Health Sector

Bring your skills to New Zealand and treat yourself to a unique combination of professional satisfaction and a brilliant lifestyle.

Imagine, within half an hour of finishing a day’s duties, you can be on a beach. Or up a mountain. Or tramping through fresh, clean beautiful bush. On the other hand, you could just be chilling out at a relaxed café or restaurant, meeting new friends and enjoying the view.

Professionally, you’ll find New Zealand’s healthcare standards are up with the best. Our hospitals and general practices are modern, well equipped and, compared to other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (including the US, Ireland, Canada, Germany etc), we rate especially well on patient safety, timeliness and efficiency.

As a doctor, you have several choices of visa:

• Skilled Migrant Category, a resident visa that allows you to work and live in New Zealand
• Work to Residence, a two year work visa, which allows you to work towards qualifying for a resident visa
• Essential Skills, a temporary work visa, which allows you to work in New Zealand if you have a job offer from a New Zealand employer and the role cannot be filled by a New Zealander

Healthcare opportunities in New Zealand

New Zealand spends around 9.2% of our GDP on healthcare, higher than the 2009 OECD average of 8.9%.

Doctors are listed on the Essential Skills in Demand list.  This will make it easier for you meet the immigration requirements.

New Zealand is in great need of doctors. According to a recent study prepared by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, New Zealand needs  a net increase of 380 specialists per annum to meet the OECD average by 2021

FAQs

What’s the medical environment like in New Zealand?

Doctors often work in a general practice (doctor’s office) or in hospitals, either private or public. 

New Zealanders’ quality of health is similar to those in other OECD countries and an average expected life span of 80.2 years. However, like many other Western countries, New Zealand is dealing with such challenges as obesity and smoking related illnesses; as well as providing medical care for an ageing population.

Most doctors will have acute care responsibilities and are often involved in training. In addition, you may qualify for free continuing medical education to help you keep up-to-date with the most recent medical advancements. Your employer will be able to tell you if you qualify. 

How easy is it to get work as a doctor in New Zealand?

Medical specialists are listed on the Essentials Skills in Demand list and employers throughout the country are constantly look for new doctors.

Research where your skills will best fit and which employers are looking for your expertise. Simultaneously, you’ll want to become registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand and often times, employers will assist you in this process.

Once you’ve done that, you can apply to Immigration for an appropriate work or resident visa.

It can take a few months for all the documentation and paperwork to be completed. The hardest part may be deciding where in New Zealand you want to live and enjoy our great lifestyle!

For more information about the registration and immigration process, click here.

What will my salary be in New Zealand?

Salaries are varied dependant on your area of specialisation and number of years of experience. To get an idea of typical salaries, click here.

Regardless of the current exchange rate, you’ll find your income is relative to the cost of living in New Zealand. Nursing salaries allow you to live a comfortable life while enjoying a healthy work/life balance. To give you an idea of the price of standard items click here.

Tax is deducted from your salary or wages with each pay. You’ll be taxed according to your income as follows:

• Up to $48,000 per annum 17.5%
• $48,001 - $70,000 per annum 30.0%
• Over $70,000 per annum 33.0%