Working in New Zealand

New Zealand has both a public and private healthcare system. In the public system, essential healthcare services are provided free for all New Zealanders and people in New Zealand on a work permit valid for two years or longer. Private healthcare offers access to private hospitals for the treatment of both urgent and non-urgent conditions.

Surgeons with a specialist international postgraduate medical qualification who wish to work as medical professionals in New Zealand need to apply for vocational registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand, which recognises plastic and reconstructive surgery as a vocational scope of practice.

The Council will not register a doctor unless they have a job offer from a New Zealand health service provider. A visa is required to live and work in New Zealand, please refer to the visa information link below.

An applicant for registration to work as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in New Zealand will have their combination of qualifications, training and experience assessed against the standard of the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons qualification in plastic and reconstructive surgery, the benchmark qualification for plastic and reconstructive surgeons in New Zealand.

Useful Links:

Medical Council of New Zealand

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

Visa information

To find employment contact a District Health Board, a medical recruitment agency, or search the Kiwi Health Jobs website.