Getting Registered

To practise as an optometrist or dispensing optician in Aotearoa New Zealand, you must hold a current practising certificate and register with the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board of New Zealand (ODOB).

You can apply for your first practising certificate at the same time that you apply for registration. We will not process your practising certificate fee until you have been registered. Thereafter, practising certificates are applied for annually.

When registering a new applicant, or registering a change of scope of practice, we are bound to follow the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. Before registering, we recommend that you read and understand Part 2, Sections 15-25.

For both new registrations and changes to an applicant’s scope of practice, you may need to pass an examination or assessment to satisfy the ODOB that you are competent to practise. Please ensure you are aware of each requirement before you apply.

Scopes of Practices & Registration Pathways

There are three scopes of practices for optometrists and one scope of practice for dispensing opticians. For more information, please click on the link below.

Scopes of Practices

There are four registration pathways:

Registration Pathway 1: Dispensing Optician
Registration Pathway 2: Provisional Optometrist
Registration Pathway 3: Optometrist
Registration Pathway 4: Specialist Optometrist – Ophthalmic Laser Surgeries

For more information, please click on the document below.

Registrations pathway

New registrations

For a new registration, you must have the correct qualifications, be fit and competent to practise within your scope of practice to be eligible for registration. Fitness is determined by your ability to communicate, your mental and physical health, and whether you have had any previous disciplinary hearings or criminal convictions. The ODOB may, if it thinks fit, receive information from, or question, you, or any other person, in respect of an application being considered. If this happens, the ODOB will advise you about the identity of the person to be questioned and the nature of the questions.

The ODOB may, if it thinks fit, receive information from, or question, you, or any other person, in respect of an application being considered. If this happens, the ODOB will advise you about the identity of the person to be questioned and the nature of the questions.

Registering for a change of scope of practice

For a change of scope of your practice, the ODOB requires a completed application. To ensure competent and safe practice, the ODOB can authorise a change by including an endorsement on your optometry scope of practice. To register for a change of scope of practice, please use the relevant link below.

Register as an optometrist with independent glaucoma prescribing rights

Register as a specialist optometrist in ophthalmic laser surgeries

Fees

The ODOB charges fees for a number of services including registration, practising certificates, maintaining registration, changes of scope, assessing qualifications, and more.

We are also responsible for issuing annual practising certificates (APCs).

Fees

Application time-frame

You should allow up to 20 working days for your registration/APC applications to be processed. You will be contacted if you application is in complete. You should also bear in mind that police clearances take approximately 4 to 6 weeks to come through. Please note, it is illegal to practise without a practising certificate.