To work as a doctor in New Zealand, you must be registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand. 

Doctors who have completed their primary medical degree and training outside New Zealand or Australia may be eligible for registration through one of the following pathways:

Junior Doctors:

 UK / Ireland Graduates

(a) Graduated with a UK or Irish university medical degree

(b) One year postgraduate experience

(c) Full registration with the GMC or IMC

 Comparable Health System

(a) Achieved or exempt from IELTS with an overall band score of 7.5

(b) Primary medical degree listed in WHO World Directory of medical schools or the ECFMG FAIMER directory

(c) Relevant and comparable experience for at least 30 hours per week, for 36 of the last 48 months in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, UK or USA.

 Transitional pathway (until 01 February 2007)

(a) Achieved or exempt from IELTS with an overall band score of 7.5

(b) Primary medical degree approved and gazetted by Council

(c) Within the last 5 years passed USMLE Steps 1 and 2 Clinical Skills (CS) and Clinical Knowledge (CK), or USMLE Steps 1, 2 and 3 or Steps 1, 2 and the Clinical Skills Assessment

(d) Been in active clinical practice during at least 24 out of the past 36 months (or 12 out of previous 24 if a recent graduate)

If you meet the above criteria, you may be eligible to be registered in a provisional general scope of practice with the Medical Council of New Zealand, to work under supervision. Check your eligibility using the Medical Council`s online self assessment tool - www.mcnz.org.nz

The process of applying for registration takes 20 working days, and you will be required to attend a short registration interview on your arrival in New Zealand to check your documents.

Specialists

Senior doctors who have completed their specialist training overseas may be eligible to apply for vocational registration, which can take up to six months to finalise.

Doctors wanting to work as specialists in New Zealand for less than six months may be eligible to apply for registration in a special purpose scope.

Check your eligibility using the Medical Council`s online self assessment tool - www.mcnz.org.nz