JOINING
THE REGISTER
Voluntary regulation and registration are in place in New Zealand for allied veterinary and animal healthcare practitioners who are working in clinical veterinary practice, affiliated animal healthcare services, animal healthcare education, and animal healthcare industries.
Register of Allied Veterinary Practitioners
Eligibility criteria for entry to the Register of Allied Veterinary Practitioners is limited to those who have achieved a formal veterinary nurse, veterinary nursing assistant, or veterinary technology qualification that is a minimum of 240 credits at Level 5 or above and is on the approved qualifications list.
The following allied veterinary professionals are eligible to apply:
Veterinary technologists, Level 7
Veterinary nurses, Level 5 and above
Veterinary technicians, Level 5 and above
Veterinary nursing assistants, Level 5
Exemptions are in place for the following historical qualifications to enable eligibility to the Register of Allied Veterinary Practitioners:
National Certificate in Veterinary Nursing, Level 5 (160 credits)
New Zealand Veterinary Association, Certificate in Veterinary Nursing ANTECH
Register of Allied Animal Healthcare Practitioners
Entry to the Register of Allied Animal Healthcare Practitioners is limited to those who have achieved a formal animal healthcare related qualification that is a minimum of 240 credits at Level 5 or above and approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
The following allied animal healthcare professionals are eligible to apply:
Animal healthcare technicians, Level 6 and above.
Rural animal technicians, Level 5
Entry to the List of Allied Animal Healthcare Practitioners
Practitioners who do not meet minimum criteria as listed above, may be eligible for entry to the List of Animal Healthcare Practitioners. The List is in place to allow for the same regulatory benefits and accountability as for other allied professionals.
Entry to the List of Allied Animal Healthcare Practitioners is limited to those who have achieved a formal animal healthcare related qualification (or equivalent recognition of prior learning) that is a minimum of 120 credits at Level 4 or above.
The following qualifications are eligible to apply:
Local Provider Rural Animal Technician, Level 4
Overseas Qualifications
Recognition of overseas qualifications to ensure they meet minimum standards in New Zealand can be completed through Capable NZ.
There are several overseas qualifications that have already been approved for entry to the register. These are listed on the approved qualifications list.
Entry criteria for overseas applicants can be found here.
It is envisaged that a reciprocal agreement between international registers may be possible at some stage in the future, but that is still some time away and depends on establishment of criteria to ensure overseas applicants are fit to practice in New Zealand.