These terms and conditions apply to all applications made by individuals (applicants) and their agents for the evaluation and recognition of overseas qualifications by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) for:
- International Qualification Assessments; and
- Overseas Study Assessments; and
- appeals into recognition outcome statements issued.
Our process
1. NZQA will process your online application for the required service selected once:
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all required documentation, including acceptable forms of verification, have been received in an appropriate electronic format; and
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the relevant fees have been paid.
2. NZQA will send you confirmation when your application has been received and advise when any further documents or information is required or if the fees have not been paid.
3. NZQA may require you to obtain third party verification of your qualification and any related documents included in your application or obtain additional information in order for your application to proceed. You will be responsible for any costs associated with requests for any such third-party verification or additional information. Verified documents must be sent directly from the third party to NZQA, unless NZQA is given access to the verified information electronically directly from the third party.
4. You will be able to monitor the status of your application through our online application portal.
5. Once your application has been evaluated, you will receive confirmation that your electronic recognition outcome statement is available for download through the online application portal. The recognition outcome statement will either state the comparable New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) qualification type or level or that it cannot be recognised and the reason why.
6. It is your responsibility to inform NZQA of any changes to your contact details during the application process to ensure that you receive all communications from us.
Incomplete applications
7. Following your response to any advice from NZQA under clause 2 above, NZQA will advise you further if your application still remains incomplete.
On this page
Cancellation
8. You may cancel your application at any time by providing a request in writing to NZQA.
9. NZQA will not refund any fees paid if you decide to cancel your application.
10. Your application may be declined or cancelled by NZQA if:
- the fees payable are not paid with the original application; or
- any request for further information made by NZQA is not provided within 15 working days of any such request; or
- you provide information in your application that is false, misleading, incomplete, or altered in any unauthorised manner; or
- any previous application made by you contained false statements, misleading information, omitted relevant information, or was altered in any unauthorised manner.
11. If your application is found to contain evidence of false statements, false or misleading information, omits relevant information or if you alter your recognition statement without authority, NZQA may notify any relevant authorities in New Zealand and overseas. These relevant authorities in New Zealand include Immigration New Zealand, Police and Inland Revenue Department. You understand that this may occur during the application process or after that process is complete.
12. Applications submitted into the online application portal using an unauthorised email address will not be accepted. NZQA reserves the right to refuse to process such applications.
Payment of fees
13. By submitting an application, you agree to pay the relevant fees which must be paid with your application. NZQA will not commence processing your application until and unless the relevant fees have been paid.
14. All fees are in New Zealand dollars, are GST inclusive where applicable, and subject to change.
15. All fees are non-refundable except in the circumstances set out in clauses 24 - 26 of these terms and conditions. This includes where an application is declined, has not or cannot be recognised by NZQA, is incomplete, or is cancelled by you or NZQA.
Understanding how we use your personal information
16. NZQA will keep and maintain any personal information comprised in your application in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act 2020. This includes a right for you to access your personal information held by NZQA and a right for you to request for it to be corrected if it is incorrect.
17. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and authorise NZQA to:
a. collect, hold, use and disclose any information contained in your application (including personal or identifying information) for the purpose of evaluating your qualification, issuing a recognition outcome statement, undertaking NZQA quality assurance activities, and developing, training and improving NZQA’s systems. This includes, without limitation, the verification of any documents you may provide, and receiving or disclosing your information from or to third parties, whether within or outside of New Zealand. These third parties may include:
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- Immigration New Zealand
- the New Zealand Ministry of Education
- Education Payroll Limited
- the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand
- other relevant professional groups or government organisations
- educational providers
- any other relevant person or organisation.
You understand that this may occur during the application process or after that process is complete and your recognition outcome statement has been issued.
b. use artificial intelligence (AI) to assist with processing your application and verifying any personal information comprised in your application, including using your personal information to develop, train and improve these AI systems for these purposes. N.B. AI is used as a support tool only, and any final decisions relating to qualification recognition and appeals are made by NZQA personnel. NZQA will undertake additional checks as deemed necessary after the use of AI to ensure accuracy.
18. If you believe that NZQA should not, for personal safety reasons, disclose any personal information comprised in your application, you should advise us in writing of your concerns when you submit your application. NZQA will assess any such request and the reasons provided and let you know if NZQA has accepted them. Where NZQA accepts those reasons apply it will not disclose that personal information unless required by law to do so.
Storage and retention
19. NZQA uses third party providers to store and process its data.
20. NZQA stores some of the personal information it collects and generates electronically on cloud servers overseas. NZQA also uses email and other office productivity applications. This means that any personal information NZQA holds may be transferred to, stored in, or accessed from, countries other than New Zealand by NZQA system users.
21. As a Crown entity, NZQA is subject to the Public Records Act 2005 and the mandatory Archives New Zealand Information and Records Management Standard July 2016. NZQA will appropriately manage access to, retain and dispose of your information in line with its legislative responsibilities.
Appeals
22. If you disagree with the recognition outcome of your application, you can appeal your recognition outcome statement which must be done within 20 working days from the date your recognition outcome statement was issued. You must provide reasons for your appeal.
23. You should contact NZQA on qrsenquiries@nzqa.govt.nz to discuss your request for an appeal before submission and payment of the associated fee.
Refunds
24. A refund will be provided if you submit for evaluation a qualification that NZQA considers immediately and obviously cannot be evaluated by NZQA.
25. A refund will be provided if you did not need to pay the relevant application fee, or if you selected the wrong service.
26. NZQA will refund an appeal fee, less an administration fee of NZ$55, if your qualification recognition outcome statement is changed as a result of an appeal process, but only if there were no documents with new information submitted after the original recognition outcome statement was issued which were instrumental in the change to your recognition outcome statement.
27. You cannot get a refund if you submitted an International Qualification Assessment or Overseas Study Assessment, and your qualification has not been recognised by NZQA.
28. You can request a refund pursuant to clauses 24 to 26 by contacting qrsadmin@nzqa.govt.nz.
Complaints
29. If you have a complaint about our service, please refer to our Complaints Procedure.
Agents
30. If an applicant appoints an agent to act on their behalf, that agent must ensure that the applicant understands and has accepted these terms and conditions.
31. By submitting an application on behalf of an applicant the applicant’s agent is accepting these terms and conditions on behalf of an applicant, and the agent confirms that they or their company are authorised to:
- act on behalf of the applicant they represent; and
- receive any documents on behalf of the applicant including documents personal information or information which is confidential in nature; and
- accept these terms and conditions on behalf of the applicant they represent.
32. Any agent acting on behalf of an applicant must, on request from NZQA, provide NZQA with their contact details, company information, licence number (if applicable) and a copy of the arrangement that records in writing authorisation from the applicant for the agent to act on the applicant’s behalf. When contacting NZQA the agent must always identify themselves as acting on the applicant’s behalf.
33. NZQA reserves the right to refuse applications from an agent acting on behalf of an applicant where the agent has previously provided to NZQA an application on behalf of any applicant that contains any:
- false statements; and/or
- false or misleading information; and/or
- omitted relevant information; and/or
- altered documents; and/or
- the agent has used an email address not authorised by any applicant they are acting on behalf of.