Getting your overseas qualification recognised in NZ: NZQA assessment and registration for your job

This article is general information about recognition and the job hunt, not immigration advice. Fees, times and rules change, so check the current position with NZQA, the registration body for your occupation, and Immigration New Zealand or a licensed immigration adviser for anything to do with your visa.

What an IQA tells an employer, and when you need one

NZQA's qualification recognition service compares an overseas qualification with the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF). The result, a recognition statement, gives two things: the level, from 1 to 10, and the type of qualification it compares to. NZQA says this lets individuals, employers and organisations see how qualified a person is for work and immigration purposes.

Whether you need one depends on who is asking.

• A visa. Immigration New Zealand says that when a visa needs your qualification to be "equivalent to" or "comparable with" a New Zealand one, you will normally need an IQA, and that most qualifications from outside New Zealand need one. The exceptions are engineering degrees accredited under the Washington Accord or Sydney Accord, and, for the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, qualifications on its list of exemptions. Even then, Immigration New Zealand may still ask for an IQA.
• Registration. Some registration bodies ask for one, and teaching always does (see below).
• An employer. Employers set their own requirements, and some ask for an IQA, particularly where a role names a level of qualification. NZQA cannot accept an evaluation done by another country, and suggests asking the organisation first whether it will accept one.

NZQA can evaluate tertiary and vocational upper-secondary qualifications from a recognised, accredited provider, of at least 400 notional learning hours, about 10 weeks of full-time study. It cannot evaluate secondary school qualifications, unfinished study, certificates of attendance, letters about work experience, apprenticeships without a formal training programme, vendor certificates such as Microsoft or Cisco awards, or professional registrations and licences. Experience has to be shown to employers in other ways, and our guide to getting a job in New Zealand as a migrant covers how hiring works here.

Fees and waiting times

NZQA's fees, as shown on 6 October 2026, include GST and are subject to change:

• Standard IQA: NZ$445, for one qualification. Immigration New Zealand says this is the one for comparing a qualification with New Zealand ones, or for occupational registration.
• Skill Shortage List IQA: NZ$610, for one qualification and an assessment under one occupation on an Immigration New Zealand skill shortage list, which Immigration New Zealand links to Green List jobs.
• Teaching IQA: NZ$746, for registering as a teacher or a teacher salary assessment, with two Standard IQAs included free.
• Add-ons to a Standard IQA submitted or completed in the last 12 months: NZ$301 for the teaching assessment and NZ$165 for the skill shortage list assessment.
• Qualifications completed before 1998: an extra NZ$275, because older qualifications take more work.

NZQA says the average wait is now 10 weeks, not counting weekends or public holidays. Once it has confirmed an application is complete, it finishes 90 per cent within three weeks (15 business days). That makes completeness the part you control: NZQA gives priority to complete applications, contacts you by email if something is missing, and may cancel the application, without a refund, if you do not reply within 30 days. Once you apply there are usually no refunds.

If you think the outcome is wrong, you can appeal once, within 20 working days of the recognition statement, for NZ$765. Applications made before 30 July 2026 can ask for a review within three months instead. NZQA suggests contacting it to talk through the outcome before appealing.

Regulated jobs need registration, not just an IQA

An IQA describes a qualification; it does not let you practise. Immigration New Zealand says some jobs require registration with a specific registration authority, that you must get it before you can apply for a visa to work in those roles, and that you should start as soon as possible. Its online tool lists the occupations and their authorities. Some of the most common:

• Doctors: the Medical Council of New Zealand. Every doctor must be registered, and one not eligible under any other pathway must pass the NZREX Clinical exam. Its self-assessment tool points to the likely pathway.
• Electrical workers: the Electrical Workers Registration Board. Overseas-trained applicants apply for registration in a class, such as electrician; the application fee is $1,650 including GST, and the Board says it should be processed within 12 weeks.
• Engineers: Engineering New Zealand says you do not have to be registered to work as an engineer, but some job types need it, such as Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) status, which needs New Zealand specific knowledge. Its credential check of whether your degree is Washington, Sydney or Dublin Accord accredited takes 7 to 10 business days once paid.
• Nurses: the Nursing Council of New Zealand. You first verify your documents with TruMerit: registrations held in the last 10 years, your nursing qualification and 1,800 hours of nursing after registration. You then apply to the Council, complete two free online courses on culturally safe practice in New Zealand and a criminal history check. Australian-registered nurses have a separate trans-Tasman pathway.
• Plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers: the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board. You may be eligible with an overseas qualification equal to or above the New Zealand Certificate at level 4, plus four years of full-time plumbing or gasfitting work, or two years of drainlaying. Restricted work without a current New Zealand licence is illegal.
• Teachers: the Teaching Council. You need a Teaching IQA before you register, and applications usually take 6 to 12 weeks.

The Nursing Council adds a point every job hunter should hear: it has no role in recruitment, and it says demand for internationally qualified nurses is currently lower than before, except in some specialties such as mental health and addiction. It encourages nurses to explore jobs before applying for registration or moving.

Showing an assessed qualification on your CV

An employer reading your CV wants to know quickly what your qualification means here. Write the qualification as it was awarded, then add one line with the New Zealand comparison. These made-up examples show the idea:

While you wait, say so plainly: "NZQA International Qualification Assessment applied for, [month and year]". Never describe a result you do not have yet, and never call yourself registered until you are on the register.

When the statement arrives, keep it safe. NZQA says it is valid indefinitely, and that employers, education providers and Immigration New Zealand can check it online, but NZQA only keeps documents for 10 years. Our guide to writing a CV for New Zealand covers the rest, from New Zealand conventions to referees and overseas experience.

Competence assessments and supervised starts

For several professions, recognition comes with a test of competence or a period of supervised work before full registration.

• Nurses. Some registered nurses and all enrolled nurses must pass a competence assessment. It has two parts: an online multiple-choice exam, taken at Pearson VUE test centres in New Zealand or overseas, with three attempts; and a clinical competence assessment in person at the Nurse Maude Simulation and Assessment Centre in Christchurch. That is a two-day orientation course followed by a clinical exam of 10 stations for registered nurses or 8 for enrolled nurses, which can be taken up to three times.
• Teachers. If your IQA finds your qualification does not meet New Zealand teacher education requirements, the Teaching Council may still consider your application through a discretionary pathway, looking at your experience, appraisals and professional development. If your teaching experience is not recent, you may need its refresh pathway.
• Electrical workers. After your application is assessed, you apply for a Limited Certificate and work under supervision in New Zealand for the hours and type of work in your assessment letter, plus any short courses, exams and practical assessments, before you can get a Practising Licence.
• Plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers. A successful overseas applicant can get a provisional licence to work for up to 12 months while preparing for the registration exam.

Each step has a date, and each one changes what you can apply for. Your Job Hunt keeps every job on one board, saved from Seek, LinkedIn, Indeed or a careers page in one press, with your own notes on what each employer requires, so you can see which roles you can go for now and which wait for your registration.

Keep every application, and every step, in one place