Country guide · New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand registers internationally trained doctors through the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ). There are several registration pathways, and most internationally trained doctors who arrive with an established career do not sit NZREX at all.
The main exam route is NZREX Clinical, a standardised OSCE held in Auckland — but the Competent Authority route, the Comparable Health System pathway, the UK and Australian General Registrant pathways, and the specialist vocational routes all bypass it.
Internationally trained doctors make up a large share of the workforce. In 2024–25, 69.4% of all new doctor registrations were IMGs.
Your pathway
- Check eligibility
- Pass the licensing exam
- Register with the authority
- Specialty or board exam
Exams and products
Language requirements
Most authorities ask for an English test. Germany asks for German.
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