Internationally Qualified Registration: Medical Laboratory Scientist
If you hold an overseas qualification in Medical Laboratory Science or equivalent you can apply for registration as a medical laboratory scientist. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Provisional registration and supervision period
To allow for familiarisation to the New Zealand healthcare environment, if you obtain registration, you will be required to be supervised by a registered medical laboratory scientist or an approved registered healthcare practitioner for a minimum of three months to a maximum of 24 months.
If your period of provisional registration is for more than six months, your supervisor may be required to provide the Council with interim progress reports. You and your supervisor will be notified of the timing of these reports when your first annual practising certificate is issued. For more information on working under supervision, refer to the Council’s supervision policy.
Applying for APC
You must wait until you are a resident in New Zealand or can provide evidence of your move to New Zealand before applying for an APC. Once you are registered, and before you begin working as a Medical Laboratory Scientist in New Zealand, you must apply to the Council for an annual practising certificate (APC).
Registration Timeframe
Providing your application is received with all the required documentation and the full registration fee payment it will take up to 12 weeks to process.
To apply for registration, please provide the following:
A certified copy of your qualification (this may also be referred to as your Diploma or Degree). A photocopy may be certified as a true copy by a solicitor, Notary Public, Justice of the Peace, or an Officer of the Court.
- Academic transcript (in English) of the medical laboratory science course from the training institution where your course of study was undertaken. Including a list of the subjects taken, the grades/marks obtained, and associated information on the grading system used.
- Academic syllabus (curriculum), detailing the contents of each subject and hours required for each year of study.
- If applicable: copy of your clinical logbook detailing laboratory procedures completed during clinical component of the qualification.
- Two Certificates of Standing and Experience (personal and professional) completed by persons unrelated to you.
- If you are registered with a licensing/registration authority in your home country, please provide evidence of your current registration status and a current Certificate of Good Standing (no more than 6-months old).
- One passport-style photograph signed with your signature and certified to be a true likeness of yourself (stating your name) by someone authorised to make statutory declarations in your country
- If applicable: Evidence of name change.
- A statement from your most recent/current employer which includes start and end date of employment, normal contracted hours per week and job title.
- Curriculum Vitae.
A certificate of completion of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi and The Treaty of Waitangi and Healthcare module mauriora.co.nz.
All registration applicants must meet the Council's English language requirements. If you are required to sit an English language test, please provide a copy of your examination results. Applicants may take either the IELTS test (academic) or the OET test. An applicant must attain a minimum score of 7.0 in each of the four categories of listening, reading, writing and speaking in the IELTS test for registration as a medical laboratory scientist. For registration as a medical laboratory technologist, medical laboratory pre-analytical technologist, or an anaesthetic technician, an applicant must obtain a minimum of 7.0 in listening, reading and speaking, and a 6.5 in writing.
If an applicant chooses to attempt the OET test, they must attain a B pass, and they may undertake either the pharmacy or medicine test.
Please note, the Council also accepts the ‘one skill retake’ offered by IELTS - it allows an applicant to retake just one category if they only failed one of the categories and saves them from retaking the whole test.
- A criminal conviction notice that is no more than six months old from each country you have lived and worked in for more than 12 months.
- Please ensure all current and previous names are included in the check.
Please note: Only the following criminal history checks will be accepted by the Council:
- United Kingdom ACRO
- Australia AFP
- South Africa South African Police Service Clearance Certificate
- Canada RCMP – Please ensure this is a fingerprint check
- United States of America FBI
- Philippines NBI clearance
For countries not on this list, please check with the Council. The Immigration New Zealand website may provide some guidance.
Please note, criminal check certificates issued by a third party will not be accepted.
You must pay the required fee at the time you submit your application. No refund will be given if your application is unsuccessful.