Apply for tradesman

Tradesman registration

Tradesman registration shows that you have the core competencies needed to work in your trade.

Tradesmen are required to work under the supervision of an NZ-based certifying person. Your supervisor is ultimately responsible for ensuring your work is done competently.

NZ experience pathway

To be eligible for the NZ experience pathway you need to have:

NZQA issued National Certificate/NZ Certificate (at Level 4) (1998-present)
Passed relevant tradesman exam (2005-present)

If you have an older NZ qualification like the Trade Certificate please get in touch with us at registration@pgdb.co.nz for your options.

Overseas trained pathway (Category A)

This option is for people with an overseas qualification that is deemed equivalent to, or greater than the NZ Certificate (Level 4).

To get full registration you must:

Complete an assessment of your qualification through Skills (category A);
Submit an Eligibility Application to the Board for consideration;
Pass the relevant tradesman exam.

What is the assessment conducted by Skills:

To prove that your qualification is at the NZ standard you will need an online-based assessment of your qualifications. This assessment is called a ‘Recommendation for Registration Category A assessment’ and it is conducted by the Skills Organisation.

To be eligible for a Category A assessment you must:

Hold a formal overseas qualification that you want to be recognised in NZ
Can show a minimum of 4 years of full-time experience in plumbing, gasfitting or drainlaying.

Start your assessment with Skills here.

How do I apply for pre-registration at the Tradesman level?

Once you have successfully completed the Category A assessment you can submit an Eligibility Application for Overseas Tradesperson. Once approved you will then be eligible to apply for a temporary provisional licence for up to 12 months whilst you work towards completing your tradesman exam.

The Eligibility Application for Overseas Tradesperson form can be found here.

Experience but no formal qualification (Category B)

This option is for people who are based in NZ with relevant experience but no formal qualification in plumbing, gasfitting or drainlaying (or the qualification is not equivalent to the NZ Level 4 qualification).

To get full registration you must:

Complete an assessment of your qualification through Skills (category B)
Pass the relevant tradesman exam.

What is the assessment conducted by Skills:

You will need an assessment to assess if you have the same knowledge and skill equal to someone with the National Certificate in Plumbing (level 4). This Recommendation for Registration assessment is conducted by the Skills Organisation.

To be eligible for a Category B assessment you must:

Be based in NZ
Not hold a formal qualification (or have a qualification that is not equivalent to the NZ Level 4 qualification) but can show evidence of a minimum of 7 years of full-time experience in the relevant trade.

Start your assessment with Skills here.

How do I sit the tradesman exam?

Once you have completed your Skills assessment you can apply to sit for the tradesman exam.

Book your exam here.

What forms and evidence do I need to submit to the Board to get registration?

You will need to submit the following forms when applying for registration:

Completed Tradesman application form;
A Certified copy of your New Zealand or National Certificate (Level 4)
A Ministry of Justice criminal record check

Email your completed form and required supporting documents as separate PDFs to registration@pgdb.co.nz

What forms do I need to submit to the Board to get registration?

You will need to submit the following forms when applying for registration:

Completed Tradesman registration application form
A certified copy of your NZQA-issued certificate
A Ministry of Justice criminal record check

Email your completed forms and your supporting evidence as separate PDFs to registration@pgdb.co.nz.