Which Green List tier are doctors on?

Tier 1. Under INZ Appendix 13 (9 March 2026), General Practitioners (253111), Resident Medical Officers (253112) and nearly all specialist occupations sit on Tier 1. The requirement is MCNZ registration in any of five scopes (provisional general, general, provisional vocational, vocational or special purpose locum tenens) and a letter of eligibility is also accepted.

Can a doctor trained in mainland China practise in New Zealand?

Not directly, but there is a clear route. Mainland China is not among MCNZ's 29 comparable health systems, so the mainstream path is passing the NZREX Clinical exam (valid within the last five years) and applying for provisional general registration. Alternatives include the UK PLAB plus GMC route. Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and South Korea are on the comparable list: 33 months of clinical practice there opens the comparable health system pathway.

What does the comparable health system pathway require?

An acceptable primary medical qualification; at least 33 months of clinical practice (20+ hours per week) within the 48 months before application, in one or more of 29 comparable systems (including Australia, UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea); practice in a similar area to the proposed NZ role; and current registration there. The application fee is NZ$1,935.55 from July 2026.

Is there a faster route for specialists?

Yes. Doctors with approved UK, Irish or Australian postgraduate qualifications can use fast-track specialist registration, processed within 20 working days across seven specialties (anaesthesia, dermatology, emergency medicine, general practice, internal medicine, anatomical pathology, psychiatry). GPs trained in the US, Canada or Singapore have a separate fast track processed within two months.

What do doctors earn in New Zealand?

Third-party summaries (2026, indicative only): house officers NZ$75k–100k (set by the NZRDA collective agreement), registrars/GP trainees NZ$110k–160k, salaried GPs NZ$150k–220k, practice partners NZ$200k–350k+. PayScale (2026) puts the GP average near NZ$145,233. Rural roles add 10–25% premiums and incentives. Every tier far exceeds the NZ$72,800 median-wage line.

Guides

Doctors & GPs in NZ: Green List Tier 1 and MCNZ Registration

Updated: 2026-08-09 · Data verified: 2026-08-09

Doctors & GPs in New Zealand: The Complete Guide

Doctors are the Green List’s full-coverage profession: GPs, resident medical officers and nearly every specialty sit on Tier 1. New Zealand leans heavily on international medical graduates (IMGs): 43.3% of the medical workforce and 71% of new registrations in 2023/24. The single bar is MCNZ registration.

Green List Position

Under INZ Appendix 13 (effective 9 March 2026), these medical occupations are all Tier 1 (Straight to Residence):

General Practitioner (ANZSCO 253111)
Resident Medical Officer (253112)
Anaesthetists, specialist physicians, surgeons, psychiatrists, dermatologists, emergency medicine specialists, obstetricians, ophthalmologists, pathologists, radiologists, oncologists and nearly all other 253xxx specialties

The requirement: MCNZ registration in a provisional general, general, provisional vocational, vocational or special purpose (locum tenens) scope: and an MCNZ letter of eligibility for registration is also accepted. In other words, registration eligibility plus a compliant offer unlocks residence without working in New Zealand first.

Six Registration Pathways (General Scope)

MCNZ offers multiple routes depending on your background:

NZREX Clinical: pass the New Zealand Registration Examination within the last five years. This is the main channel for mainland-China-trained doctors
Competent Authority: primary medical degree from an approved UK or Irish school plus internship in the UK or Ireland
Comparable Health System: within the 48 months before applying, at least 33 months of clinical practice (20+ hours/week) in one of 29 comparable countries, in a similar area to the proposed role, with current registration there. The list includes Australia, UK, US, Canada, most of Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and South Korea: mainland China is not on it
Australian AMC examinations plus AHPRA registration
UK PLAB parts 1 and 2, full GMC registration, plus 12 months’ UK practice
NZ/Australian graduate pathway (not applicable to IMGs)

Realistic routes for China-trained doctors: sit the NZREX directly; detour via the UK (PLAB); or first accumulate 33 months of practice in a comparable system such as Hong Kong or Singapore: the comparable pathway grew 18.3% in 2023/24, one of the fastest-growing channels in MCNZ’s own data.

