Before you apply

Before you apply for registration based on your overseas qualifications and experience, check that you meet our registration requirements and have all your supporting documents ready.

Do you meet the minimum requirements?

Check the “Minimum Experience required for Registration” table below to ensure you have completed the minimum amount of work experience required, and your experience meets the requirements described in the limits of work.

You must meet the minimum requirements before you apply.

If you apply and you have not met the minimum requirements, your application will be declined and the application fee will not be refunded.

If your application is accepted, you will be required to carry out New Zealand (NZ) work experience under supervision of a registered/licenced electrical worker. This NZ work experience requirement is to ensure the overseas applicant becomes familiar with NZ standards and work practices including the Multiple Earth Neutral (MEN) system of supply, to demonstrate they can work safely and competently.

Please make sure the class of registration you select contains the same work description as the work you have carried out overseas.

You must have the minimum amount of recent work experience as listed in table below. If you do not have the minimum amount of work experience then your registration application will be declined and you will not be entitled to apply for a Limited Certificate.

While you can choose more than one class of registration, each additional registration class application will incur a separate application fee.

The application fee is $1,650 (including GST) for each class of registration. If you are applying from overseas, GST is not applied. When applying on-line, you must indicate that you are a non-NZ tax resident.

You're a New Zealand tax resident if

you've been in New Zealand for more than 183 days in any 12-month period and haven't become a non-resident, or
you have a permanent place of abode in New Zealand

Minimum Experience required for Registration

Registration class	Minimum amount of work experience required	Work description
Electrician	8000 hours	All electrical work (except work in a mining operation) and includes: At least 2000 hours of experience of wiring installation within buildings Installing and connecting high and low voltage single phase and multiphase cables (overhead /underground) and associated fittings Installing electrical wiring and equipment in commercial and domestic buildings Installing Switchboards Installing lighting and power outlets and appliances Earthing /bonding Fault-finding Testing Certification
Electrician Mining endorsed	8000 hours including 2000 in mining operation	All electrical work of an electrician as above, but also includes work in a mining operation and includes: work done on bolted couplers and restrained couplers used or installed in a Mining Operation; and work done on installations, fittings, or appliances in explosive zones; and the connection, reconnection, or disconnection of bolted couplers and restrained couplers used or installed in a Mining Operation. Must have adequate knowledge, training, skills, and experience satisfactory to the Board of: i. The control of earth potential rise. ii. The use of relocatable mining electrical equipment. iii. The performance of safety functions required for mining activities and mining electrical equipment; and iv. Risk management
Electrical Engineer You must have an Electrical Engineer degree that is NZQA Level 6 or higher. If your Electrical Engineer qualification is from overseas, you must have it assessed by Engineering NZ or NZQA and submit the equivalency statement in your overseas registration application.	2000 hours	2000 hours of the work of an electrician above which must include at least 1500 hours of installation wiring work. OR Electrical work can be limited to specific area of experience and expertise. This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and will need to have evidence of practical “hands on” work experience including at least 1500 hours of installation wiring experience. Areas of work can range (but not limited to) examples below: High and medium voltage power generation, transmission, distribution substations, protection, and control systems. Please note that this class of registration may not be on the Skills Shortage list for Immigration New Zealand’s visa points.
Electrical Installer	4000 hours	Electrical work will be limited to installation of a specific area of experience and expertise. Areas of work can range (but not limited to) examples below: Security systems Fire alarm systems Railway and tram systems lifts/escalators Heating /ventilating/refrigeration/air conditioning systems Renewable energy systems of electrical supply Work experience should be at least 4000 hours of primarily installation work in one specific area listed above. Work in more than one system may be better suited for Electrician class.
Electrical Service Technician	3000 hours	Electrical work that is limited to servicing single and multiphase appliances and equipment including: Maintenance of equipment, appliances equipment Repair equipment Service fittings, appliances equipment Replace wiring within an appliance or electrical equipment Disconnect from and reconnect to fixed wiring, fittings, electrical appliances, equipment At least 6 months (1000 hours) of multi-phase work experience
Electrical Appliance Service Person (with or without endorsement to disconnect and reconnect)	3000 hours	Electrical work that is limited to maintaining, repairing and servicing 250-volt single phase domestic and commercial appliances including: Domestic and commercial whiteware Medical appliances Photocopiers Coffee machines For the endorsement: the disconnection/reconnection of appliances from fixed wiring for the purpose of repair.
Line Mechanic Distribution	4000 hours	Electrical work that is limited to the construction installation, maintenance of electricity distribution networks (and associated infrastructure) to consumer installations including Overhead and underground electric lines Components used in line construction such as poles and insulators Live line work Faults and fault response
Line Mechanic Transmission	4000 hours	Electrical work that is limited to the construction, installation maintenance of New Zealand transmission network. This is the high voltage (66kV-400kV) national grid and associated infrastructure from electricity generating power stations to substations including: Overhead and underground transmission lines Components used in line construction such as pylons, towers, and insulators
Line Mechanic Traction	4000 hours	Electrical work that is limited to the construction installation and maintenance of traction lines and associated infrastructure (used in rail, tramway, and trolley bus traction networks) and includes: Overhead traction lines AC and DC, high and low voltage Components used in traction line infrastructure such poles towers and insulators
Cable Jointer	4000 hours	Electrical work that is limited to the installation or maintenance of high or low voltage cables (polymeric, paper insulated, oil or gas pressured, that require specialist jointing and terminating and can include but not limited to these joint types: Taped Resin filled Gel filled Oil and gas filled Heat shrinkable Lead or cast iron -bitumen filled
Substation Maintainer	3000 hours	Electrical work is limited to the maintenance of electrical fittings and equipment associated with distribution and/or transmission substations and includes: Relays and protection equipment Communication systems Load control Earthing Voltage and current transformers Busbars

