How to work as a doctor in New Zealand: NZREX and MCNZ fees (2026)

Official fees: NZ$7,489.97plus 3 that vary
Steps: 6from degree to licence
Language: English: IELTS Academic or OET at the Council's scores, results within two years; a valid NZREX pass meets the requirement
Planning time: About 1–2 years to provisional registration on the NZREX route; general scope after the two-year house officer programme
Our estimate, not official

Where did you qualify?

Outside the EU and English-speaking countries EU, EEA or Switzerland UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand

If you have practised for at least 33 of the last 48 months in a comparable health system – Germany is one – and hold full registration there, the comparable health system pathway skips NZREX (application NZ$1,935.55).

Step by step

Each fee links to the page we took it from.

1

Verify your documents through EPIC
EPIC fees apply

Your medical school must be listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools. The Council only starts processing once the EPIC verification is under way. Source
2

Pass a prerequisite exam
paid to the exam body

PLAB 1, MCCQE Part I, the AMC MCQ or USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK, passed within the last five years. Source
3

Pass NZREX Clinical
NZ$860.92 + NZ$4,966.94

An OSCE with 12 stations in three hours, in Auckland. A pass is valid for five years, and there is no limit on attempts. Source
4

Register in the provisional general scope
NZ$387.11

With a job offer for a first-year house officer post. You then complete a two-year prevocational programme under supervision. Source
5

Practising certificate
NZ$1,000 + NZ$275 levy

Needed before you start work, and every year after. Source
6

Apply for general scope
see MCNZ

General scope is not automatic – you apply for it once the prevocational programme is complete. Source

Not included: courses, translations, travel, visas and living costs.

Practise with someone who passed

One-to-one online sessions with doctors who sat these exams themselves – they know what the examiners want.

NZREX Clinical tutors →

Study materials

Official practice tests, books and courses for each exam, checked on the publisher's or exam body's own page.

NZREX Clinical materials →

Stories from people who took this route

No story here yet. Took this route yourself? Share your story – it helps the next person more than any brochure.

Agencies that help with this route

No agency listed for this route yet.

Recruiter, school or consultant for doctors in New Zealand? List your agency.

Questions

Are the fees refundable?

No. The Medical Council's fees are not refundable.

Which countries count as comparable health systems?

29 countries, including the UK, Ireland, Germany, the USA, Canada and Australia. The Council publishes the full list.

Sources

Last checked 29 October 2026. Fees and rules change – always confirm with the regulator before you pay. PassPeers is independent and not affiliated with any regulator or exam provider.