Electrical Engineer

Registration requirements

Registration class

Electrical Engineer

Required qualifications

To become an Electrical Engineer you must complete one of the below Electrical Engineer qualifications:

• Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) qualification
• Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Electrical)
• New Zealand Diploma in Engineering (Electrical) (Level 6)
• An equivalent Electrical Engineer qualification that is satisfactory to the Board, which could include an equivalent Electrical Engineer qualification as determined by either the Institution of Professional Engineers of New Zealand or the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.

Required work experience

To become an Electrical Engineer you must have:

• Completed 2 years (4000 hours) practical training/experience in the work of an Electrical Engineer overseas, that is satisfactory to the Board
• Completed 1 year (2000 hours) of the work of an electrician, which must include at least 9 months (1500 hours) of installation wiring work: 
  • Installing and connecting high- and low-voltage single-phase and multiphase cables (overhead /underground) and associated fittings
  • Installing electrical wiring and equipment in commercial and domestic buildings
  • Installing switchboards
  • Installing lighting and power outlets and appliances
  • Earthing/bonding
  • Fault-finding
  • Testing
  • Certification

Electrical work can be limited to specific areas of experience and expertise. This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and will need to have evidence of practical ’hands-on’ work experience including at least 9 months (1500 hours) of installation wiring experience.

Areas of work can include (but are not limited to):

• High- and medium-voltage power generation
• Transmission
• Distribution substations
• Protection
• Control systems.

Required documents

You must provide the following documents in your application.

Certified proof of identity

• A certified copy of the front and back of your current New Zealand Driver Licence; or
• A certified copy of your current Passport biographic page.

Certified documents

*Certified: Certification of your copied documents must be done by either a Justice of the Peace, a Public Notary, a Solicitor or NZ Court Registrar. The official confirmation that the copies of your documents are identical to the original documents. The confirmation is issued by an authorised public authority or a Notary.

Work history references from employer or supervisor

You must provide detailed references of your work experience.

If the information in your documents is not in English, you must include a certified English translation.

Your references must:

• Be certified
• Detail the prescribed electrical work experience that you have completed covering 2 years (4000 hours)
• Include the start and end dates of employment for each company
• Include the number of hours, days, weeks, or months of work experience you have completed
• Contain sufficient experience in the area you seek registration
• Be on company letterhead
• Be signed and dated by your employer or supervisor
• Contain email contact details for your employer or supervisor.

Prescribed electrical work(external link) – New Zealand Legislation

If you can only provide certified Certificates of Employment, you will also need to complete a Statutory Declaration:

Statutory Declaration(external link) – New Zealand Government 

The Statutory Declaration must:

• Be certified
• Detail the prescribed electrical work experience that you have completed covering 2 years (4000 hours) of work experience
• Include the start and end dates of employment for each company
• Include the number of hours, days, weeks, or months of work experience you have completed
• Contain sufficient experience in the area you seek registration
• Contain email contact details for your employer or supervisor.

Prescribed electrical work(external link) – New Zealand Legislation

Do not apply if you have not completed the required hours or cannot provide evidence of employment, as your application will be declined and the application fee will not be refunded.

Your overseas references must contain details of your work experience so we can determine if your experience is suitable for EWRB registration. You can attach a position description in support of your references.

Please note that falsifying work references is fraud if you are applying for registration based on those references.

Qualifications

• You must submit a certified colour copy of your official Electrical Engineer qualification certificate (do not submit original documents)
• You must have your Electrical Engineer qualification assessed by Engineering NZ or NZQA before you apply, and it must be NZQA Level 6 or higher to be accepted for Electrical Engineer Registration
• You must submit the equivalency statement from Engineering NZ or NZQA in your overseas Registration application
• Only “Electrical” Engineer qualifications are accepted.

If the information in your documents is not in English, you must include a certified English translation.

Passport quality photo

ID photo requirements

Check that your photo meets the requirements:

Online photo checker(external link) – New Zealand passports

Payment details

You can pay for your application by credit or debit card. All payments made outside the New Zealand banking system must be made by credit card.