Faster, Easier Registration For Overseas-Trained Doctors To Enter Aotearoa New Zealand’s Medical Workforce

Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa | Medical Council of New Zealand (Council) is pleased to announce a series of changes that will make it faster and easier for overseas-trained doctors to register and work in Aotearoa New Zealand — while continuing to uphold the safe standards of care that the public expects.

The changes are part of the Council’s commitment to supporting the medical workforce through faster, more efficient registration pathways.

“This is about getting qualified doctors into communities that need them — faster,” says Dr Rachelle Love, Chair of the Medical Council. “At a time when the health system is under strain, these changes reflect our commitment to, practical solutions that support safe care and timely access for patients.

These updates reflect Council’s continued focus on practical steps that align with strengthening the medical workforce while protecting patient safety.

In summary, the changes are:

1. Fast-track registration for GPs from the USA, Canada and Singapore
2. New countries recognised for registration – Chile, Luxembourg and Croatia
3. Shorter processing time for other specialist registration applications

1. Fast-track registration for GPs from the USA, Canada and Singapore

A new fast-track registration process has been introduced for GPs trained in the United States, Canada, and Singapore. Developed in partnership with the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, this means that these applications for provisional vocational registration will be processed within two months.

2. New countries recognised for registration - Chile, Luxembourg and Croatia

Doctors with recent clinical experience in Chile, Luxembourg, and the Republic of Croatia will now be eligible to apply for provisional general registration via the Comparable Health System pathway. This follows Japan and South Korea being added to the list in February 2025. This recognises their experience in a health system comparable to New Zealand and brings Council’s list of comparable countries to 29, joining recent additions Japan and South Korea. Applications for doctors from overseas down the comparable health system pathway are processed within 20 working days.

3. Shorter assessment timeframes for overseas-trained specialists

The fast-track registration pathway makes it easier and quicker for eligible doctors from the UK, Ireland and Australia to gain specialist registration and start practising in approved areas of medicine. The areas of medicine include anaesthesia, dermatology, emergency medicine, general practice, internal medicine pathology and psychiatry. Information can be found here. These applications are processed within 20 working days

In addition to the fast-track pathway we have also improved timeframes for specialists applying from other countries through the provisional vocational registration pathway These applications will be processed within three months.

Learn more about these updates and access employer tools at www.mcnz.org.nz.

© Scoop Media