Expanding the nursing workforce for the Aotearoa New Zealand COVID-19 vaccination programme

11 May 2021

From Sunday 26 September 2022 the Government no longer requires nurses to follow the mandatory vaccination requirements. The Nursing Council is maintaining this page as a historical record only. Please note that an individual employer might still have vaccination requirements and is permitted to ask about your vaccination status. If you are not vaccinated we recommend that you discuss this with any potential employers. 


The Nursing Council’s new Annual Practising Certificate (APC) condition aims to increase the nursing workforce for the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

All nurses who are not currently practising can now apply for an APC with the condition ‘may only practice in administering COVID-19 vaccinations’.

This new condition on an APC targets nurses who:
  • have been registered in Aotearoa New Zealand at some time in the past
  • have been away from nursing practice for a long time
  • want to take part in the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Nurses with this condition on their APC can only work in roles administering or related to the COVID-19 vaccine and are responsible for ensuring their competence to practice.

Please note, the COVID-19 vaccination condition has been introduced to support the COVID vaccination rollout. It is not intended as a return to nursing practice pathway.

Applications to renew APCs with this condition will be assessed on an individual basis.

Nurses who did not practice for a long time before receiving an APC with the COVID-19 vaccination condition and who wish to work in other areas may need to complete a Competence Assessment Programme (CAP), further education or have conditions applied to their APC.

To apply for an APC with this condition, please email the following information to [email protected]:

  • your date of birth or registration number
  • a request to apply for an APC to administer COVID-19 vaccines
  • a brief timeline/CV of your work history.

Please contact [email protected] for further information.