The Midwifery Council

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Leaving New Zealand?

New Zealand registered midwives leaving New Zealand remain on the New Zealand Register but have three options:

Allow your practising certificate to lapse. (We hope you don't!) Because you remain on the Register you are legally obliged under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act to advise us of changes of address.
Allow your practising certificate to lapse but ask to be on the "active non-practising" list so that you continue to receive all formal communciations from the Council while you are overseas. You will need to advise us of changes in address.
Maintain your New Zealand practising certificate while you are overseas. This will require that you engage in a modified Recertification programme.

Recertification requirements for New Zealand midwives working overseas.

You will need to:

Advise the Midwifery Council in writing of your plan as to how you will fulfil the Recertification requirements; and
Meet the requirement to work across the whole Midwifery Scope of Practice during each three year period; and
Keep a portfolio of your activities; and
Send your portfolio to the Midwifery Council in New Zealand if asked to do so for audit purposes.

You will not need to engage in Midwifery Standards Review while you are away but will be required to do so within one year of returning to New Zealand.

Returning to New Zealand?

If you have maintained your practising certificate while away (see above) you will only need to advise the Council of your return and your New Zealand address.

If you have not, then you cannot work as a midwife in New Zealand until you have obtained a practising certificate. If you meet the criteria, including that you have practised midwifery across the whole Midwifery Scope of Practice in the three years immediately prior to your application (and can provide supporting evidence if required) a practising certificate will be issued. You will be required to undergo Midwifery Standards Review within one year of the practising certificate being issued.

If you have not practised midwifery across the whole Scope of Practice within the three years preceding your application for a practising certificate then your application will be dealt with as a "Return to Practice" application. Those requirements are set out on the "Return to Practice" page.