Fast Tracks for Specialists

Fast-track specialist registration: approved UK, Irish or Australian postgraduate qualifications, processed within 20 working days, covering anaesthesia, dermatology, emergency medicine, general practice, internal medicine, anatomical pathology and psychiatry
GP fast track: GPs trained in the US, Canada or Singapore get provisional vocational registration processed within two months (run with the RNZCGP)

Requirements After Registration

Supervised practice: all IMGs enter a provisional scope and work under approved supervision; after six months full-time equivalent and two consecutive satisfactory supervision reports, you can move to the general scope
EPIC primary source verification: key documents must be verified through ECFMG’s EPIC service (MyIntealth portal); processing starts only once verification is underway
Fees (from July 2026): comparable health system application NZ$1,935.55; Competent Authority NZ$619.38; annual practising certificate NZ$1,000 plus NZ$275 disciplinary levy
Changes need approval: supervision, position or location changes require a variation lodged at least 20 days ahead

Jobs and Salaries

New Zealand has a chronic GP shortage, and Health NZ plus regional PHOs recruit offshore continuously. Salary references (third-party summaries, 2026, indicative only; junior doctor pay is set by the NZRDA collective agreement):

Career stage	Annual salary (indicative)
House Officer (PGY1–2)	NZ$75k–100k
Registrar / GP trainee	NZ$110k–160k
Salaried GP	NZ$150k–220k
Practice partner	NZ$200k–350k+

PayScale (2026) puts the GP average near NZ$145,233 (range NZ$78k–198k). Rural roles typically add 10–25% premiums plus Health NZ incentives (relocation grants, allowances). Every tier comfortably exceeds the NZ$35.00/hour (about NZ$72,800/year) immigration median wage: pay is not a barrier at any stage of a medical career.

Common Misconceptions

“An unrecognised Chinese medical degree means you cannot practise in NZ”: Not true. Non-recognition simply means taking the NZREX or a detour route; after that, you follow the same registration flow as local graduates.
“Green List Tier 1 means registration is waived”: The opposite. For doctors, MCNZ registration is the Green List requirement. An eligibility letter suffices, but registration is the prerequisite, not an exemption.
“Specialist qualifications are automatically recognised”: They are not. Overseas specialist qualifications need assessment by the relevant New Zealand college; the fast track covers only specified UK/Irish/Australian qualifications.
“Get residence first, then find a job”: The order is reversed. Green List residence needs a compliant offer: and most MCNZ pathways also require a supervised offer to register. Offer, registration and residence move forward together.

Green List Checker: requirement text for 253111 and the specialties
Salary Tax Calculator: take-home pay on a NZ$180k GP package
SMC Points Calculator: compare Green List vs SMC routes

Frequently asked questions

Which Green List tier are doctors on?: Tier 1. Under INZ Appendix 13 (9 March 2026), General Practitioners (253111), Resident Medical Officers (253112) and nearly all specialist occupations sit on Tier 1. The requirement is MCNZ registration in any of five scopes (provisional general, general, provisional vocational, vocational or special purpose locum tenens) and a letter of eligibility is also accepted.
Can a doctor trained in mainland China practise in New Zealand?: Not directly, but there is a clear route. Mainland China is not among MCNZ's 29 comparable health systems, so the mainstream path is passing the NZREX Clinical exam (valid within the last five years) and applying for provisional general registration. Alternatives include the UK PLAB plus GMC route. Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and South Korea are on the comparable list: 33 months of clinical practice there opens the comparable health system pathway.
What does the comparable health system pathway require?: An acceptable primary medical qualification; at least 33 months of clinical practice (20+ hours per week) within the 48 months before application, in one or more of 29 comparable systems (including Australia, UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea); practice in a similar area to the proposed NZ role; and current registration there. The application fee is NZ$1,935.55 from July 2026.
Is there a faster route for specialists?: Yes. Doctors with approved UK, Irish or Australian postgraduate qualifications can use fast-track specialist registration, processed within 20 working days across seven specialties (anaesthesia, dermatology, emergency medicine, general practice, internal medicine, anatomical pathology, psychiatry). GPs trained in the US, Canada or Singapore have a separate fast track processed within two months.
What do doctors earn in New Zealand?: Third-party summaries (2026, indicative only): house officers NZ$75k–100k (set by the NZRDA collective agreement), registrars/GP trainees NZ$110k–160k, salaried GPs NZ$150k–220k, practice partners NZ$200k–350k+. PayScale (2026) puts the GP average near NZ$145,233. Rural roles add 10–25% premiums and incentives. Every tier far exceeds the NZ$72,800 median-wage line.

Keep going with the tools

Green List Checker Open tool → Take-Home Pay Open tool → SMC Points Calculator Open tool →