Registration | Qualified Outside New Zealand?

Any overseas trained dietitian wishing to practise as, or be known as, a dietitian in New Zealand must:

• Be registered under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 for practising within the Scope of Practice prescribed by the Dietitians Board, and
• Once registered, hold a current Practising Certificate issued by the Board (an Interim Practising Certificate or an Annual Practising Certificate).

A) If you are an AUSTRALIAN credentialed dietitian who may be eligible for registration in New Zealand under the "Mutual Recognition Voluntary Relationship Charter" entered into by the Dietitians Board and the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA), please first read the information regarding the 'Mutual Recognition Voluntary Relationship Charter', and the 'Flow Chart', as well as the Handbook (link below). Then download the 'application form' and 'payment form'.

The Board's on-line CULTURAL COMPETENCY course is accessed through this link: http://nzdb.moodle.co.nz/ which includes an on-line test. You must contact the Registrar for the enrolment key. Successful completion of this course is essential for Australian and UK dietitians applying for registration under 'Mutual Recognition' or the revised UK Policy. The Registrar is able to verify a 'pass' in this course, (prior to issuing Australian / UK dietitians with registration). 

Completing the Mauri Ora modular on-line training  "Healthcare and the Treaty of Waitangi" course is also now compulsory for Australian and UK trained and registered dietitians prior to registration. Please contact: pauline@mauriora.co.nz for details of how to enrol. Send both certificates to the Board.

B) For details of the Board's policy for the NZ registration of UNITED KINGDOM (UK) trained and registered dietitians who meet the Board's criteria, please read the revised 'UK Trained and Registered Dietitians' Policy and Procedures', and the Handbook (link below). Then download the 'Application for Equivalency Assessment of Education and Training' and payment forms.

C) ALL OVERSEAS TRAINED DIETITIANS wishing to seek registration in New Zealand, should read the Handbook(October 2009):

• Read the “Handbook of Information on Registration for Overseas Trained Dietitians Intending to Practise Dietetics in New Zealand” (Revised October 2009,PDF),

All Overseas Trained Dietitians, excepting those from Australia who meet the 'Mutual Recognition' criteria, must then:

• Complete the “Application for Equivalency Assessment of Education and Training” (PDF) form,
• Enclose the application fee by using the “Fees Payment Form” and
• Send these with ALL the completed documentation to the Registrar, Dietitians Board, PO Box 10140, Wellington, New Zealand, in order to initiate the equivalency assessment process.
• Please send TWO sets of all your documentation to the Board,
• Please do NOT send in original documents, only correctly certified copies. The Board cannot be responsible for sending original documents back to you.

If you have any enquiries you are welcome to email the Registrar at: dietitians@dietitiansboard.org.nz. Please read the Handbook and the FAQs (below) first.

The first step in the registration process is that applicants for registration with dietetic qualifications gained outside New Zealand, (except for Australian APDs) must have their educational qualifications assessed for equivalency to the New Zealand qualifications by the Dietitians Board. The ‘Equivalency Assessment’ process starts from the time that completed documentation, including two acceptable references, has been received at the Board's office. The assessment process may take up to eight or twelve weeks. Delays may be expected if the information is not complete and the missing information is requested by the Board.

Please ensure your referees are given both the referee's requirements form (from the 'Handbook') and the referee's template to guide them in writing your reference.

When applying, it is in the applicant’s interests to provide all the details asked in the application form about tertiary education and training, including (clinical) placements, and particularly the number of hours each subject was studied (lecture, practical and tutor hours). Certified copies of any appropriate certificates should also be sent in (eg Food Hygiene/Safety Certificates). Please send this information at the start of the equivalancy assessment process. Applicants must provide all the essential documentation with their initial application. The Board may also take into account the relevant work experience of an individual, who has been working for five or more years.

The equivalency assessment process determines whether or not the applicant is eligible to proceed for registration in New Zealand, i.e. whether the applicant is equivalent to, or near equivalent to, the New Zealand qualifications.

If an applicant is considered eligible for registration, he or she will be required to sit the full/part Overseas Candidates Registration Examination (OCRE). The applicant may be required to undertake further education and training before sitting an OCRE, if the Board considers there is a gap between the applicant’s qualifications and the New Zealand standard.

For applicants with dietetic qualifications from outside New Zealand, passing the full/part OCRE is usually a pre-requisite to the issue of an Annual Practising Certificate required for practising in New Zealand. An applicant may, in rare instances however, while he/she is waiting to pass the examination, be invited by the Board to apply for registration (with specified conditions, including supervision and study, limiting his/her practice), and issued with a time limited Annual Practising Certificate.

