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Competent authority - qualification pathway

This pathway is for practitioners who have a prescribed qualification from a recognised competent authority. 

This pathway is not available to dental technicians or orthodontic auxiliaries.

This pathway is available for applicants from 1 November 2026.

The Dental Council recognised competent authorities are:

  • Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and Dental Board of Australia (DBA)

  • General Dental Council (GDC) (United Kingdom)

  • Dental Council of Ireland (Republic of Ireland)

  • Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada (CDAC) and Canadian provincial dental regulators and the National Dental Examining Board of Canada (NDEB)

  • Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and USA state dental boards

Eligibility

For Australian qualified practitioners, we have prescribed qualifications for all scopes of practice except dental technology and orthodontic auxiliaries. For UK, Canada and USA qualified practitioners, we have prescribed qualifications for dentists, dental hygienists, oral and maxillofacial surgery and prosthodontics (USA and Canada only). For Ireland, we have a prescribed qualification for dentists. 

In most cases a prescribed qualification is a degree or diploma, but in some cases, it is a combination of a qualification and examination, or registration. 

If your overseas qualification is recognised as a prescribed qualification and you can meet the fitness for registration and competence to practise requirements, you can apply for registration via the Competent authority - qualification pathway. To check if your qualification is prescribed, see the table below.

To apply

You will need to create an account on the practitioner portal, and then select the competent authority - qualification form in the drop-down menu. Alternatively, if you complete the self-assessment tool you will be prompted to set up an account and can then continue your application from there.

Before applying, you need to ensure that you prepare all of the documentation required. The documents that you need to provide with your application are listed in the Supporting documents guide. 

Most applications on this pathway are completed within 25 working days from receipt of a complete application. A complete application is when we have received your application form, payment, and all of the documentation required to support your application. 

Visit the Registration - what you need to know page for further information.

Post-registration requirements

Once you start practising in New Zealand, you will need to complete an overseas registrants recertification programme, comprised of the Oral health practice in New Zealand course. This is a series of e-learning modules designed to help you understand New Zealand’s regulatory, professional, and practice requirements.

Eligible scopes of practice and corresponding competent authority qualifications

The following table lists the qualifications for the Competent authority - qualification pathway. Please refer to prescribed qualifications for full details including recognition dates.

General dentist Oral and maxillofacial surgery Prosthodontics Dental hygiene1
UK

Dentist degree from a UK educational institution accredited by the GDC,

or

Dentist degree from Commonwealth dental schools accredited by the GDC up to specific timeframes (refer to the dentist prescribed qualifications for further details)

 OMS registration with the GMC Dental hygiene qualification from a UK institution accredited/conferred by the GDC
Ireland Dentist degree a from Republic of Ireland educational institution accredited by the Dental Council of Ireland (graduates after 2022)

Canada

Dentist degree from a Canadian educational institution accredited by CDAC,

or

Dentist degree and have completed all the examinations in the NDEB Equivalency Examination process for dentistry (passed after 3 March 2014)

 OMS Board certification in a Canadian province, and a medical degree from the World Directory of Medical Schools, and dental degree

A specialist prosthodontic qualification from Canadian institutions accredited by CDAC, and

Evidence of research

Dental hygiene qualification from Canadian institutions accredited by CDAC, and

Pass in the Canadian national dental hygiene certification examination,

or

Dental hygiene qualification, and

Pass in the Canadian national dental hygiene certification examination, and

Pass in a Canadian regional dental hygiene clinical examination
USA

Dentist degree from USA institutions accredited by CODA,

or

Dentist degree and have completed the USA licensing examinations for dentistry (must include a theory assessment and a psychomotor clinical assessment)

 OMS American Board certification in a USA state, and a medical degree from the World Directory of Medical Schools, and dental degree

Specialist prosthodontic qualification from USA institutions accredited by CODA, and

Evidence of research

Dental hygiene qualification from USA institutions accredited by CODA, and

Pass in the USA national board dental hygiene examination,

or

Dental hygiene qualification, and

Pass in the USA national board dental hygiene examination
Australia

All scopes of practice except dental technology and orthodontic auxiliary:

Practitioners who have:

  • completed a Dental Board of Australia approved programme for registration in the relevant scope of practice (from 1 July 2010 onwards, and 18 October 2010 onwards for WA)

or

  • completed an Australian Dental Council accredited programme (before 30 June 2010, and before 17 October 2010 for WA)

For dentists:

  • dentist degree and have completed the Australian Dental Council licencing examination for general dentistry

Practitioners with full or unlimited registration with Ahpra can also apply for registration via Trans-Tasman mutual recognition.2

1. Dental hygiene applicants will need to demonstrate to the Dental Council that their qualification or subsequent learning included the following clinical components: administering local anaesthetic, undertaking orthodontic procedures, intra-oral radiography and extra-oral radiography (or exclusions will be applied to their scopes of practice).

2. Oral medicine and oral and maxillofacial surgery applicants must also hold a medical degree from the World Directory of Medical Schools in addition to their postgraduate oral medicine or oral and maxillofacial surgery qualification. Dental hygiene applicants should familiarise themselves with the prescribed qualifications on the need to demonstrate to the Dental Council that their qualification or subsequent learning included specific clinical components – as defined in the prescribed qualifications.

Ready to apply via the competent authority - qualification pathway?

If you have collated the required documents, you can apply for registration by creating an account in the practitioner portal.

All registration and annual practising certificate applications, practising status renewals and recertification requirements are managed through the portal.

Apply for registration