New Life
New Adventure
New Zealand
Recruiting Doctors to Live and Work in New Zealand.
Your new adventure starts here
Ka timata to haerenga hou ki konei
Your new adventure starts here
Ka timata to haerenga hou ki konei
Your new adventure
starts here
Our team offers locum, long-term and permanent positions in rural and urban locations throughout New Zealand. Aotearoa New Zealand is a unique and diverse country, with a rich history that dates back to the courageous Māori voyagers who discovered our beautiful land. New Zealanders, or Kiwis as we call ourselves, are friendly and down-to earth and we welcome visitors with open arms. We are proud of our history, our unique culture, our incredible landscapes and our native plants and animals.
If you’re an international doctor looking for a change in pace, our NZLocums & NZMedJobs team can help find you a job in rural New Zealand and make your move here as easy as possible.
Welcome Home To
New Zealand
Why work with
Nz Locums + NZ Medjobs
The Lifestyle
Get away from it all.
New Zealand is known the world over for our clean air, breathtaking scenery and friendly people. Join us in the rural communities of beautiful New Zealand far away from the stresses of city life, where mountains and oceans meet.
Find the balance between work and adventure.
Busy patient schedules have a tendency to take over the parts of your life you once kept for you. Whether you’re looking for adventure in the outdoors or just more time with the people you care about, here is where you’ll start to find a better work / life balance.
you & your family
Feel part of a community again.
Our doctors are more than just an individual
in a clinic, they’re a key part of our communities’ wellbeing, keeping our people healthy, thriving and well informed. Find more time to spend with your patients, to get to know them and their whanau/family to gain a greater understanding of their healthcare needs.
Support for you and your family.
Even if you’ve already begun the process of looking to live and work in New Zealand, we’re here to help. Our staff work with medical professionals and their families around the globe to help liaise locally and ensure easy relocations and a strong start to your new life.
The business
As a division of Hauora Taiwhenua.
As a division of New Zealand’s rural health network, Hauora Taiwhenua, we have unique connections to government and medical organisations. Our people work directly with doctors and local bodies supporting the process of moving to New Zealand.
Not For Profit, For People.
We have a mandate to help strengthen and develop our rural healthcare workforce meaning a focus on people and community. Our work is funded by New Zealand’s government meaning we’re not profit focused and there are no fees for the work we do with overseas based doctors.
Primary healthcare in
New Zealand
Primary health care in New Zealand is delivered predominantly by medical practitioners in private general practices. Rural general practices range from sole practitioner practices to large practices with up to six or seven practitioners. A rural hospital is different from general practice. Rural hospitals deliver responsive care, generally with fewer resources.
Rural hospital doctors have lots of skills in their kete (basket), a wide knowledge base and help people in both primary and secondary care. As an important part of the rural community, the flexibility of your mahi (work) will mean you can spend more time exploring outdoors, or with your tamariki (children) in beautiful rural Aotearoa.
Rural hospital doctors have lots of skills in their kete (basket), a wide knowledge base and help people in both primary and secondary care. As an important part of the rural community, the flexibility of your mahi (work) will mean you can spend more time exploring outdoors, or with your tamariki (children) in beautiful rural Aotearoa.
Get the Best introduction to the new zealand
health system
Attend our renowned 3-day orientation course to get the best introduction to New Zealand’s health system. Held monthly in our Wellington Office, our orientation course is the first step into the New Zealand health system for international doctors.
This course is endorsed by The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP), and is approved for up to 17.5 CME credits for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) purposes.
There are five main pathways to gain registration in New Zealand, with each requiring different criteria. NZLocums & NZMedJobs will determine the best pathway to registration (licensure) for you and discuss the requirements with you. If you have been working in any of these countries for 33 (or more) months out of the last 48 months, it is likely you will be eligible to apply for MCNZ registration.
If you hold a primary medical degree from a medical college in Australia, UK or Ireland there are dedicated pathways for you. You must have completed an accredited internship in your respective authority prior to applying for registration in New Zealand.
For those doctors who have not worked in any of the listed countries, or do not hold an Australia, UK or Irish primary medical degree, there are other pathways to registration with the MCNZ. If you hold a recognised specialist qualification you may eligible for registration down the Locum Tenens pathway or the vocational (specialist) registration pathway.
If you hold a primary medical degree from a medical college in Australia, UK or Ireland there are dedicated pathways for you. You must have completed an accredited internship in your respective authority prior to applying for registration in New Zealand.
