Nurses · New Zealand · authority page checked 05 Oct 2026
How many CPD hours do nurses need in New Zealand?
At least 60 hours of professional development across the previous three years, alongside minimum practice hours, as part of the Nursing Council's continuing competence requirements. Practising certificates renew yearly, but the hours are looked at over the three-year window.
Photo: Unsplash- Authority
- Nursing Council of New Zealand
- Hours
- 60 across the previous three years
- Also
- Minimum practice hours
- Course approval
- None. The Council does not approve individual courses.
- Source
- Nursing Council, continuing competence
Same average as Australia, different clock
Averaged out, both countries ask for 20 hours a year. In Australia each year stands alone. In New Zealand a heavy year of study can carry a lighter one, as long as the three-year total holds. In both, the nurse, not the employer, is accountable for meeting the requirement and keeping the evidence.
What counts
A broad range of relevant activity, including online learning and reading, provided you can show what you learned. No authority approves individual commercial courses, so the quality check falls to you. A verification mark that links to a public record is one way to make that check quick.
More: Australia and New Zealand compared · CPD Council in New Zealand.
Questions
How many CPD hours do nurses need in New Zealand?
At least 60 hours of professional development across the previous three years, alongside minimum practice hours, as part of the Nursing Council of New Zealand's continuing competence requirements. Practising certificates renew yearly but the hours are assessed over the three-year window.
Is the New Zealand requirement the same as Australia's?
The average is the same, 20 hours a year, but the clock differs. Australia requires 20 hours every year and a quiet year cannot be made up later. New Zealand assesses 60 hours over three years, so a heavy year can carry a lighter one.
Does the Nursing Council approve CPD courses?
No. The Council accepts a broad range of relevant activity, including online learning and reading, and does not approve individual commercial courses. The nurse is accountable for meeting the requirement and keeping the evidence.
CPD Council is not a regulator and does not decide what the Council accepts. New Zealand providers can apply for free verification.