Looking to move to New Zealand to continue your medical career? Here are some helpful tools to point you in the right direction!
Helpful Terminology – Kiwi Acronyms
Here we have a few different terms for medical roles. Most you’ll pick up once you’re over there, but some are helpful to know when making applications.
Grades of Doctor
- Consultant: Senior Medical Officer (SMO)
- Registrar: Doctors in specialty training programs
- Resident Medical Officer (RMO): Junior doctors, including House Officers and Senior House Officers
- Senior House Officer (SHO): Working at the level of an FY2 equivalent
- House Officer (HO): Equivalent to an FY1
- PGY1/2/3: Postgraduate Year 1/2/3
Other Acronyms
- MCNZ: Medical Council of New Zealand
- DHB: District Health Board
- IRD: Inland Revenue Department
- MAS: Medical Assurance Society
What Jobs to Apply For
Deciding between an SHO role or a non-training registrar role depends on your experience and comfort level. SHO roles are typically more suitable for those who are newer to the New Zealand healthcare system, while registrar roles are for those with more experience or those seeking to advance their careers.
Where to Apply for Jobs
New Zealand is divided into the North and South Islands, each offering unique opportunities and experiences.
North Island
The North Island is the busier of the two islands, offering a mix of urban and natural attractions. It is known for its warmer climate, especially in the summer.
- Auckland: New Zealand’s largest city, known for its vibrant culture, diverse food scene, and iconic landmarks like the Sky Tower and Auckland Harbour Bridge. The city also offers beautiful beaches and nearby islands such as Waiheke Island, famous for its wineries.
- Wellington: The capital city, known for its arts and culture, including the Te Papa Museum and the vibrant Cuba Street. Wellington is also the gateway to the South Island via the Interislander ferry.
- Taranaki: Home to Mount Taranaki, a dormant stratovolcano offering excellent hiking trails and stunning views. The region also features beautiful gardens and the coastal city of New Plymouth.
- Tongariro National Park: A UNESCO World Heritage site, famous for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, one of the best one-day hikes in the world. The park also includes active volcanic peaks and stunning emerald lakes.
- Whangarei: The northernmost city in New Zealand, offering beautiful beaches, waterfalls, and the Whangarei Heads for hiking and stunning coastal views.
- Tauranga: A bustling port city in the Bay of Plenty, known for its beautiful beaches, including Mount Maunganui, and its vibrant waterfront.
- Coromandel Peninsula: Famous for its stunning beaches, including Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach, where you can dig your own hot pool in the sand.
South Island
The South Island is less populated but offers some of the most dramatic and impressive scenery in New Zealand. It is known for its outdoor adventures and stunning landscapes.
- Christchurch: The largest city in the South Island, known for its English heritage, beautiful gardens, and the innovative rebuild following the 2011 earthquake. The city is also a gateway to the Southern Alps and the Canterbury Plains.
- Dunedin: A city with a strong Scottish heritage, known for its historic architecture, vibrant student culture, and nearby wildlife, including the Otago Peninsula’s albatross and penguin colonies.
- Fiordland National Park: Home to some of New Zealand’s most iconic landscapes, including Milford Sound (often described as the eighth wonder of the world), Doubtful Sound, and the Kepler Track.
- Aoraki/Mount Cook: New Zealand’s highest peak, offering stunning alpine scenery, hiking trails, and stargazing in the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve.
- Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers: These accessible glaciers offer guided walks, heli-hiking, and stunning views of the surrounding rainforests and mountains.
- Queenstown: Known as the adventure capital of New Zealand, offering activities such as bungee jumping, skydiving, jet boating, and skiing. The town also has a vibrant nightlife and stunning lake and mountain views.
- Marlborough: New Zealand’s largest wine region, known for its Sauvignon Blanc. The region offers wine tours, tastings, and beautiful scenery.
Best Time to Apply for Jobs
Jobs are available most of the year due to staff leaving, sickness, maternity leave and so on. It is good to be proactive and send in your CV at any time! You never know when a vacancy might become available.
If there isn’t a job available straight away, then the recruiter will hold onto your application for when there is.
- The academic year starts in January.
- Rotations for the PGY1s are January, April, July, and October.
- Rotations for SHO and registrars typically last 6 months – these usually coincide with the PGY1 rotation timings above.
- Locum work appears all year long!
Types of Visas
This is the primary visa option available before you can move to Aotearoa in the first place. This can be given for up to 3 years.
For this visa, you need a formal employment offer from one of the DHBs, and your visa will be linked to your employment contract – meaning if you quit your job, you may also lose your visa.
This can take up to 2 months to be granted, so start the application as soon as you have your employment offer. Your employer or recruitment agency will usually work with you to help get your application sorted.
If you arrive in Aotearoa and decide you love it and are never going to leave, you can then apply for a residency visa! The “Work to Residence” visa requires full-time employment in a Tier 2 Green List role, and for you to have worked in NZ for 24 months.
If you already have your heart set on a permanent move, many medical roles are on the Tier 1 Green List and are eligible for a “Straight to Residence” visa.
Alternatively, if you finish your contract but decide you’re not quite finished with Aotearoa, you could apply for a working holiday visa.
This is a good option if you want to do some intermittent locum work or just travel around for a while. You cannot have a permanent job offer while you are on this visa though!