For those doctors who have not worked in any of the listed countries, or do not hold an Australia, UK or Irish primary medical degree, there are other pathways to registration with the MCNZ. If you hold a recognised specialist qualification you may eligible for registration down the Locum Tenens pathway or the vocational (specialist) registration pathway.
You may be required to provide proof of your English proficiency before you are able to apply for medical registration.
If English is not your first language you may first need to sit and pass one of the following exams:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) English test – Academic version (http://www.ielts.org/)
- Occupational English Test (OET) – Medical Module (https://oet.com/)
In some instances, the MCNZ may allow you to be exempt from this test if you have worked in an English-speaking country for two years within the five years preceding your application.
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) English test – Academic version (http://www.ielts.org/)
- Occupational English Test (OET) – Medical Module (https://oet.com/)
In some instances, the MCNZ may allow you to be exempt from this test if you have worked in an English-speaking country for two years within the five years preceding your application.
The Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) requires international medical graduates applying for registration in New Zealand to have certain documents verified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, through their website EPIC, a primary-source verification service.
You will be required to have your documents primary-source verified through EPIC if you are:
- A first-time applicant for registration, and do not already, or have not in the past, held any other form of registration;
- registered with the MCNZ but are applying for registration in a new scope of practice that relies on a qualification that has not been previously assessed by MCNZ.
You will be required to have your documents primary-source verified through EPIC if you are:
- A first-time applicant for registration, and do not already, or have not in the past, held any other form of registration;
- registered with the MCNZ but are applying for registration in a new scope of practice that relies on a qualification that has not been previously assessed by MCNZ.
Whether you are a junior doctor or a consultant, supervision is a requirement of the MCNZ for all new registrants, (the exception is Australian graduates), and is an excellent way to integrate and familiarise yourself with practicing in New Zealand. The role of the supervisor is to assist the Council in determining that you have the required skills, knowledge and attitudes to practise safely in New Zealand to a standard comparable to your peers in this country.
NZLocums & NZMedJobs organises supervision arrangements prior to your arrival in New Zealand. Your supervisor may change if you move to a different location to work. You will be required to work under supervision for a period of 6 to 12 months depending on what registration pathway you apply under.
NZLocums & NZMedJobs organises supervision arrangements prior to your arrival in New Zealand. Your supervisor may change if you move to a different location to work. You will be required to work under supervision for a period of 6 to 12 months depending on what registration pathway you apply under.
If you have worked outside New Zealand since you were last issued a practicing certificate, you must request a certificate of professional status from each country or board you were registered (or licensed) with during this time. Your certificate of professional status must be sent direct to us from that country or board and must be less than 3 months old at your new New Zealand employment start date.
There are two exceptions to our requirement for a certificate of professional status; where we will alternatively accept a letter of good standing from the person you reported to in the organisation or hospital you worked in.
The exceptions are:
- If you were working overseas as a volunteer for up to three months and you were not registered for that period.
- If you were registered while doing voluntary work for up to three months, but the overseas authority is unable to issue a certificate of good standing within a reasonable time period.
Please note: if you have worked overseas as a volunteer for more than three months, you’ll need to have a certificate of professional status.
For more information about Medical Registration visit Medical Council of New Zealand website https://www.mcnz.org.nz/registration/.
There are two exceptions to our requirement for a certificate of professional status; where we will alternatively accept a letter of good standing from the person you reported to in the organisation or hospital you worked in.
The exceptions are:
- If you were working overseas as a volunteer for up to three months and you were not registered for that period.
- If you were registered while doing voluntary work for up to three months, but the overseas authority is unable to issue a certificate of good standing within a reasonable time period.
Please note: if you have worked overseas as a volunteer for more than three months, you’ll need to have a certificate of professional status.
For more information about Medical Registration visit Medical Council of New Zealand website https://www.mcnz.org.nz/registration/.
Medical Registration
New Zealand
To work in Aotearoa New Zealand as a doctor you need to be registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ).We will help by walking you through the registration process, and usually doctors who have qualified and worked in countries with comparable health systems are not required to sit any clinical exams to gain registration with the MCNZ.
READY TO START YOUR
New Adventure?
Register your interest by filling out the form and one of our friendly recruitment consultants will be in touch with you to provide you with no obligation information into the process of moving to New Zealand and registering as a general practitioner or rural hospital doctor.
New Life
New adventure
New Zealand
Our Location
Send Us an Email
New Zealand 0800 695 628
Call Us
United Kingdom 0808 234 7853
United States 1866 498 1575
Netherlands 0800 023 4145
Anywhere +64 4 472 3901
