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Social Workers Registration Act 2003

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

13: Board may recognise practical experience in certain cases

You could also call this:

"The Board can register you as a social worker if you have enough work experience, even if you don't have the usual qualifications."

Illustration for Social Workers Registration Act 2003

The Board can decide you should be a fully registered social worker if you do not have a prescribed qualification or an overseas qualification that is equivalent. The Board must be satisfied that your practical experience as a social worker in New Zealand is enough to make up for not having a qualification. They must also be satisfied that you are competent to practise as a social worker, as found under Part 3, and that you are a fit and proper person to practise as a social worker. You must also be competent to work with Māori and various ethnic and cultural groups in New Zealand. This rule overrides section 8F.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM189979.

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Work and jobs > Job licensesMāori affairs > Treaty of Waitangi
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Part 2Registration, authorisation to practise within scope of practice, and practising certificates
Criteria

13Board may recognise practical experience in certain cases

  1. The Board may decide that the applicant should be registered fully if—

  2. the applicant has neither a prescribed qualification nor an overseas qualification equivalent to a prescribed qualification; but
    1. the Board is satisfied that—
      1. the applicant’s practical experience in practising as a social worker in New Zealand is enough to compensate for the lack of such a qualification; and
        1. the applicant’s competence to practise as a social worker has been found satisfactory under Part 3; and
          1. the applicant is a fit and proper person to practise as a social worker; and
            1. that (whether as a result of the applicant’s satisfactory completion of a course or courses of training, or because the applicant’s practical experience in practising as a social worker in New Zealand is enough to compensate for not having completed such a course) the applicant—
              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.

              2. Subsection (1) overrides section 8F.

              Notes
              • Section 13(1)(a): amended, on , by section 23 of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 17).
              • Section 13(1)(a): amended, on , by section 6(1) of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 17).
              • Section 13(1)(b)(i): amended, on , by section 23 of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 17).
              • Section 13(1)(b)(i): amended, on , by section 144(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
              • Section 13(1)(b)(ii): amended, on , by section 23 of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 17).
              • Section 13(1)(b)(ii): amended, on , by section 144(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
              • Section 13(1)(b)(iii): amended, on , by section 23 of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 17).
              • Section 13(1)(b)(iii): amended, on , by section 144(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
              • Section 13(1)(b)(iv): amended, on , by section 23 of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 17).
              • Section 13(1)(b)(iv): amended, on , by section 144(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
              • Section 13(1)(b)(iv)(A): amended, on , by section 144(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
              • Section 13(1)(b)(iv)(B): amended, on , by section 22 of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 17).
              • Section 13(1)(b)(iv)(B): amended, on , by section 144(2) of the Social Workers Registration Legislation Act 2019 (2019 No 3).
              • Section 13(2): amended, on , by section 6(2) of the Social Workers Registration Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 17).