Physiotherapists

Registration

Overseas-qualified physiotherapists
(under Section 12(2) of the HPCA Act 2003

For more detailed information please contact the Secretariat.
  • The application fee is NZ $600.00 (non-refundable)

  • This is a legal process - aimed at protecting the public of New Zealand. Therefore, the Board will only grant registration to physiotherapists it considers safe and competent to practise.

  • There is no accreditation of overseas courses. Each application is individually assessed.

  • The information required is extensive and there is no guarantee of registration.
  • The onus is on the applicant to provide all the information required.
  • Errors and omissions will cause significant delays.

Click here to download the Application for Registration as a Physiotherapist in New Zealand
Click here for "Validation of Work History" document which must be used to provide evidence of your work history within your application. (pdf version)
Click here for a list of frequently asked questions.

If you are considering applying for registration as a physiotherapist, please refer to the accompanying document very carefully.

You must meet the eligibility criteria stated below. If you do not meet all these requirements it is most unlikely that an application will be successful.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION
In order to be registered as a physiotherapist in New Zealand you must meet the following criteria:
What the Board is looking for
  • You must hold a physiotherapy qualification: see below
  • You must be able to demonstrate that you meet the New Zealand competencies set by the Physiotherapy Board including autonomous practice, clinical reasoning and evidence based practice
Qualifications
  • Your physiotherapy qualification must be sufficiently similar in theory and practice to the physiotherapy curricula undertaken by students in New Zealand.
  • You must have completed one thousand (1,000) hours of supervised clinical practice during your course of physiotherapy study.
Recency of practice Applicants who have graduated three or more years prior to the date of application for registration are required:
  • to have worked as a practising physiotherapist (as a clinician, manager, educator or researcher) during the three years immediately prior to application for registration.
Or,
  • to provide sufficient evidence of ongoing professional development during the three years immediately prior to application for registration, this evidence will be considered on a case by case basis.
English proficiency Applicants whose first language is not English and/or whose course of Physiotherapy was not instructed and examined entirely in the English language must be able to provide evidence of their ability to comprehend and communicate effectively in English.
Legal and disciplinary history You must provide details of your legal and disciplinary history. The Board will only register physiotherapists who can demonstrate they meet fitness for registration.
Mental and physical health
 New Zealand law requires physiotherapists to be mentally and physically fit to practice within the profession.

You must supply all the supporting documents that the Board requires. Failure to do so will result in your application being returned to you. The Board may deduct an administration charge from your application fee.

You must ensure that all the documents marked as such by the Board are properly certified documents.

Please remember that at all times it is your responsibility to supply the information that the Board requires. It is therefore in your interests to make sure you get it right first time. The Board accepts no responsibility for delays resulting from omissions or errors on your part.

Note: Don't send enquiries regarding employment opportunities or immigration to the Board. They should be directed to the New Zealand Society of Physiotherapists or the New Zealand Immigration Service.

IF THEN REFER TO...
You are New Zealand-qualified i.e. trained at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) or Otago University Registration:
New Zealand qualified physiotherapists
You are Australian-qualified or registered TTMR process† – see:
Registration: Australian or Australian-qualified physiotherapists
You wish to undertake postgraduate physiotherapy study at a New Zealand school of physiotherapy

Postgraduate registration for overseas qualified physiotherapists


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