How Filipino nurses can work in New Zealand

Filipino nurses can register in New Zealand through the Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ, Te Kaunihera Tapuhi o Aotearoa). The Council's route has four parts: verification of your documents through TruMerit, an application to the Council, an English test, and a competence assessment if the Council directs one. After that, you need a job with an accredited employer and a work visa from Immigration New Zealand.

The Philippine side adds licence verification through the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) deployment rules. This guide covers both sides in order. Every fee and score below was checked on 1 Nov 2026 against the official page named beside it. Fees change, so open the official link before you pay anything.

Resumen rápido

The Council does not state an exam fee, and this guide does not quote one.

Step 1: Know that the assessment is not automatic

Not every nurse has to sit the competence assessment. The Council decides after it assesses your application, and it directs the assessment when it needs one (NCNZ FAQ). Prepare for both outcomes, so that you are ready if the Council asks you to sit the exams.

Step 2: Get your PRC documents and verify them with TruMerit

The Council states that you must first verify your documents with TruMerit before you apply to register (NCNZ IQN page). TruMerit asks for:

• Identity: notarised photocopies of your passport and a second official ID, both in your full legal name.
• Qualification: either your school sends the nursing education form and full transcript, or you upload your transcript and certificate with a legal self-declaration. The TruMerit handbook mentions a "Related Learning Experience (Philippines)" supplement for transcripts, so ask TruMerit whether it applies to your school.
• Licences: a self-declaration of every nursing licence you held in the last 10 years, with at least one active licence when you apply. The issuing authority must send its verification to TruMerit directly. For a Philippine nursing licence, that authority is the PRC. Our UK from Philippines guide explains the PRC services and online portal.
• Experience: a self-declaration of at least 1,800 hours of post-registration nursing experience, completed within 12 months of your application. Experience in the USA, UK, Ireland, Singapore, or British Columbia or Ontario in Canada, from the last 10 years, can count. Otherwise, declare your most recent 1,800 hours.
• English: passing results, covered in Step 3.

TruMerit does not issue the report until the 1,800 hours are met (TruMerit handbook).

Step 3: Pass your English test

The Council accepts two tests, and the scores below are the minimum for each band (NCNZ English Language Competence Policy Guidance, dated 19 Aug 2022):

Cosas que suelen pillar por sorpresa:

• Combining sittings is allowed. All required scores must be met within 12 months of the first sitting, and all sittings must finish within three years of starting your application.
• Test centres only. The policy says the Council does not accept tests taken completely online, and OET@home is not accepted. The policy does not name IELTS Online, so ask the Council before you book one.
• Result age. TruMerit accepts results up to two years and 11 months old at submission, but recommends under two years (TruMerit handbook).
• Education in the Philippines does not count as an exemption. The policy's education exemption covers nursing education taught and examined in English in Canada, Ireland, Singapore, the United Kingdom or the United States. The Philippines is not named, so Filipino nurses need a test.

Step 4: Apply to the Council

Once TruMerit has verified your documents, apply to the Council. Its IQN page lists these requirements: two free online courses, a fitness-to-practise (criminal history) check, and a competence assessment if the Council requires one (NCNZ IQN page).

The Council's processing fee is NZD 485 (NCNZ FAQ).

Step 5: Competence assessment, if the Council directs it

Theory exam (Pearson). Sittings are online at Pearson centres, overseas or in New Zealand. For registered nurses, the exam has 120 multiple-choice questions in 165 minutes. Part A has 12 questions in 30 minutes, and Part B has 108 questions in 135 minutes. You have three attempts to pass both parts. If you fail one part, you re-sit only that part (NCNZ FAQ).

OSCE (clinical examination). The OSCE is held at the Nurse Maude Simulation and Assessment Centre in Christchurch, and you must attend in person. Registered nurses complete 10 stations of 12 minutes each. You take a two-day orientation course in person at the University of Canterbury first. If you do not pass, you may re-sit up to two more times (NCNZ FAQ).

Step 6: Get a job offer and a work visa

Immigration New Zealand's Work to Residence page says you need an offer of, or to be working in, a Green List Tier 2 job with an accredited employer. The job must be full-time and permanent or fixed-term for at least 12 months (Immigration NZ, Work to Residence visa). Check that your role is on the current Green List before you accept an offer.

Your employer must hold accreditation to hire you on an Accredited Employer Work Visa. The visa fee and levy are in the table above (Immigration NZ Fees Guide, May 2026). Immigration NZ also says the residence route needs 24 months of work in a Green List Tier 2 job in New Zealand, within the 30 months before you apply (Immigration NZ, Work to Residence visa).

Step 7: Meet the DMW rules

Philippine law generally does not allow direct hiring of Filipino workers abroad without a licensed recruitment agency, with limited exemptions. These rules are set by Philippine law and not by the destination, so they apply to New Zealand too. Read the DMW section of our UK from Philippines guide for the steps and the DMW advice on licensed agencies. Check your employer route with the DMW before you pay any agency.

Calendario habitual

These are planning ranges from our own estimate. They are not official figures.

Advertencia sobre estafas

• Only the Council, TruMerit and Immigration NZ take the official fees above. Be wary of any agent who quotes a fixed price for registration or a guaranteed approval.
• Use licensed agencies only. DMW advises dealing only with licensed agencies, and checking that a real job order exists, as explained in our UK from Philippines guide.
• Never buy test results or use a proxy. Every result and document is verified at source, and a false result puts your whole application at risk.

¿No está seguro de un agente? Revise sus datos con nuestro verificador gratuito de agentes falsos.

Practica gratis

NurseFlyAbroad is free for nurses, always. Try our OET reading and IELTS reading practice, clinical nursing questions and dosage calculation drills, and get a free PDF report card after each test. Check the New Zealand checklist for your personal steps, and see our New Zealand jobs hub for listing sources.

Practica gratis ahora

FAQ

Do I have to sit the OSCE? Not necessarily. The Council decides after it assesses your application, and it directs the competence assessment when it needs one.

Does a Philippine nursing education exempt me from the English test? No. The Council's education exemption names only Canada, Ireland, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. Sit IELTS Academic or OET at a test centre, and meet the Council's scores.

Can I take IELTS Online? The English policy requires test-centre testing, and it does not name IELTS Online. Ask the Council before you book, and do not pay for a test that the Council may not accept.

Sources (checked 1 Nov 2026)

• NCNZ: IQN page, Competence assessment FAQ, English Language Competence Policy Guidance (dated 19 Aug 2022)
• TruMerit for NCNZ: Handbook
• Immigration New Zealand: Work to Residence visa, Fees Guide INZ 1028, May 2026
• Our guides: UK from Philippines (PRC and DMW sections)
• Destination page: New Zealand