Specialist doctor recruitment — NHS, Australia & New Zealand. Upload your CV
Ava Medical
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Australia & New Zealand

Same skills.
Double the salary.
Better lifestyle.

UK-trained doctors are in high demand across Australia and New Zealand. We handle AHPRA registration, visa sponsorship and relocation — so you can focus on making the move.

Free for candidates · No obligation · Your data is never shared without consent
$300k+
AUD GP salary
$500k+
AUD consultant
3–6
months to start
8
states & territories

Salary figures are indicative market ranges, not guaranteed earnings.

Where we place doctors

Opportunity types in Australia & NZ

We match your specialty and lifestyle preferences to the right setting — from teaching hospitals in Sydney to rural generalist roles in the outback.

Hospital Specialists

Staff Specialist and Senior Medical Officer roles at public teaching hospitals across all major cities and regional centres. Strong procedural and academic opportunities.

$350k–$500k+ AUD Register interest

General Practitioners

Mixed-billing and bulk-billing practices across metropolitan, suburban and coastal locations. High autonomy and genuine work-life balance with competitive sessional rates.

$280k–$380k AUD Register interest

Rural Generalists

Blended primary and emergency care in regional Australia and NZ. Exceptional earning potential with government incentives, relocation bonuses and stunning locations.

$300k–$420k AUD + incentives Register interest

Locum & Short-term

Test the waters before committing permanently. Short-term locum contracts of 4–26 weeks across all specialties — ideal for doctors considering relocation but not yet ready to commit.

Daily rates from $1,800 AUD Register interest

Current vacancies

Australia & New Zealand roles

We're onboarding new hospital, GP and specialist vacancies across Australia and New Zealand right now.

New roles landing shortly

Register your interest now and you'll be first to hear. We'll match your profile to Australia & New Zealand vacancies the moment they go live — with full visa, AHPRA / MCNZ and relocation support.

Register your interest Talk to us

Full support, zero cost to you

Everything we handle for you

Moving to Australia or NZ is complex. We've placed doctors in both countries and know every step of the process — you don't navigate it alone.

AHPRA registration

Document checklist, application guidance and liaison with AHPRA on your behalf. We know what they need and how to avoid delays.

Visa sponsorship

We work with employer partners who hold sponsorship licences for 482 TSS, 494 and PR pathways. We explain your options clearly, up front.

Credentialing support

Hospital credentialing, scope of practice documentation and college recognition — we guide you through every employer's specific process.

Relocation packages

Many of our partner hospitals offer relocation allowances of $10k–$30k AUD. We negotiate these into your offer as standard.

Family & settling in

Partner work rights, school information and community connections. We want your whole family to thrive, not just your career.

Free for candidates

Our fee is paid by the employer, not you. You will never be charged at any stage. That's a promise, not small print.

The honest comparison

NHS vs Australia & New Zealand

We're not here to oversell. Here's an honest look at what changes — and what doesn't — when you make the move.

🇬🇧

NHS — UK

  • Established training pathways and research culture
  • Proximity to family and familiar healthcare system
  • Consultant salary typically £105k–£155k (plus PA)
  • High cost of living, particularly London and South East
  • Stretched services — high workload and staff shortages
  • Limited private practice opportunities outside major cities
🇦🇺 🇳🇿

Australia & New Zealand

  • Salary 2–3× NHS equivalent in many specialties
  • Better staffing ratios and lower administrative burden
  • Sunshine, outdoors culture, work-life balance that's real
  • Strong private sector alongside public hospitals
  • UK training is highly valued — you're not starting over
  • Initial 3–6 months process (we make it as smooth as possible)
Read the AHPRA registration guide Register your interest NHS vs Australia salary comparison

Your journey

From NHS to Australia in 4 steps

We've helped doctors complete this process in as little as 12 weeks. The average is 3–6 months.

1

Register your interest

Upload your CV and tell us your specialty, goals and preferred location. We'll respond within 24 hours.

2

Role matching

We match you with suitable employers and share role details for your review — no pressure, no spam.

3

AHPRA & visa

We guide you through registration and work alongside your employer on visa sponsorship and credentialing.

4

Start your role

Arrive with a role, relocation support in place, and an Ava Medical contact on call for the first 90 days.

What doctors say

Placed by Ava Medical

Names withheld for privacy — attributions are role and location only.

