Upgrading your registration class

How to upgrade from your current class of registration to a higher registration class.

Some current registrations will give certain exemptions when seeking an upgrade in class of registration.

If you are seeking a dual registration, then you must complete all registration requirements for the additional class you wish to apply for: ie Line Mechanic and Electrician.

Scroll down to your current class of registration below and click on the class of registration you are seeking. If either class is not mentioned below then please refer to the full registration requirements.

Where an examination is required, you must also complete the coursework to be able to sit the exam. 

All experience must be gained while holding a Trainee Limited certificate (TLC) in the required class.

Once you have completed the requirements below go to this page to apply for an upgrade.

If you are currently holding a practising licence there is no need to pay for a new one, a new card is issued with the new registration.

Upgrading exemptions are only available for registration classes from Electrical Appliance Service person to Inspector.

Electrical Appliance Service person – EAS

You are an Electrical Appliance Serviceperson and plan to apply for:

Electrical Appliance Serviceperson (endorsed to disconnect and reconnect) - EASQ

Upgrade requirements

  • Complete and pass the Electrical Appliance Service person endorsed coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the Electrical Appliance Service person endorsed practical assessment, and
  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your Board approved supervisor to show your experience of disconnecting and reconnecting single phase equipment/appliances from fixed wiring while holding an Electrical Appliance Service person endorsed Trainee Limited Certificate

OR;

  • National Certificate in Electrical Engineering in Electrical Appliance and Electronic Servicing - level 3

Electrical Service Technician - EST

  • Complete and pass the Electrical Service Technician coursework and examination (EAS section of an EAS/EST course not required), and
  • Complete and pass the Electrical Service Technician practical assessment (EST skills only needed if EAS Registration is held), and
  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your Board approved supervisor to show your experience of disconnecting and reconnecting from fixed wiring and including 6 months multi-phase experience while holding an Electrical Service Technician-Trainee Limited Certificate.

Electrical Installer - EI

  • Complete and pass the Electrical Installer Theory coursework and examination or Electrician Theory coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the Electrician Regulations coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the Electrician practical assessments – Stages 1, 2 and 3, and
  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your Board approved to show your experience of 2 years’ installation of 1 electrical system ie lifts or HVAC while holding an Electrical Installer-Trainee Limited Certificate

Electrician - E

  • Complete and pass the Electrician Theory coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the Electrician Regulations coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the Electrician practical assessments -Stages 1, 2 & 3, and
  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your Board approved supervisor to show your experience of  years of electrician work including 2000 hours of installation wiring work while holding an Electrician-Trainee Limited Certificate.

OR;

  • Complete a New Zealand Certificate in Electrical Engineering Theory and Practice (Trade) level 4.

Electrical Appliance Serviceperson endorsed – EASQ

You are an Electrical Appliance Serviceperson (endorsed to disconnect and reconnect) - EASQ and plan to apply for:

Electrical Service Technician - EST

  • Complete and pass the Electrical Service Technician coursework and examination (EAS section of an EAS/EST course not required), and
  • Complete and pass the Electrical Service Technician practical assessment (EST skills only needed if EAS Registration is held), and
  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your Board approved supervisor to show 6 months multi-phase experience with the reference also including disconnecting and reconnecting from fixed wiring experience while holding an Electrical Service Technician-Trainee Limited Certificate

Electrical Installer - EI

  • Complete and pass the Electrical Installer Theory coursework and examination or Electrician Theory coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the Electrician Regulations coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the Electrician practical assessments -Stages 1,2 & 3, and
  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your Board approved supervisor to show your experience of 2 years’ installation of 1 electrical system i.e. lifts or HVAC while holding an Electrical Installer-Trainee Limited Certificate.

Electrician - E

  • Complete and pass the Electrician Theory coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the Electrician Regulations course and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the Electrician Practical Assessments -Stages 1, 2 & 3, and
  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your Board approved supervisor to show your experience of 3½ years of electrician work including 2000 hours of installation wiring work while holding an Electrician-Trainee Limited Certificate.

OR;

  • Complete a New Zealand Certificate in Electrical Engineering Theory and Practice (Trade) level 4.

Electrical Service Technician – EST

You are an Electrical Service Technician - EST and plan to apply for:

Electrical Installer - EI

  • Complete and pass the Electrical Installer Theory coursework and examination or Electrician Theory coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the Electrician Regulations coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the E practical assessments -Stages 2 & 3, and
  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your Board approved supervisor to show your experience of 2 years’ installation of 1 electrical system ie lifts or HVAC while holding an Electrical Installer-Trainee Limited Certificate.

Electrician - E

  • Complete and pass the Electrician Regulations coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the Electrician Theory coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the E practical assessments -Stages 2 & 3, and
  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your Board approved supervisor to show your experience of 3 years of electrician work including 2000 hours of installation wiring work while holding an Electrician-Trainee Limited Certificate.

OR;

  • Complete a New Zealand Certificate in Electrical Engineering Theory and Practice (Trade) level 4.

Electrical Engineer - EE

  • Complete and pass the Electrician Regulations coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the Electrician practical assessments -Stages 2 & 3, and
  • Complete a Bachelor of Electrical Engineer qualification or NZ Diploma Level 6, and
  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your Board approved supervisor to show your experience of 1 year of electrician work including 1500 hours of installation wiring work while holding an Electrical Engineer or Electrician-Trainee Limited Certificate.

Electrical Installer - EI

You are an Electrical Installer - EI and plan to apply for:

Electrician - E

  • Complete and pass the Electrician Theory coursework and examination, and
  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your Board approved supervisor to show your experience of 2 ½ years of electrician work including 2000 hours of installation wiring work while holding an Electrician-Trainee Limited Certificate.

