UK and Irish medical graduates (Competent Authority)
You can apply for registration through this pathway if you hold a primary medical degree from an approved medical school in the United Kingdom or Ireland and have completed your internship within the United Kingdom or Ireland.
Prerequisites
You can apply for registration through this pathway if you:
- hold a primary medical degree from an approved medical school in the United Kingdom or Ireland; and
- have completed your internship in either the United Kingdom or Ireland; and
- meet our "fitness for registration" requirements
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Any doctor applying for registration in New Zealand must be fit for registration and fit to practise medicine. It's a legal requirement on us to ensure they are. We determine this as part of our assessment of your application for registration.
Completed internship outside of UK and Ireland
If you have completed your internship outside the United Kingdom or Ireland, your overseas internship will need to be assessed using our recognition of internships policy, before you submit an application for registration.
If this applies to you, contact us via email at enquiry@mcnz.org.nz to find out about the additional information you need to provide.
Applying for registration
You can apply for registration via this pathway if, you:
- meet all the prerequisites; and
- have a job offer that includes supervision.
Before you apply for registration, please refer to Checklist 2 (online applications) to find out what documents you and your employer will need to submit for us to consider your application.
To make an application, you will need to apply online through Council’s online portal, myMCNZ . Click here to request a PIN so you can establish a myMCNZ account if you don't already have one.
You must work with your employer to complete your application online, as there are sections of the application that can only be completed by your employer.
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Employer application for approval of position and supervisor (UK & Irish graduates, comparable health system, and locum tenens pathways)
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Checklist 2: United Kingdom and Irish medical graduates - only for use with online applications made via myMCNZ
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Checklist 2: United Kingdom and Irish medical graduates - Part A: Checklist for registration in New Zealand
Primary source verification of documents
You must send the required documents for primary source verification through the EPIC system before you submit your application. The verification process can take time and we cannot start processing your application until we have received evidence that this process is underway.
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Doctors who hold overseas qualifications and who want to apply for registration in Aotearoa New Zealand must have key documents verified from their primary source.
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Special instructions and FAQs for applicants to the Medical Council of New Zealand
Eligibility for registration
We will consider your application once it is complete and then let you know the outcome of your application. Our processing time is 20 working days from the time we receive a complete application.
If your application is successful, we will send you an 'eligibility for registration' letter. This confirms for other agencies like Immigration New Zealand that you can be registered and give you the instructions for your registration meeting.
Registration meeting
The purpose of the registration meeting is to confirm your identity, complete registration formalities, apply for a practising certificate and to discuss your supervision requirements while working in New Zealand.
Following the meeting and once payment for your practising certificate has been received, we will grant you registration within the provisional general scope and you will be issued with a practising certificate. Please allow three days after your meeting for your practising certificate to be issued. You can’t practise in New Zealand until your registration has been confirmed and you have a practising certificate. You can only work within the endorsement and any conditions specific to you noted on your practising certificate.
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All international medical graduates coming to New Zealand to practise medicine for the first time must attend a registration meeting and be able to produce the information we have asked for.
Working under supervision and variations
You must work under supervision while registered within the provisional general scope of practice.
Further information about supervision is available here.
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All international medical graduates (IMGs) registered in a provisional general, provisional vocational and special purpose scope of practice must be supervised. This is to support their practice while they become familiar with the New Zealand health system and the expected standard of medical practice.
Variations
Your practising certificate will include an endorsement allowing you to work under approved supervision and employment.
You cannot work outside the requirements of your provisional scope of practice and any specific requirements imposed by Council. You must apply for a variation to the endorsement on your practising certificate if your employment, supervision, position or location changes.
You need to apply at least 20 days in advance of your planned change. You must then wait for Council to confirm that the change has been approved before commencing work under the new arrangement.
Progression to the General scope of practice
Progression to registration in the General scope of practice is not automatic. You can apply for a change of scope once you have:
- completed six months of full-time equivalent approved supervised practice registered in a provisional general scope;
- received two consecutive satisfactory supervision reports for the six months of medical practice completed immediately prior to applying for registration in the general scope; and
- been recommended for registration in the general scope by your Council-approved supervisor.
If you do not achieve these requirements within a six-month period, you need to continue to work under supervision until you have.
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Application for general scope of practice for doctors on a provisional general scope of practice (excluding Interns).
Recertification requirements
You don't need to work under supervision once you're registered in the General scope. However, you must meet the Council’s recertification requirements. The Council requires this to maintain the high standards of competence and fitness to practise of doctors in New Zealand.
Doctors registered and practising in the General scope must either:
- participate in the Inpractice recertification programme , administered by BPACnz, or
- participate in an accredited vocational training programme.
Further information about recertification is available here.
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This page sets out the recertification programme requirements for doctors registered and practising in the General scope of practice only. This is typically either participation in a medical college vocational training programme, or in the Inpractice recertification programme.