The Board may also in individual cases, intend to limit the area of practice of an applicant to his/her area of dietetics, by imposing conditions to that effect. His/her eligibility to sit full/part OCRE would be decided by the Board.

Once the applicant has been offered a position in New Zealand, he/she must send the job description/job offer to the Board, so the Board can ascertain the person’s suitability for that position, before a Practising Certificate can be issued. The name of the workplace supervisor is required before the Practising Certificate can be granted.

Some contacts which may be useful in searching for a position in NZ, are listed in the 'Handbook'. You can obtain printed copies of all documents from the Dietitians Board. (You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read the PDF files; it's available to download for free. It may take a while to download.)

Frequently asked questions by overseas applicants holding dietetic qualifications from countries other than New Zealand

Q. Can I pay the application fee in a currency other than the NZ$?

A. No. Payment must be in NZ$. Payment can be made by Bank cheque, Bank draft or International Money Order. Most banks have an international banking service, which will be able to assist with this (eg Western Union, HSBC Bank).

 

Q. Can I pay my application fee by Credit Card?

A. Yes, we accept payment by MasterCard and Visa credit cards.

Q. What fees should I pay when I first send in my application form? 

A. Please send the ‘Equivalency Assessment’ fee of $400. Please note that the fee is not refundable.

Q. Shall I apply for registration and a practising certificate now? 

A. No. You would send in your registration fee of $250 and the completed “Overseas Applicants - Application for Registration” form, after you have been advised that you are equivalent, or near equivalent, to the New Zealand qualifications. The Board will send you these forms. You may also apply for a practising certificate at the same time. Practising Certificates may only be granted for up to one year.

Q. How long does the application process take to assess eligibility for sitting the Overseas Candidates Registration Examination (OCRE), and for Registration while waiting to sit the examination?

A. Please allow the Board 4 to 12 weeks after sending a complete application to the Board, before you would be told whether you are eligible or not. If you are asked to provide further information, the process may take longer.

 

Q. When and where could I take the Overseas Candidates Registration Examination (OCRE)?

A. The OCRE is held twice a year in July and November/December, but you will be advised which OCRE you are expected to sit, dependent on study requirements and being assessed as eligible to proceed for registration to practise dietetics in New Zealand.

 

The OCRE is usually available in the main centres of New Zealand: Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. If you have been assessed as eligible to sit an OCRE, you will be advised of the appropriate date and asked which centre you would prefer to sit the OCRE in, approximately two months before the OCRE examination is to take place.

 

Q. What are the dates for the OCRE this year?

A. The next OCRE will be held on Tuesday 6 July (morning). The OCRE will be held again on Tuesday 30 November.

 

Q. If I am only intending to work in New Zealand for up to one year, do I still have to sit an OCRE?

A. Yes. All overseas trained dietitians must sit an OCRE, unless they are eligible for registration under the UK trained and registered dietitians policy, or as an Australian credentialed dietitian.

Q. May I sit the OCRE before applying for registration and a practising certificate in New Zealand? 

A. Yes. Provided the Board has assessed you as being eligible to sit an OCRE. In most cases, the overseas trained dietitians must pass the OCRE before being able to be granted registration.

Q. How soon can I start work as a Dietitian?

A. As soon as you have been registered and hold a Practising Certificate. This is usually after you have successfully completed an OCRE.

 

Q. Does the Board need a copy of my job offer/job description?

A. Yes. The Board requires a copy of the Job Offer and Job Description before you are issued a Practising Certificate, to be able to start work as a dietitian.

The Board will also need to know the name of your workplace supervisor at this time.

Q. Will I have to be supervised when I start working in NZ? 

A. Yes. All 'entry level' dietitians must now be supervised for one year. This includes those trained overseas.

Q. Will I be allowed to supervise other dietitians in my first year working in New Zealand? 

A. No.

Q. I am not registered in New Zealand nor I do not hold a current practising certificate. May I still call myself a dietitian? 

A. Definately NO. Section 7 (1) and (2) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (HPCA Act) clearly states:

“No person may claim to be practising a profession as a health practitioner of a particular kind, or state or do anything that is calculated to suggest that the person practises or is willing to practise a profession as a health practitioner of that kind, unless the person is a health practitioner of that kind; and holds a current practising certificate of that kind.”