The New Zealand education system is progressive, using innovation and technology alongside traditional principles of teaching. Unless they opt for a private school, education is free, and students are generally enrolled in the school closest to their home. The New Zealand education system is ranked 23 on the PISA rankings. In particular the emphasis on encouraging creative thinking is lauded. There are 13 year levels:
Early childhood education (ECE), usually in the form of kindergarten.
Primary school, from ages five to twelve, years one to eight
Intermediate school, some schools offer intermediate schooling for ages ten to twelve (year seven and eight)
Secondary school, from ages 13 to 17, years nine to thirteen.
As of 2024, New Zealand has about 150,000 registered teachers. Despite this, there is high demand for teachers (‘kaiako’ in Te Reo Māori) at every level of schooling. While the demand stretches across the entire schooling system, secondary school teachers are in particular demand. The demand is most acute for science, math, technology, and Pacific language teachers.
Now’s the perfect time.
IDP is making the move even easier. We are offering a full NZ student visa fee refund (worth NZD 750) plus a NZD 20 e-gift card when you apply for your NZ course and visa through us.
Limited time only.
In 2024, the NZ government announced plans to spend $53 million over the next four years to train and recruit 1,500 new teachers. This is reflected in the Green List of skills shortages in NZ:
Tier one roles are eligible for straight to residency visas, while
Tier two must work for two years before being eligible to apply for PR.
Role | ANZSCO number | Residence pathway | Qualification required |
Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher – registered | 241111 | Tier two | Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) |
Kaiako Kura Kaupapa Māori Teacher (Māori-medium Primary level) | 241211 | Tier two | Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) with a focus on Te Reo Māori |
Pouako Kura Kaupapa Māori Teacher (Māori-medium Primary School Senior level) | 241212 | Tier two | Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) with a focus on Te Reo Māori |
Primary School Teacher | 241213 | Tier two | Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) |
Middle School Teacher / Intermediate School Teacher | 241311 | Tier two | Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) or Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) with a focus on intermediate level |
Secondary School Teacher | 241411 | Tier one | Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject plus Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary) |
Special Needs Teacher | 241511 | Tier two | Bachelor of Teaching (Special Education) |
Teacher of the Hearing Impaired | 241512 | Tier two | Bachelor of Teaching (Special Education) with a specialization in hearing impairment |
Teacher of the Sight Impaired | 241513 | Tier two | Bachelor of Teaching (Special Education) with a specialization in vision impairment |
Special Education Teachers nec | 241599 | Tier two | Bachelor of Teaching (Special Education) |
Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages | 249311 | Tier two | Bachelor’s degree in Teaching, Linguistics, or a related field, often with a TESOL or TEFL certification |
Salaries for teachers depends on what ages they teach and reflects the level of education required to qualify:
ECE: NZ$49,000 to $95,000 a year
Primary: NZ$55,000 to $95,000 a year
Secondary: NZ$89,000 to $115,000 a year
Once you’ve completed your degree, you can then register as a teacher in NZ and gain your practicing certificate ‘Kaiako Whai Rēhitanga’.
You can apply for a post-study work visa, which allows you to live and work in NZ in any role while you apply for teaching roles
Apply for relevant teaching roles
Once you have a job offer, you can apply for your visa. If you are applying for a secondary school teaching role, you are eligible for a tier one straight-to-residence visa. For all other teaching roles, you will be required to apply for a tier two work to residence visa.
After two years on the work to residence visa, you are eligible to apply for residency.
There are multiple pathways for qualifying as a teacher in NZ and it depends on what level of teaching you want to do.
You can complete the New Zealand Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care and New Zealand Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care. These level five and six qualifications are also a pathway into the Bachelor of Teaching (ECE).
The three-year level seven Bachelor of Teaching results in teacher registration. After completion of the course, which includes a lot of time in the classroom, you can apply for a provisional practising certificate. Once you’ve finished two years of teaching, you can apply for your full practising certificate.
A three-year level seven Bachelor of Education is more theoretical and does not result in NZ teacher registration. If you get this degree, in order to qualify as a teacher, you will need to complete a diploma of teaching as well.
The Graduate Diploma in Teaching level 7 degree is a one year programme, and designed to be completed after a Bachelor of Education to allow you to become a provisionally certified teacher.
To qualify as a secondary school teacher, you need a bachelor's degree in a subject relevant to the New Zealand secondary school curriculum, such as English, geography, or statistics. Then, you need to complete the one-year Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary) in order to start becoming a registered teacher.
Master of Teaching and Learning
Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching
Graduate Diploma in Teaching
All these courses are available for secondary and primary levels. These courses provide depth to existing learning. You need a bachelor's degree in order to enrol. For the secondary endorsement you’ll require knowledge of your teaching subject (math, physics, English, geography, for example).
There are a number of institutions that offer teaching degrees. However, the following three offer the largest number of options in terms of courses:
AUT (Auckland University of Technology) offers a huge range of ECE, Primary, and Secondary options.
University of Waikato, alongside ECE, primary and secondary, also offers Te Reo Maori programmes
University of Canterbury is the largest provider of courses in the South Island.
An updated and thorough list of providers and their programme are available from the Teachers Council website.
Fees range across providers but generally are around $30,000 per year.
IELTS requirements differ across providers, but you’ll need at least 6.0 overall with all bands 5.5 or higher for undergrad, and 6.5 overall with all bands 6.0 or higher for a postgrad qualification.
Manaaki NZ Scholarships funded by the New Zealand government, for students from the Pacific, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Caribbean
Country-specific scholarships such as the Indian Study Abroad Excellence Award
New Zealand ASEAN Scholar Award for students from ASEAN nations in New Zealand
New Zealand Commonwealth Scholarships For postgraduate study for students from Commonwealth nations
New Zealand Pacific Scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students from the Pacific regions
With a host of different roles and simple and fast pathways to PR, starting your teacher career in NZ is an exciting choice. If you’re ready to apply, contact our IDP migration agents for all your immigration and visa needs. We can help with everything from choosing your institution, through to help with your visa application.
You need to get the appropriate qualification, have two years teaching experience, and then you can apply for your teacher registration. For primary teachers, you need a Bachelor of Teaching, and for secondary teachers you need a bachelor’s degree in your specialist subject plus and a post-graduate teaching diploma or masters.
There are more than 20 institutions in NZ that offer teaching degrees. The biggest providers with the largest number of teaching options are:
AUT (Auckland University of Technology)
University of Waikato
University of Canterbury