The Midwifery Council

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Annual Practising Certificates

In order to practice in New Zealand registered midwives will need to have an Annual Practising Certificate (APC). This certificate is applied for each year and is issued for no longer than a year each time. The forms will shortly be available on this website.

Registered midwives must apply on the specified form and must pay the APC fee. The fee varies according to the applicant's circumstances and the time at which the application is made. A current and full list of fees together with the gazette notices can be viewed on the fees page. The APC year runs from 1 April to 31 March.

As part of the application, midwives are required to make certain declarations as to their fitness to practise and their competence. They must also complete the workforce survey.

Renewals for 2008/09

Applications for renewal of Annual Practising Certificates for the year 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 will be posted at the beginning of February 2008 to midwives who are holders of Practising Certificates that expire on 31 March 2008.

If you have not received a renewal form by Friday 15 February please contact the Deputy Registrar Nick Bennie, email: nick@midwiferycouncil.org.nz or telephone (04) 499 8992.

There are a few midwives for whom we have no address or for whom we do not have their current address. If you know a midwife has moved please ask them to make sure they let us have their new address.

In order to be sure of receiving your APC before 1 April 2008 we need to receive your completed application form and payment by 7 March 2008. We remind midwives that it is illegal to practise without a Practising Certificate

Competence requirements

Council accepts that midwives who have held a Practising Certificate for the 2004/05 year are competent to practise in the 2005/06 year. However, in the future all midwives will be required to participate in the Midwifery Council's Recertification Programme in order to obtain an APC each year.

Overseas qualified midwives and midwives applying under TTMRA

Midwives qualified overseas and midwives registered in Australia who are applying under the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition principles are likely to have conditions imposed on their scope of practice (usually relating to required further education). In these cases midwives will be issued with an interim practising certificate for a defined period, during which time the conditions must be met. These conditions are explained more fully in the notes which accompany the Applications to be completed by overseas registered midwives and Australian registered midwives seeking registration in New Zealand.