Examinations registration pathway

You can apply for registration via this pathway if, within the last five years, you have passed either the New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX Clinical); or Part 1 and Part 2 of the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test.

Prerequisites

To apply for registration via this pathway you must:

  

Applying for registration

You can apply for registration via this pathway if you:

  • meet all the prerequisites; and
  • have a job offer as a postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) in accredited clinical attachments with an accredited training provider.

Before you apply for registration, please refer to Checklist 3 to find out which documents you will need to submit for us to consider your application. 

You must work with your employer to complete your application, as there are documents that only your employer can complete.

  • REG1

    Application for registration in New Zealand

  • CHKL3

    CHKL3: Passed approved examinations

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.

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 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 cannot 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.

Working under supervision and variations

Once your registration is confirmed, we will issue you a practising certificate allowing you to commence the two-year prevocational training programme. Your practising certificate will list your work locations and permit you to work as a house officer in accredited clinical attachments under the supervision of a prevocational educational supervisor.

You must contact us in advance to apply for a variation if you want to change work locations and/or extend your practising certificate.

Progression to general scope and PGY2

Progression to postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) and registration within the General scope of practice is not automatic. You must apply in ePort once you have successfully completed the PGY1 requirements.   

PGY2 requirements

When you are registered within the General scope of practice, your practising certificate will include an endorsement that requires you to work towards meeting PGY2 requirements.

At the end of PGY2, you must apply to have the endorsement removed in ePort.

Recertification requirements after PGY2

After your PGY2 endorsement is removed, you must meet the Council’s recertification requirements for doctors registered in the General scope of practice. The Council requires this to maintain the high standards of competence and fitness to practise expected of doctors in New Zealand.

You can meet requirements by participating in either:

  • Inpractice, the Council-approved recertification programme run by bpacnz; or
  • an accredited vocational training programme.

Evidence of enrolment needs to be provided within one month from the date of application for endorsement removal to pgy3@mcnz.org.nz.