Work as a Doctor in the UK from New Zealand
As of July 2026, doctors who qualified in New Zealand and want to practise in the UK must hold registration with a licence to practise from the General Medical Council (GMC). New Zealand is not on the WHO 2023 safeguards list, so UK registration can be pursued independently — through the PLAB route or an accepted postgraduate qualification, plus English evidence where required and, for non-UK/Irish citizens, a work visa.
How New Zealand-qualified doctors register with the GMC to work in the UK — the PLAB route, specialist college pathways, English evidence, Certificates of Good Standing, and the visa.
Which GMC route applies to you?
Answer two questions for a plain-English summary of the likely registration route and English-evidence options. This is general educational guidance only — the General Medical Council makes the final decision on every application.
The GMC route for New Zealand-qualified doctors
New Zealand-qualified doctors register with the GMC through the PLAB examination unless they hold a postgraduate qualification the GMC accepts for a non-PLAB route — for example a specialist college fellowship the GMC recognises for a specialist application.
New Zealand graduates hold an MBChB from the University of Auckland or the University of Otago, complete their first postgraduate years (PGY1/PGY2), and are registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ). Teaching and assessment are in English. The GMC assesses your primary medical qualification, and for graduates without an accepted postgraduate qualification the standard route to registration is the PLAB examination.
New Zealand shares specialist colleges with Australia (for example the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons), so many New Zealand specialists hold Australasian fellowships. The GMC assesses whether a specialist qualification supports entry to the Specialist Register on its own merits — confirm your position rather than assuming it transfers automatically.
You will need a Certificate of Good Standing from the Medical Council of New Zealand, and from any other regulator you have registered with in the last five years. New Zealand registration records are detailed and in English, so the evidence step is often straightforward — but confirm each current requirement with the GMC.
Your registration steps, in order
Confirm your GMC route
Contact the General Medical Council (gmc-uk.org) to confirm which registration route your primary medical qualification and any postgraduate qualifications support — the PLAB examination, a recognised postgraduate qualification, or specialist/GP registration.
Meet the knowledge and skills requirement
Complete the route the GMC confirms — for example, passing both parts of the PLAB examination, or holding a postgraduate qualification the GMC accepts.
Evidence your English
Provide the English-language evidence the GMC accepts for your circumstances — usually IELTS Academic or OET, or evidence that your qualification was taught and examined in English. Confirm current thresholds on gmc-uk.org.
Gather Certificates of Good Standing
Obtain a Certificate of Good Standing (Certificate of Current Professional Status) from every medical regulator you have been registered with in the last five years.
Apply to the GMC and arrange the right to work
Submit your GMC application with your evidence. If you are not a UK or Irish citizen, secure the right to work — typically a Skilled Worker (Health and Care Worker) visa with a Certificate of Sponsorship from a UK employer (gov.uk).
Specialty and specialist registration
New Zealand doctors who hold an Australasian specialist college fellowship (FRACP, FRACS, FRNZCGP and similar) can ask the GMC whether it supports entry to the Specialist Register or GP Register through the Portfolio Pathway. The specialist and GP registers, and the Portfolio Pathway (formerly CESR), are administered by the GMC, which assesses each portfolio individually. Confirm whether your qualifications support a specialist route on gmc-uk.org before assuming one.
English-language evidence
New Zealand medical degrees are taught and examined in English, so many applicants can evidence English through their primary qualification or recent English-language clinical practice the GMC accepts, rather than sitting a test. The GMC decides which forms of evidence it accepts — confirm your circumstances on gmc-uk.org.
What New Zealand-qualified doctors need
These are the obligations the GMC and, where relevant, UK Visas and Immigration place on applicants. Confirm the current detail on the official websites.
Hold a recognised primary medical qualification (MBChB) from a New Zealand medical school and have completed your first postgraduate years
Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from the Medical Council of New Zealand covering the last five years
Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from any other regulator you have registered with in that period
Confirm with the GMC whether the PLAB route or a recognised postgraduate qualification (e.g. a college fellowship) applies to you
Evidence English-language proficiency (usually via language of instruction) and, if you are not a UK or Irish citizen, secure a UK Skilled Worker (Health and Care Worker) visa unless you already hold UK settled status
Certificate of Good Standing
You will need a Certificate of Good Standing (Certificate of Current Professional Status) from the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ), plus one from any other medical regulator you have been registered with in the last five years.
Right to work / visa
New Zealand citizens who are not UK or Irish nationals generally need a Skilled Worker (Health and Care Worker) visa with a Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed UK employer; some may be eligible for other routes such as the Youth Mobility Scheme — check gov.uk. The visa is separate from GMC registration, and both must be completed before you practise.