OR;

  • Complete a New Zealand Certificate in Electrical Engineering Theory and Practice (Trade) level 4.

Electrical Engineer - EE

  • Complete a Bachelor of Electrical Engineer qualification or NZ Diploma Level 6, and
  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your Board approved supervisor to show your experience of 1 year of electrician work including 1500 hours of installation wiring work while holding an Electrical Engineer or Electrician-Trainee Limited Certificate.

Electrical Engineer - EE

You are an Electrical Engineer - EE and plan to apply for:

Electrician - E

  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your supervisor/employer who is a registered/licenced electrical worker to show your experience of 3 years of electrician work including 2000 hours of installation wiring work.
  • Complete and pass the Electrician Theory coursework and examination(you may be exempt from the course only if your Electrical Engineer degree is NZQA level 7 or higher– ask the EWRB for an exemption).

Electrical Engineer - EE removal of limitation

Removing limitation

  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your supervisor/employer who is a registered/licenced electrical worker only showing work outside limitation while under supervision – Trainee Limited Certificate not required.

Electrician - E

You are an Electrician - E and plan to apply for:

Electrical Engineer - EE a dual registration

  • Complete a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering qualification or NZ Diploma Level 6 or NZ Certificate Level 6.

Electrician E - Mining

  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your supervisor/employer who is a registered/licenced electrical worker showing your experience of 1 year in Mining Operation
  • Complete qualifications showing training in mine safety (as Gazetted††) or include these in your references:)

†† As Gazetted you must show training and skills in the following:

  1. the control of earth potential rise;
  2. the use of relocatable mining electrical equipment;
  3. the performance of safety functions required for mining activities and mining electrical equipment; and
  4. risk management

For the mining endorsement a Mining Operation is defined as not including:

  1. exploring for minerals
  2. an alluvial mining operation
  3. a mining operation wholly or under the seabed on the seaward side of the mean high water mark’
  4. a quarrying operation

Inspector - I

  • Being registered as an Electrician for a minimum of 3 years, and
  • Complete and pass the Inspector coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the Inspector practical assessment, and
  • Supply references signed and dated by your supervisor/employer who is a registered/licenced electrical worker that show 3 years of work experience as an electrician. Your reference must include details of the prescribed electrical work you have completed covering at least 3 years including high risk work. If you have been self-employed, you can use a Statutory Declaration form to state your work experience. Please also include evidence of being self-employed e.g. evidence on the Companies Register.  The Statutory Declaration must be certified by an authorised person: a Justice of the Peace, a Public Notary, a solicitor or NZ court registrar.
    Statutory Declaration form [DOCX, 26KB]
  • Supply evidence of 3 examples of high risk work that you have completed e.g. COC’s that have been entered on the Worksafe High Risk Data Base or the corresponding ROI’s.
    Worksafe High Risk Data Base

Inspector - Mining Endorsement

  • Being registered as an Electrician for a minimum of 3 years, and Complete and pass the Inspector coursework and examination, and
  • Complete and pass the Inspector practical assessment, and
  • Supply references signed and dated by your supervisor/employer who is a registered/licenced electrical worker that show 3 years of work experience as an electrician. Your reference must include details of the prescribed electrical work you have completed covering at least 3 years including high risk work.
  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your supervisor/employer who is a registered/licenced electrical worker showing your experience of 3 years in Mining Operation including details of the prescribed electrical work you have completed.Complete qualifications showing training in mine safety (as Gazetted††) or include these in your references:

†† As Gazetted you must show training and skills in the following:

  1. the control of earth potential rise;
  2. the use of relocatable mining electrical equipment;
  3. the performance of safety functions required for mining activities and mining electrical equipment; and
  4. risk management

For the mining endorsement a Mining Operation is defined as not including:

  1. exploring for minerals
  2. an alluvial mining operation
  3. a mining operation wholly or under the seabed on the seaward side of the mean high water mark’
  4. a quarrying operation

Inspector - I

You are an Electrical Inspector and plan to apply for:

Inspector - Mining Endorsement

  • Supply a reference signed and dated by your supervisor/employer who is a registered/licenced electrical worker showing your experience of 1 year in Mining Operation including the details of prescribed electrical work you have completed. Complete qualifications showing training in mine safety (as Gazetted††) or include these in your references:

†† As Gazetted you must show training and skills in the following:

  1. the control of earth potential rise;
  2. the use of relocatable mining electrical equipment;
  3. the performance of safety functions required for mining activities and mining electrical equipment; and
  4. risk management

For the mining endorsement a Mining Operation is defined as not including:

  1. exploring for minerals
  2. an alluvial mining operation
  3. a mining operation wholly or under the seabed on the seaward side of the mean high water mark’
  4. a quarrying operation

Line Mechanic, Cable Jointer and Substation Maintainer. No exemptions*

*NB All the Line Mechanic classes, Cable Jointer and Substation Maintainer are dual registrations rather than upgrades when applying for a secondary (or third) registration.

You are a Line Mechanic (Distribution, Transmission and/or Traction) and plan to apply for:

Electrical Appliance Serviceperson (endorsed to disconnect and reconnect) - EASQ

Electrical Service Technician - EST

Electrical Installer - EI

Electrician - E

Electrical Engineer - EE, including Electrical Engineer with limitation

Associated Tradesperson - AT

You are an Associated Tradesperson - AT and plan to apply for:

Electrical Appliance Serviceperson (endorsed to disconnect and reconnect) - EASQ

Electrical Service Technician - EST

Electrical Installer - EI

Electrician - E

Electrical Engineer - EE, including Electrical Engineer with limitation