You may have the option while on a working holiday visa to pursue side hustles while locuming during your time in NZ.
Medical Examinations
All visa applications for longer than 12 months require a medical examination and a chest x-ray. Some people may require medicals for visas of less than 12 months if they have spent a lot of time in countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis.
There is advice on the government’s immigration website about how to go about getting the appropriate medical examination. In the UK it is not always that easy to find the correctly accredited doctor so again, sort this out earlier rather than later!
Cost of Moving
There are a few upfront fees that you will need to pay to get yourself set up in Aotearoa.
- MCNZ: This cost around $1000 NZD (roughly £500) for the practicing certificate.
- Visa: This costs upwards of $750 NZD (£375) for the Accredited Employer Work Visa.
- Medical Indemnity
- Cost of the flight
- House deposit
- Buying a car/ campervan
Be prepared to use your pounds for the first few weeks whilst you set up bank accounts, sort an IRD number, and complete the first fortnight of work!
Before You Work
Medical Council Registration – MCNZ
You will need to apply for provisional ‘general scope of practice’ registration with the MCNZ before you start work. This is the equivalent of registering with the General Medical Council in the UK.
Your DHB will assign you a clinical supervisor who will monitor your progress and provide a supervisor report to the MCNZ after a minimum of 6 months. If this all goes smoothly then you will be switched to a full ‘general scope of practice’ registration.
You will need to pay for the MCNZ registration. Often the DHBs will reimburse you for this after starting work, so be sure to ask your recruitment consultant about this!
Medical Indemnity Insurance
A lot of health boards have their own indemnity insurance cover that you can sign up for, so it is worth asking your recruitment consultant about this BEFORE you start work. Otherwise, there are a few external companies which you can sign up for!
Usually, the health board insurance is free to you but check this with the DHB you are working at! You will have to pay for external insurance cover.
Tax Registration – IRD Number
This is your national tax number. Apply for this early!
You can’t open a bank account or get paid without it. Moving to a different country can take an initial hit on the finances, so be sure to get this sorted!
Other Organisations to Notify
Before you move, there are a few places that you need to inform of your move, including:
- MCNZ
- Your bank
This is not a complete list, just a few recommendations!
Once You’ve Started
Joining a Union
When you start work you will be asked to join one of the unions, either the RDA (Resident Doctors Associated) or STONZ (Specialty Trainees of New Zealand).
Locum work
Once you have a full MCNZ licence, and if your visa allows it, you could start working as a locum doctor after your permanent contract finishes. This can be done through direct contact with hospital administrators or through a locum agency.
Locum work can be a great way to see Aotearoa as often they pay for your travel costs, accommodation and obviously the hours you work!
MAS Retirement Saving Scheme
Sign up for this when you start work!
It is the equivalent of a pension scheme, however, if you leave the country for good you can access all of the money you have accumulated. You pay a percentage of your pay cheque into the scheme and your employer will match it.
When you come to finish your time in New Zealand simply request the money with proof that you are permanently emigrating out of New Zealand, such as a one-way flight ticket. Easy!
Life in New Zealand as a Doctor
Salary
What should you be expecting to take home each month?
Well firstly, you are paid fortnightly, which is great! The wait for the next paycheck is dramatically reduced, meaning that the ‘end of the month’ squeeze isn’t so bad!
The average salary for a junior doctor in New Zealand is between $80,000 to $140,000 NZD
The cost of living in Aotearoa depends on your lifestyle!
Housing
There are a number of housing options when you move to Aotearoa:
Renting
There are a lot of housing available for rent in NZ, so using Facebook groups to find other junior doctors who are moving at a similar time, and renting a house together, is a popular option! Slightly less daunting if you have a few friendly faces who are in a similar position and ready to move in with you.
The main note about renting a whole house is that most rentals in Aotearoa don’t come furnished.
Hospital Accommodation
Some hospitals will offer hospital accommodation, though not all.
This varies in cost and luxury but can be a great option! It might be worth asking your recruitment consultant about this option.
Transport
When you move to New Zealand, you’ll not only have to make sure you can get to work, but also need to find a way to explore the beauty of your new home!
Buying a Car
Having a car is super useful in New Zealand! A lot of the hikes and nature parks aren’t very accessible by public transport, so buying a car gives you the ability to see so much more of the amazing country!
There are a couple of different ways of doing this. You can either buy new, second-hand (primarily off ‘Trade Me’ or ‘Facebook Marketplace’), or through a second-hand car dealership.
Should I Get a Camper?
Aotearoa is full of Freedom Camping and doc huts where you can park up and sleep for free if you are in a ‘Self-Contained’ vehicle that’s certified. It’s a fun, easy and cheap way to see the very best bits of the country.
Campervans are hugely popular in Aotearoa so there are always second-hand ones being sold through websites such as ‘Facebook Marketplace’ and ‘Trade Me’.
Public Transport
Public transport is also an option if you don’t want to buy a vehicle. There are good flight connections between most of the major cities and towns, making this an effective option to travel around.
A lot of the scenic hikes and activities will then require some other mode of transport to get to them. Usually, this requires hiring a car but there can also be public buses and trains.
Conclusion
New Zealand is a beautiful country filled with the most amazing experiences. Hopefully, this guide helps you to find this out for yourself!