What New Zealand-qualified doctors earn in the NHS
NHS pay is set by national scales and the grade you are appointed to, not your nationality — a New Zealand-qualified doctor placed at a given grade is paid the same as anyone else at that grade.
Below are the current England basic pay scales for resident (junior) doctors. Basic pay excludes out-of-hours and weekend enhancements and any London weighting (High Cost Area Supplement), which are added on top.
| Nodal point | Typical grade | Basic pay |
|---|---|---|
| Nodal point 1 | Foundation Year 1 (FY1) | £38,831 |
| Nodal point 2 | Foundation Year 2 (FY2) | £44,439 |
| Nodal point 3 | Core / early specialty training (ST1–ST2) | £52,656 |
| Nodal point 4 | Specialty training (ST3–ST5) | £65,048 |
| Nodal point 5 | Senior specialty training (ST6–ST8) | £73,992 |
Consultants are on a separate national scale, currently running from roughly £109,725 to £145,475 in basic pay, rising with years of service. Additional programmed activities and on-call availability can lift total earnings further.
Source: BMA resident-doctor pay scales for England and the NHS Employers Pay and Conditions Circular (Medical & Dental). Basic pay before enhancements. Figures checked in July 2026 and reviewed annually — confirm the live figure with the BMA before relying on it.
The New Zealand → UK document checklist
Here is the shape of the pathway and the current NHS pay anchors. Enter your email to get the full, ordered document checklist for New Zealand-qualified doctors — the exact papers to gather, in sequence — kept up to date.
A New Zealand-qualified doctor’s UK route runs primary qualification → confirm GMC route (PLAB or accepted fellowship/postgraduate qualification) → English evidence → Certificates of Good Standing → GMC application → visa where required.
- Foundation Year 1 (nodal point 1)
- £38,831
- Specialty training (nodal point 4)
- £65,048
- Consultant basic pay range
- £109,725–£145,475
+ 9 more not shown here. As of July 2026. Source: GMC registration guidance + BMA / NHS Employers pay scales.
Get the full New Zealand → UK document checklist
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Practical notes for New Zealand-qualified doctors
- New Zealand and Australia share specialist colleges — if you hold an Australasian fellowship, ask the GMC whether it removes the PLAB requirement or supports specialist registration.
- New Zealand graduates usually evidence English through their qualification rather than a test — confirm this applies to you before booking IELTS or OET.
Important: this is information, not recruitment
This page is independent educational information for doctors who are researching UK registration of their own accord. It is not legal, immigration, or careers advice, and it is not a job offer. Gera Services Ltd is not a medical regulator and is not a recruitment agency — we do not register doctors, and we do not place doctors into NHS or other UK jobs. As a matter of policy we provide information only and do not actively recruit from countries on the WHO 2023 Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List. The General Medical Council (GMC) is the UK’s independent regulator of doctors; visa rules are set by the UK Home Office. Requirements, fees and pay scales change periodically — always confirm the current position with the GMC (gmc-uk.org) and GOV.UK before making any decision.
Frequently asked questions
Do New Zealand-qualified doctors have to sit PLAB?
Many do, unless they hold a postgraduate qualification the GMC accepts for a non-PLAB route — such as an Australasian specialist college fellowship recognised for a specialist application. The GMC assesses your qualifications and confirms your route on gmc-uk.org.
Does my Australasian college fellowship transfer to the UK?
Not automatically. The GMC assesses each specialist qualification on its merits through the Portfolio Pathway. Ask the GMC to confirm what your fellowship supports before planning around it.
Do I need IELTS or OET if I trained in New Zealand?
Usually not — New Zealand degrees are taught and examined in English, which the GMC can accept as evidence in place of a test. The GMC decides what it accepts, so confirm your circumstances on gmc-uk.org.
Is New Zealand on the UK “red list”?
No. New Zealand is not on the WHO 2023 Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List. Gera provides information only and does not actively recruit — individuals apply directly, of their own accord.
UK registration guides for doctors from other countries
- Doctors from Iraq
- Doctors from Lebanon
- Doctors from Turkey
- Doctors from Singapore
- Doctors from Australia
- Doctors from Canada
- Doctors from United States
- Doctors from Egypt
- Doctors from Philippines
- Doctors from Sri Lanka
- Doctors from Jordan
- Doctors from Malaysia
- Doctors from Germany
- Doctors from France
- Doctors from India
- All UK doctor pathways
Prefer to work remotely from New Zealand?
While you work through UK registration, you can keep practising as a remote telemedicine doctor with GeraClinic — see patients online in your own country, set your own hours and fee, and get paid within 3–5 business days.
Remote telemedicine work for doctors in New ZealandKeep earning while you plan your move to the UK
GeraClinic is free to join for licensed doctors. Work from home, set your own hours and fees, and see online patients — from wherever you are registered today.