★★★★★
"Moving from an NHS trust to a Staff Specialist role was the best career decision I've made. My take-home more than doubled and I actually see my family before 8pm. The Ava team managed everything — AHPRA, visa, even helped us find schools."
C
Consultant Physician, placed — VictoriaPreviously NHS England (names withheld for privacy)
★★★★★
"I was nervous about the AHPRA process but it took under 14 weeks with Ava's guidance. The hospitals here are exceptionally well-resourced and the on-call burden is genuinely lighter. I wish I'd moved five years earlier."
E
Emergency Medicine Specialist, placed — New South WalesPreviously NHS Scotland (names withheld for privacy)
★★★★★
"I chose a rural generalist role in Queensland for 12 months to try it out. Three years later I'm still here. The community values doctors enormously, the pay is exceptional and I go diving on my days off. No regrets."
R
Rural Generalist GP, placed — QueenslandPreviously NHS Wales (names withheld for privacy)

Also New Zealand

Don't overlook Aotearoa

New Zealand — through Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand — has significant demand for specialist doctors, particularly in rural areas, mental health and general medicine. While salaries are lower than Australia, quality of life scores consistently at the top globally.

  • Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) registration — we support this process
  • Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) sponsorship available
  • Salary NZD $200k–$380k depending on specialty and setting
  • Particularly strong demand in Te Whatu Ora rural and DHB roles
  • Fast pathway to NZ permanent residency via Skilled Migrant Category
Register interest — AU or NZ

Where we place in NZ

  • Auckland — Middlemore, Auckland City, North Shore Hospitals
  • Wellington — Wellington Regional Hospital and regional DHBs
  • Christchurch — Canterbury DHB and South Island
  • Rural and regional — high need, high incentives, extraordinary landscapes

We are actively building our NZ hospital partnerships and prioritise doctors with MCNZ eligibility or existing NZ connection.

Start here

Your next steps

AHPRA Registration Guide

Step-by-step walkthrough of Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency registration for UK-trained doctors — timelines, documents and common pitfalls.

Read the guide

Upload your CV

Register your interest now. Tell us your specialty, preferred location and timeline — we'll come back to you within 24 hours with options.

Upload now

Speak to Jack directly

Call or email Jack to discuss your situation before committing to anything. No pitch, no pressure — just an honest conversation about whether the move makes sense for you.

Get in touch

Common questions

Australia & NZ FAQ

Honest answers to the questions every doctor asks before considering the move.

Not before an offer is made — employers can make conditional offers and begin the AHPRA application in parallel. However, you cannot start work until full AHPRA registration (or an Supervised Practice registration for some IMGs) is in place. We begin the AHPRA process as soon as an offer is confirmed. See our AHPRA registration guide for the full process.
The most common pathways are: Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) — employer-sponsored, 2–4 years, leads to 186 PR visa. Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional) — for rural and regional placements, 5 years, leads to 191 PR. Subclass 189/190 — points-based, no employer sponsorship needed for eligible doctors. Most of our hospital partners hold active 482 sponsorship. We clarify your most appropriate pathway at the first call.
Yes, in most cases. AHPRA recognises GMC registration and most UK royal college fellowships as equivalent pathways to specialist registration. You will not need to re-sit Australian college exams if you hold a recognised specialist qualification (FRCP, FRCS, FRCPsych, FRCA, etc.). Some specialties require additional assessment by the relevant Australian college — we'll tell you upfront if yours does.
The typical timeline is 3–6 months from first contact to starting your role. AHPRA registration currently takes 8–14 weeks for specialists with straightforward documentation. Visa processing for a 482 adds 4–8 weeks on top. If you plan ahead and have all documents ready, 12 weeks is achievable. We work concurrently on all tracks to minimise the total timeline.
The ranges shown are indicative market figures sourced from our knowledge of current offers — they're honest estimates, not marketing inflation. "Total compensation" in Australian healthcare typically includes base salary + superannuation (11% employer contribution) + on-call allowances + private practice billings where applicable. Rural and remote roles also carry government incentives of $10k–$60k AUD depending on location. We share actual offer data for specific roles once you register.
Yes — most Australian and NZ work visas include secondary applicants (partner and dependent children). Partners on a 482 visa have full work rights — they can work in any role, for any employer, without restriction. We can also provide information on schools, partner professional recognition (if they are also a healthcare professional) and family settling-in support.
Yes — meaningfully so. Australia generally offers higher salaries, a larger private sector and more diverse geography. New Zealand offers a smaller, tighter-knit medical community, lower cost of living relative to Australia, and an exceptional quality of life in cities like Auckland and Queenstown. NZ uses the Medical Council of NZ (MCNZ) for registration rather than AHPRA. We can advise on both based on your specialty and preferences.

Take the first step

Ready to explore Australia or New Zealand?

Register your interest today. Jack will personally review your CV and come back to you within 24 hours — no obligation, no agency portal, just a direct human conversation about your options.

Upload your CV AHPRA guide first

Free for candidates · jack@avamedical.co.uk · 07814 506719