Physiotherapy is one of the most enriching professions in this era. A physiotherapist plays a vital role in helping people to recover from several kinds of injuries, reduce pain, enhance mobility, and overall well being of the body. New Zealand and Australia shine for its advanced healthcare systems, especially for physiotherapists, because of the industrial standards and work life balance.
If you’re aspiring to a global physiotherapist career and worrying about how to become a physiotherapist in Australia or in New Zealand, this blog can help you understand end to end details about the process through the qualifications required, eligibility and step by step process.
Australia and New Zealand can be considered as top career destinations for international physiotherapists due to the following reasons :
- Increased demand for physiotherapists across clinics, hospitals, rehabilitation hubs, sports, old age care centres and post surgical rehabs.
- Attractive perks,CTC, and job security.
- A better work-life balance and working hours flexibility.
- High quality healthcare structure and updated,safe working schedules.
- Greater global opportunities to get permanent residency through professional skills and ability.
If you’re someone dreaming of long term career stability and growth in New Zealand or Australia, you need to get medical professional registration, that’s PBNZ and AHPRA. PBNZ or Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand is the healthcare regulatory body of New Zealand and AHPRA or Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency is the healthcare regulatory body of Australia. These governing bodies review and assess your educational qualifications, clinical skills and ethical background and confirm whether you’re eligible to work in the particular country’s medical care system. If you’re not a registered physiotherapist, you’re not legally eligible to work in these countries even if you meet the required qualifications and experience. Therefore, registration is compulsory in both these countries.
Registration Process
While both AHPRA and PBNZ offer a General Pathway, as it demands a detailed assessment of your academics as well as professional experience and the requirement to attend examinations, through this article we talk about the Express Pathways.
Advantages of Express Pathway
- Limited Documentation
- Fast processing
- No written examination or viva voce
- Equivalent to General Pathway
New Zealand – Express Pathway
The steps for How to become a physiotherapist in New Zealand are as follows:
1. The first step in New Zealand registration is the PBNZ registration where the registration body will assess your eligibility. In order to be eligible for this route, you meet any of the following criteria:
You must hold a recognised professional Physiotherapy graduation from the UK, Ireland, South Africa or Canada. If you’re an Indian graduate or you hold a Physiotherapy degree from any other country, you must need to pursue an additional physiotherapy degree from any of these countries.
OR
You must hold an unrestricted professional registration in the UK (HCPC), Ireland (CORU), South Africa, or Canada as a Physiotherapist.
2. The second step is to have the APC license or the Annual Practicing Certificate. Without this license, you cannot legally work in the country’s healthcare setup. The criteria to get an APC license are as follows:
- You must be a PBNZ registered physiotherapist.
- You must have practiced as a Physiotherapist in the last three years.
Major documents required
- A valid ID proof (Passport with front and back)
- Graduation Certificate
- Professional registration certificate along with good standing certificate
- Proof of English proficiency. Exemption for people who practiced in an English speaking country.
- Police clearance certificate in all the countries you lived
- Participation certificate in Cultural competency Training (CPT)
Australia – TTMR Pathway
If you’re a professional holding a APC license from the New Zealand registration body, you can directly apply for AHPRA and get registered through the TTMR pathway without the need of giving any further examinations.
Precisely in order to get your Healthcare professional registration in Australia, you must either get APC license in New Zealand or can go with the exam pathway.
Major documents required
- A valid ID proof (Passport with front and back)
- Graduation certificate
- Professional registration certificate
- Proof of English proficiency. Exemption for people who practiced in an English speaking country.
- Police clearance certificate in all the countries you lived
Cost and time required
Your Healthcare professional registration fee of New Zealand registration is directly paid to the PBNZ which is $847 (approx. ₹45,000) and the registration fee of Australia is paid to AHPRA, which is AUS$645 (approx. ₹35,000). The timeline for both these registrations are almost similar and takes 2 to 3 weeks of time.
Physiotherapy can be considered as a highly valuable profession among all the healthcare professions with high paying scale all over the world. Though the salary package varies depending on the skills and experience you have, you’ll get paid in a range of AUD 70K to 1 lakh in Australia and NZD 60K to 90K in New Zealand. The opportunities are wider and the demand for Physiotherapists are endless in both rural and urban areas of both these countries.
Common struggles and ways to manage them
- Credential delays: Start your preparation as early as possible. So that last minute rush or any kind of delays can be avoided.
- English test difficulty : start learning at the earliest and attend as many mock tests as possible. Always remember, practice and consistency is the key.
- High costs : With proper planning and right documentation, any kind of over expenses can be ignored.
- Lack of knowledge : Always refer, and follow the official guidelines of the board. Make sure you give quick responses to any messages from PBNZ or AHPRA.
At Beverse Health, we guide aspiring Physiotherapists through healthcare training courses and our Healthcare mentorship programs, especially for PBNZ and AHPRA. To check eligibility, mentorship and overall registration support, we’re here and glad to make your dream come true. Our personalised mentorship programs are specially designed for you. Connect with us today. Let’s grow together.