information on gaining registration and / or assessing your eligibilty.
- Working In New Zealand
- Medical Council Registration
- Work Visa
- Lifestyle
- Taxation
Specialist recruiters of doctors for Australia and New Zealand
- providing opportunities
Telephone: +61 2 4381 1449
Australian Mobile: 0438 267 888
NZ Mobile: 0210 263 1013