Prepare your supporting documents

You will need to provide the following documents in your application:

*Certified colour copies of your certificates/qualifications (don’t submit original documents)
The witness must be a person authorised to witness a statutory declaration.
Oaths and Declarations Act 1957(external link) – Legislation website
*Certified colour copies of your work-history statements from your employer(s)
*Certified colour copy of your proof of Identity – passport personal identity page
A photo that meets the criteria for your ID card:
- a face, head and shoulders shot, looking directly at the camera and less than 6 months old
- plain, light coloured background
- no sunglasses, glasses with tinted lenses OR headwear that obscures your face
- 3:4 – width to height ratio, in full colour
- between 50KB and 5MB in size (or printed image for paper applications).
- Check that your photo meets the requirements here:
  onlinephotochecker.passports.govt.nz(external link)
Payment details: You can pay for your application by credit or debit card. All payments made outside the New Zealand banking system must be made by credit card.

*Certified: The official confirmation that the copies of your documents are identical to the original documents. The confirmation is issued by an authorised public authority or a Notary.

If the information in your documents are not in English, you must include a certified English translation.

If details on the copy are not clear, or there is doubt about its authenticity, we may ask you for original documents. We will return all original documents to you once we have decided the outcome your application.

Work history statements from supervisor/employer(s)

You must provide detailed references of your overseas work history.

Your references must:

Detail the prescribed electrical work(external link) experience that you have completed
Include the start and end dates of employment for each company
Contain sufficient experience in the area you seek registration
Be on company letterhead
Be signed and dated by your employer
Contain email contact details for your referee

Please do not apply if you have not completed the minimum required hours, as your application will be declined.

Your overseas references must contain your work experience you have completed so we can determine if your experience is suitable for EWRB registration. You may attach a position description in support of your references.

Please note that falsifying work references is fraud if you are applying for registration based on those references.

Proof of your identity

This must be a certified copy of your passport personal identity page. The witness must be a person authorised to witness a statutory declaration. The passport must be a current valid passport.

Oaths and Declarations Act 1957(external link) — Legislation website

Qualifications

We only assess qualifications towards Electrician registration class.

All submitted qualifications must be certified by a person authorised to witness statutory declarations.

Oaths and Declarations Act 1957(external link) — Legislation website

Electrician

If you are applying for Electrician registration with overseas qualifications, you may be exempt from some registration requirements. Exemptions only apply to Electrician registration, all other licence classes require completion of EWRB approved courses and examinations.

If you are applying for Electrician registration with overseas qualifications, you will be advised if you are exempt from any registration requirements. An independent assessment of your overseas qualification may also be required.

Electrical Engineer

If you are applying for Electrical Engineer registration, you must have your Electrical Engineer qualification assessed by Engineering NZ or NZQA, and it must be NZQA Level 6 or higher to be accepted.

You must submit the equivalency statement in your overseas registration application.

Only “Electrical” Engineer qualifications are accepted.

Additional information

Overseas registration applications are assessed in accordance with the Electricity Act 1992(external link) and the Electricity (Prescribed Classes of Registration for Electrical Workers) Gazette Notice 2019.(external link)

If you are an electrical worker planning to immigrate to New Zealand, we want to ensure you understand our registration and licensing requirements, and whether you may meet them, before you emigrate. We do NOT need character references, minor qualifications (gained prior to your main qualification) or transcripts and certificates of attendance at upskilling courses. These are not relevant to the assessment process.

Next steps

Apply for registration – Overseas trained applicants