Setting up a dental surgery in NZ: What you need to know

As the world reacts to the spread and management of COVID-19 New Zealand's response has seen it weather the storm in a very different way to many other countries. This isolation from the main pandemic has not gone unnoticed and people are becoming increasingly interested in relocating to this hidden gem.

At present New Zealand's borders remain shut to all but returning permanent residents. It's likely, however, that once the immediate panic has passed that people will remember this small countrys relatively easy ride through these troubling times and will look, with earnest, to making it their home. If you're a professional in the dental and wider oral health industry this move might also come in the form of you setting up your own practice here in New Zealand.

So what do you need to know if you're thinking about coming to New Zealand and setting up your own dental surgery?

Visas to set up a dental practice business in New Zealand

If you're considering creating a business in New Zealand then one of the first places you should visit is the New Zealand government's website, specifically the government portal offering business information to foreign investors. You can find it here.

There are many routes you can take towards living in New Zealand but if you're looking to set-up a business then one worth looking at is the Entrepreneur Visa. The Entrepreneur Work Visa enables you to move to New Zealand and buy or establish a business. After either six months or two years, you can then apply for residence under the Entrepreneur Residence Category. This three-year work visa has the following requirements:

• Minimum capital investment of NZ$100,000 (excluding working capital).
• 120 more points or more.
• Clear business plan.
• Clean recent history of bankruptcy, business failure and fraud.
• Health, character and English language requirements.

If you meet the criteria the visa will enable you to work in New Zealand on your business for 12 months (start-up stage) and once you have proven that you have taken steps to establish your business you are then granted the remaining 24 months of your visa.

You can then be granted residency if you can prove you meet the criteria. Under the two-year residency category, this requires you to successfully establish or purchase a business in NZ and be self-employed in that business for at least two years, and for your business to have significantly benefited NZ.

Under the Entrepreneur Residency category six months you can achieve a faster track to residency if you have invested at least NZ$500,000 in your business and have created a minimum of three new full-time jobs for New Zealand citizens or residents. You'll still need to meet the health, character and English language requirements regardless of which approach you take. It's worth noting that family is included in this visa. This means that partners and dependent children can be granted work and student visas if they are accompanying the older of an Entrepreneur Work Visa to New Zealand. They can also be included in an Entrepreneur Residence Visa application.

Next steps in setting up a dental practice in New Zealand

Once your visa applications are approved everything becomes a lot simpler than if you were trying to do this without approval. From setting up bank accounts to finding the proper premises, there's a lot more assistance available to those with approved visas. If you're trying to do any of the above without the visa then expect to not get very far at all!

Dentec has helped dozens of people through the next stages. From checking over lease agreements to arranging finance for the equipment needed to set-up a dental practice the team at Dentec are very experienced in sourcing everything needed.

If you don't have the connections within the country or are not sure which suppliers are reputable and trustworthy then Dentec is your ideal partner. The team at Dentec have years of experience setting up dental practices and can manage the entire project start to finish. Dentec can also give helpful advice on what New Zealand customers expect and can assist in the design of your new practice fitout to meet these expectations.

What qualifications do I need to practice in New Zealand?

To begin with, you must be registered with the Dental Council of New Zealand and have an Annual Practising Certificate (APC). The following information is from the New Zealand Dental Association and outlines the prescribed qualifications needed to apply for registration:

New Zealand

• Bachelor of Dental Surgery, University of Otago.

Australia

• An Australian Dental Council (ADA) accredited programme.
• A Dental Board of Australia approved programme of study providing a qualification for the purpose of registration in general dentistry in Australia.
• A five-year undergraduate dental degree from an Australian Dental School and a pass in the Australian Dental Registration Examinations.

General Dental Council accredited dental schools in the UK and Commonwealth countries

• A GDC accredited undergraduate dental degree from a GDC accredited dental school in the UK, or Commonwealth, as listed below:

USA or Canada

• A Commission on Dental Accreditation (CDA) accredited undergraduate dental degree from a CDA accredited dental school in the USA or Canada.
• A five-year undergraduate dental degree and a pass in the USA licensing examinations.

If your qualification is not prescribed, you can either:

• Sit the New Zealand Dental Registration Examination (NZDREX), done through the National Dental Examining Board of Canada.
• Apply to have your overseas, non-prescribed qualifications, training and experience assessed.

If you are registered in Australia, you can register in New Zealand in a similar scope of practice, under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997.

If you do not see your qualification listed then you will need to contact the New Zealand Dental Association to understand the next steps for either having your qualification recognised or to find places you can go to undertake a recognised qualification.

How much does it cost to set up a dental practice in New Zealand?

The costs vary significantly based on your circumstances, location and specialisation. There are visa costs to consider, moving costs and establishing yourself in a new country. You'll need to join the New Zealand Dental Association and maintain your Annual Practising Certificate which will involve maintaining professional standards and ongoing certification and development. There are lease costs to consider, employee salaries and fitout costs.

Some of the above can be financed so that your business's income can pay for these costs once it's operational. You might choose to buy an existing business so there's an established customer base and fit it out to a new standard. There are dozens of options ahead, each with varying costs and considerations.

If you're at all unsure then you can chat to a member of the team at Dentec. They're specialists in creating new dental practices and can answer many of the common questions that come up when overseas professionals are looking to establish themselves in New Zealand.

It's important to do your own research, especially with such a big life decision so ensure you check out the resources we've linked to throughout this article and if in doubt, get in contact with those organisations as well.