NZQA IQA: prepare your documents

Confirm the service and qualifications before paying

Copy these four questions into your preparation notes and get the receiving organisation’s answer. If the service is unclear, ask NZQA’s qualifications recognition team before applying.

For an immigration-related request, check Immigration New Zealand’s IQA and exemption guidance against the specific qualification and immigration requirement. The country of study alone does not establish an exemption, and INZ can still request an IQA for a qualification on the exemption list.

Choose the IQA service for its purpose

Fees below are NZD, checked 12 October 2026, including GST where applicable.

Read NZQA’s assessment-type guidance and current occupation list. Add the $275 pre-1998 qualification fee if the qualification was completed before 1998.

NZQA assesses eligible completed tertiary and vocational upper-secondary qualifications. Its criteria include a recognised, accredited awarding provider and at least 400 notional learning hours. Ordinary secondary-school qualifications and incomplete study fall outside this IQA service. Check NZQA’s full scope if your award is unusual.

Build your document pack, then check the conditional items

Use the checklist for each qualification. Mark a task only after checking the actual record. For work still outstanding, use the short request log below.

Core records

• Award certificate in its original language.
• Full transcript, academic record or mark sheets covering every year, with subjects and results.
• Passport photo and personal-information page; include the parents' names page if present.
• An accepted verification method for the qualification's award and academic records, arranged as described below.

Add the evidence that fits your study history

Bachelor’s records can support a master’s assessment. They give NZQA evidence of the earlier study. Request a separate Standard IQA if you also need the bachelor’s qualification evaluated. A Teaching IQA requires related or underpinning qualifications to be evaluated; confirm the required applications with NZQA and include the package’s up to two Standard IQAs in your cost plan.

NZQA also recommends course descriptions where possible, particularly for Teaching and Skill Shortage List assessments. Check the detailed document rules and scan examples for your pack.

Make files easy to read

Scan each original in colour, with all edges, text, stamps and seals visible. Put each multi-page document in one file with a clear filename. NZQA accepts PDF, JPG, PNG and DOCX. Keep translations with the original-language documents in your preparation folder, with separate, clearly named files for submission.

Ask the awarding institution to arrange verification

Prepare readable scans and arrange verification so NZQA can establish that the academic records are genuine. Choose a method from NZQA’s verification instructions:

Use the direct institutional route only when the institution can supply it. Forwarded emails, posted certified copies and personal student-portal passwords are not accepted substitutes. If the institution offers only paper records or a personal login, choose an accepted alternative from NZQA’s page before submitting.

A request you can adapt

I am preparing an NZQA International Qualification Assessment for [qualification and award year]. Can your academic records office send my award certificate and complete transcript directly to NZQA from an official institutional email address, following NZQA’s verification instructions? Please confirm the fee, expected sending date, and any consent or reference details you need from me. If you use an online verification service, please tell me its name and how to give NZQA access.

Send your completed request to the institution yourself. In your notes, record the office contacted, method, request date, quoted fee and currency, expected sending date, sending confirmation and next follow-up date. NZQA’s acceptance of verification is a later step than the institution confirming it has sent the records.

If you already have a WES US/Canada credential evaluation, read the WES section of NZQA’s verification page: that report itself is not accepted verification, and NZQA describes a separate Global Records Verification Report route.

Budget for the service, older awards and outside charges

A single Standard IQA costs NZ$445. If that qualification was completed before 1998, the published supplement brings the assessment amount to NZ$445 + NZ$275 = NZ$720, before translation or verification charges.

A Teaching IQA package is NZ$746 and includes up to two additional Standard IQAs. If the teaching qualification and two supporting qualifications fit that package, the base assessment fee is NZ$746. Check older-qualification supplements and outside charges separately. NZQA’s current fees also cover add-ons for an existing assessment.

Your assessment-cost worksheet

Write “unknown” where you still need a quote. For an included assessment, write “included — no extra charge” instead of adding another fee.

Add confirmed NZD amounts to the subtotal. Keep foreign-currency quotes and unknown charges separate until you have a conversion or final quote. Put each expected payment in your move budget on its payment date, allowing for any card or conversion fee.

Apply through NZQA, then track the next request

When your documents and verification arrangements are ready, use NZQA’s official application page. It leads to the QRS portal, the current terms and payment instructions, and the application-status login.

1. Confirm the assessment type and qualifications to evaluate.
2. Prepare complete records and an accepted verification method.
3. Read the terms, check the final fee and submit through NZQA.
4. Check the portal and email for requests; respond by the date NZQA gives you.
5. Share the recognition outcome with the organisation that requested it.

NZQA first checks whether the application is complete, then assesses it. Missing records or unsuccessful verification can delay the process. Use the current timing guidance when discussing a deadline with the receiving organisation; published processing times do not predict when an individual application will finish.

If you cannot supply an item or meet a requested date, contact NZQA through its application guidance. Tell the receiving organisation what is outstanding and ask whether it can accept anything while the assessment is underway.

Common questions about NZQA assessments

Can I submit an IQA application while waiting for documents?

No. NZQA directs applicants to have the required documents and an acceptable verification method ready before applying. Obtain the missing item or ask NZQA about an accepted alternative first.

Does an NZQA IQA of my master’s degree also assess my bachelor’s degree?

No. Bachelor’s records may support the master’s assessment, but a separate bachelor’s evaluation needs its own application. Teaching IQAs have particular supporting-qualification requirements and include up to two additional Standard IQAs in the package.

Can a notarised qualification copy replace NZQA verification?

No. Use an accepted online verification method, direct institutional records or an NZQA-listed verification service. A notarised copy does not replace that process.

Does an IQA grant professional registration or a visa?

No. An IQA explains your qualification’s comparability. The organisation receiving it decides whether you meet its wider registration, admission, employment or immigration requirements.

Sources and checked dates

NZQA's assessment types, evidence rules, expanded document instructions, verification guidance, fees and application page were checked using official material retained on 12 October 2026. The pages display updates of 6 August 2026 (types), 27 July 2026 (documents), 9 September 2026 (verification) and 30 July 2026 (fees). INZ's IQA guidance was checked on 12 October 2026. Check current fees before paying and use the deadline in NZQA's actual request. The worksheets and sample request are included for you to record and request the items you need.