New Zealand Law Society - Working overseas

Working overseas

New Zealand lawyers wishing to practise overseas will need to comply with both the regulatory regime in NZ under the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006, and the relevant regulatory requirements in the overseas jurisdiction.

Working from your practice in New Zealand

New Zealand lawyers (that is, persons who hold a current practising certificate in New Zealand) are regulated by the New Zealand Law Society. If they provide legal services in another jurisdiction from their places of business in New Zealand, or they establish a commercial presence in another jurisdiction they will also be subject to the regulatory regime of that jurisdiction. They should check with the appropriate regulatory authority in that jurisdiction as to what the regulatory requirements are. They may be required to register as foreign lawyers, or to undertake qualification examinations.

Working in another jurisdiction

If you are an enrolled barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand living and working in another jurisdiction you are able to apply for a New Zealand practising certificate. You may hold a New Zealand practising certificate at the same time as holding a practising certificate in another jurisdicition.

New Zealand lawyers working in foreign jurisdictions where they are not, or not yet, admitted/entitled to practise may be required to register as foreign lawyers and regulated as such by the host jurisdiction. Regimes vary, so it pays to check in advance.

Admission to practise in another jurisdiction

Information about regulatory regimes in other jurisdictions is available from their regulatory authorities.

Australia

New Zealand lawyers can apply for registration (admission and practising certificate) in any of the states and territories of Australia under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 (TTMRA). The TTMRA offers a fast-track process, just as it does for Australian practitioners seeking admission here.

In all the Australian state and territory jurisdictions except Victoria and Queensland, practitioners are admitted as both barristers and solicitors. Victoria and Queensland have a separate bar.

As the application requirements differ between States, initial inquiries should be made to the appropriate regulatory body.

Australian Regulatory Authorities for New Zealand lawyers seeking registration under the TTMRA

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

https://www.actlawsociety.asn.au/ 

Email: mail@actlawsociety.asn.au 

Ph: (02) 6274 0300 

Postal: Level 4, 1 Farrell Place, Canberra City ACT 2601 

GPO Box 1562, CANBERRA ACT 2601 

DX 5623 CANBERRA 

Information about practising certificates for New Zealand lawyers

New South Wales (NSW)

https://www.lawsociety.com.au/ 

Email:lawsociety@lawsociety.com.au 

Ph: (02) 9926 0333 

Postal: The Law Society of New South Wales 
170 Phillip Street, Sydney 2000 
DX 362 SYDNEY  

Information about becoming a solicitor in NSW

Northern Territory (NT)

https://lawsocietynt.asn.au/ 

Email:lawsoc@lawsocietynt.asn.au 

Ph: (08) 8981 5104 

Postal: Level 3/6 Lindsay Street Darwin NT 0800 

GPO Box 2388, Darwin NT 0801 

Information about admission in Northern Territory

Queensland (QLD)

http://www.qls.com.au/Home 

Email: info@qls.com.au 

Ph: +61 7 3842 5888 

Postal: Law Society House, 179 Ann Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 

GPO Box 1785, Brisbane QLD 4001 

Information about becoming a solicitor in Queensland

South Australia (SA)

https://www.lawsocietysa.asn.au/ 

Email: email@lawsocietysa.asn.au 

Ph: (08) 8229 0200 

Postal: The Law Society of South Australia 
Level 10, 178 North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000 
GPO Box 2066, Adelaide SA 5001 

Information about admission_in South Australia

Tasmania (TAS)

https://lst.org.au/ 

Email: info@lst.org.au  

Ph: (03) 6234 4133 

Postal: 28 Murray Street, Hobart, Tasmania 7000 

GPO Box 1133 Hobart 7001 

DX 111 Hobart 

Information for foreign trained lawyers in Tasmania

Victoria (VIC)

http://www.lsb.vic.gov.au/ 

Email: admin@lsbc.vic.gov.au 

Ph: 03 9679 8001 

Postal: Level 5, 555 Bourke Street Melbourne 3000 
GPO Box 492 Melbourne 3001 
DX 185 Melbourne 

Information for New Zealand practitioners in Victoria

Western Australia (WA)

https://www.lpbwa.org.au/ 

Email: general@lpbwa.com 

Ph: (08) 6211 3600 

Street Address: Level 6/111 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000 

Information on TTMRA Mutual Recognition in Western Australia

England and Wales

For information about making an individual exemption application, please refer to the links above.

Other jurisdictions

contact regulatory@lawsociety.org.nz

Certificate of Standing

In most cases you will be required, as part of your application for admission in another jurisdiction, to produce a Certificate of Standing from New Zealand. You can apply online.