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Social Workers Registration Act 2003

Registration, authorisation to practise within scope of practice, and practising certificates - Key provisions

6: Entitlement of New Zealand-qualified applicants to registration within scope of practice

You could also call this:

"How New Zealand-qualified social workers can register to work in their field"

Illustration for Social Workers Registration Act 2003

If you have a qualification to be a social worker, you can register to work as one. The Board must be satisfied that you are competent to practise as a social worker, as found under Part 3. You must also be a fit and proper person to work as a social worker.

You need to be able to work with Māori and various ethnic and cultural groups in New Zealand. You must have enough practical experience in working as a social worker. The Board will only check your competence if they receive information that raises doubts about it.

The Board checks if you are competent, a fit and proper person, and have the right experience. They want to make sure you can work well with different people in New Zealand. You can find more information about this in the Part 3 of the Act.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM189970.

Topics:
Work and jobs > Job licensesRights and equality > Anti-discriminationMāori affairs > Te reo Māori
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"Overseas social workers can register in New Zealand if they meet certain requirements."

Part 2Registration, authorisation to practise within scope of practice, and practising certificates
Key provisions

6Entitlement of New Zealand-qualified applicants to registration within scope of practice

  1. A person who has a prescribed qualification for a scope of practice is entitled to be registered within that scope of practice if the Board is satisfied—

  2. that the person’s competence to practise as a social worker has been found satisfactory under Part 3; and
    1. that the person is a fit and proper person to practise as a social worker; and
      1. that (whether because of the inclusion of an appropriate component in that qualification, or as a result of the person’s satisfactory completion of a separate course or courses of training) the person—
        1. is competent to practise as a social worker with Māori; and
          1. is competent to practise as a social worker with various ethnic and cultural groups in New Zealand; and
          2. that the person has enough practical experience in practising as a social worker.

            1. Subsection (1)(a) applies to a person only if the Board has received information about that person and that information raises doubt about their competence to practise as a social worker.

            Notes
            • Section 6 heading: replaced, on , by section 13(1) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
            • Section 6(1): amended, on , by section 13(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
            • Section 6(1): amended, on , by section 13(3) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
            • Section 6(1)(a): amended, on , by section 23 of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 17).
            • Section 6(1)(a): amended, on , by section 144(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
            • Section 6(1)(b): amended, on , by section 23 of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 17).
            • Section 6(1)(b): amended, on , by section 144(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
            • Section 6(1)(c): amended, on , by section 23 of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 17).
            • Section 6(1)(c)(i): amended, on , by section 144(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
            • Section 6(1)(c)(ii): amended, on , by section 5 of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 17).
            • Section 6(1)(c)(ii): amended, on , by section 144(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
            • Section 6(1)(d): amended, on , by section 23 of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 17).
            • Section 6(1)(d): amended, on , by section 144(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
            • Section 6(2): inserted, on , by section 12 of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).