Patient Information

Registration

To legally practise physiotherapy in New Zealand, a physiotherapist must be registered under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance (HPCA) Act 2003 and hold an annual practising certificate (APC).


Before they can be registered, the physiotherapist is required to:

  • Successfully complete an approved course of study in physiotherapy (equivalent to four years of tertiary study).

  • Complete at least 1000 supervised clinical hours of physiotherapy practice.
  • Establish that they are fit to practice as defined under S16 of the HPCA Act 2003.
  • Meet stringent competency requirements (specified by the Board).

Your physiotherapist should have their registration and practising certificates displayed in a prominent position. If they don’t, ask to see them.

If a physiotherapist can’t (or won’t) show you their certificates, we recommend that you:

  • Go to a different physiotherapist; and

  • Notify the Board
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