Info Circular for Overseas Applicants
Download application form:
pdf EWLG571 (40 KB)
Introduction To Registration
All persons employed in New Zealand in the installation and/or servicing of equipment that derives its power source from mains supply are required to hold, or be working towards holding, New Zealand registration. This registration is a requirement of section 108 of the Electricity Act 1992 (the Act) and it is provided by the Electrical Workers Registration Board. A free copy of the Act and related Regulations is available online at www.legislation.govt.nz or at the Energy Safety Service website www.ess.govt.nz under "Rules".
Registration is intended to ensure that all prescribed electrical work (P.E.W.) is undertaken in a safe manner, and to specific New Zealand standards. P.E.W. is defined in the Electricity Regulations 1997 in Regulation 17; in basic terms P.E.W. is work on equipment or fittings which is supplied from an electrical power supply that exceeds 50 volts a c or 120 volts d c.
Requirements to Obtain Full Registration
Full registration entitles you to work unsupervised and accept responsibility for your own electrical work.
You can obtain full registration once additional coursework and examinations required by the Board have been completed andyour overseas qualifications have been accepted.
Once your overseas experience has been accepted as meeting the New Zealand criteria, and you have completed required coursework and examinations, then you can apply for registration and the annual practising licence
Registration costs NZ$103.00 and is charged only once. The annual practising licence application fee is NZ$92.00 and it must be paid every year that you renew your licence.
Work references
To enable the Board to establish that you have obtained the required four years appropriate work experience, a work reference is required from each employer that you did electrical work for. These must provide details as to the actual electrical work that you did, such as cable types and fittings installed and/or maintained electrical components that you connected to those cables, and the types of terminations involved.
Please ensure your references show P.E.W (please refer to page 1 for details.)
Each category of registration requires a different amount of work experience. Work references must include details about how much time you have spent on the nominated work.
Coursework and examinations
Coursework for safe-working practices, testing, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid is required for registration. A list of course providers is on the Board's web site under Training at www.ewrb.govt.nz.
Coursework leading to examinations can be obtained from independent training providers located throughout New Zealand. You must contact the training providers directly for information about coursework availability and costs.
Schedules for registration examination dates can be obtained from the Board or the training providers.
Registration categories
There are three categories of New Zealand registration, and each category has different P.E.W. limit entitlements.
Category 1. Electrical Service Technician: may perform the P.E.W. servicing of electrically operated appliances and their associated control equipment. Limited to either, the maintenance of electrical appliances rated up to 230 volt, single phase supplied via plug and flexible cord or the maintenance and replacement of electrical appliances and fittings rated up to 460 volts including their disconnection from and reconnection to fixed wiring
Category 2. Electrician: may perform the P.E.W. installation of electrical building wiring work and the fittings associated with that wiring, and the servicing of electrically operated appliances and their associated control equipment.
Category 3. Line Mechanic: may perform any of the P.E.W. associated with overhead or underground distribution,
transmission or traction lines that provide electricity for their particular purpose. Line Mechanics may also perform cable jointing associated with Line Mechanics' electrical work.
Requirements in each category
Category 1. Electrical Service Technician
You must have:
- completed a minimum of 18 months of appropriate electrical work experience in the servicing of electrically operated appliances and associated control equipment
- references showing that the appropriate work experience (minimum 18 months) has been obtained
- complete the required coursework and examinations. There are no exemptions from any of these requirements.
Category 2. Electrician
You must have:
- completed a minimum of 48 months of appropriate electrical work experience in the electrical building wiring installation work and the fittings associated with that wiring installation work. At least 12 months must have been completed in electrical building wiring installation work. You may include less than 48 months in the servicing of electrically operated appliances and their associated control equipment.
- references showing that the appropriate work experience (minimum 48 months) has been obtained
- completed required coursework and examinations in New Zealand.
There are a limited number of exemptions from part of the coursework/examination requirement. Those exemptions are listed in the Overseas Qualifications portion of the Board's website www.ewrb.govt.nz.
Category 3. Line Mechanic
You must have:
- completed a minimum of 24 months of appropriate electrical work experience in the servicing and the installation of overhead and/or underground distribution or transmission lines and/or associated cable jointing. A traction endorsement is available to persons who have completed a minimum of 24 months of overhead electric line work involving the servicing and installation of electric lines associated with electrically propelled vehicles such as trolley buses, trains, trams, etc.
- references showing that the appropriate work experience (minimum 48 months) has been obtained
- completed required coursework and examinations in New Zealand.
There are no exemptions from any of these requirements. The fourth category of Registration is electrical Inspector, but information is not provided here because you must have held NZ registration in one other category for a period of 3 years and have completed additional coursework and examinations.
Provisional Licence
A Provisional Licence enables you to work in New Zealand while completing the appropriate coursework and examinations necessary for full registration.
Provisional Licences are issued for a period of 12 months. To be entitled to obtain a Provisional License in any of the registration categories listed above, the Board requires acceptable confirmation of the following:
- appropriate electrical work experience has been obtained in work relevant to the desired registration category; and
- appropriate coursework in safe-working practices, testing, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid has been completed; and
- a New Zealand-registered person who can and will accept responsibility for the electrical work you do while you have a Provisional License and while you are is working towards obtaining full registration.
A provisional licence is issued upon the basis that you have obtained the required (18 months, 2 years or 4 years) work experience.
You cannot get a Provisional Licence if you need additional work experience before you are entitled to obtain full registration.
You must have enough appropriate work experience in your home country before you can apply for a Provisional Licence. Once a provisional licence is obtained examination and practical assessment requirements must be attempted during the issuing period of the licence.
A Provisional Licence will only be issued on receipt of an application and payment of the NZ$34.00 application fee and receipt of:
- completion of a course in safe-working practices, testing, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid that has been completed through an approved course provider; and
- an assurance from a New Zealand-registered person that has held full registration for three years or more (entitled to be a supervisor of electrical work) that is prepared to provide appropriate supervision for the P.E.W that you will undertake while you are working towards obtaining your own registration; and
- a signed statement that both yourself and your supervisor have read, understood and accept the conditions of, the Board's supervision guidelines.
Evaluation of your overseas work experience
Evaluation will be made of your overseas work experience and qualifications in the above categories of registration to see if they meet New Zealand requirements.
The assessment will provide:
- advice about further requirements to obtain registration in one of the three categories; and
- the offer or decline of any Provisional Licence; and
- anything else required to obtain a Provisional Licence.
Post documents for assessment towards registration to:
The Registrar
Electrical Workers Registration Board
P O Box 10-156
Wellington
New Zealand
Fax +64 4 4732 395
Do NOT send original documents of references or qualifications in support of your assessment. Send certified copies only, however the Board reserves the right to sight original documents if required.
Emailed documents are not acceptable for evaluation purposes.
Helpful contacts
web: www.ewrb.govt.nz
e-mail: licensinggroup@med.govt.nz
(manages the licensing system in New Zealand)
Information relating to electrical legislative and regulatory requirements can be found on the following web sites.
Energy Safety Service
web: www.ess.govt.nz
(for legislation under "Rules" and other information)
New Zealand Standards
web: www.standards.co.nz
telephone: +64 4 498 5991
(to purchase Standards under the Electricity Regulations 1997)
|
Return
to Top