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Qualifications exempt from assessment

Austria qualifications: do you need an NZQA assessment?

Immigration New Zealand lists 9 qualifications from Austria that do not need an IQA at NZQF levels 7 to 10, awarded by 11 listed institutions. One more is named specifically as still requiring assessment by NZQA.

If your qualification is on this list, was awarded by a listed institution within the listed years, and is not excluded by the notes, Immigration New Zealand accepts its level without an International Qualification Assessment (IQA) from NZQA.

All of the conditions below have to be met together. Meeting one of them is not enough, and this is where most people go wrong: the qualification and the awarding institution are two separate checks.

When is a qualification from Austria exempt?

Immigration New Zealand exempts a qualification from assessment only when every one of these conditions is met. Meeting some of them is not enough.

  1. the qualification is listed in the Academic Qualifications Table
  2. the awarding institution is listed in the Awarding Institutions Table
  3. the qualification abbreviation is listed in the right-hand column in the Awarding Institutions Table
  4. the qualification was awarded from or within the year range listed in the right-hand column in the Awarding Institutions Table
  5. the qualification is not excluded by the notes listed under the Academic Qualifications Table

If any condition fails, you need an International Qualification Assessment from NZQA before you claim points for the qualification. Our guide to the IQA and NZQA assessment explains that process, and the SMC points system explainer covers what a qualification is worth once its level is confirmed.

Qualifications from Austria that still need an IQA

These appear on INZ's list specifically to say they are not exempt. They require assessment by NZQA even when the awarding institution is listed below.

  • Magister / Magistra

Qualifications from Austria on the list

The NZQF level is the New Zealand framework level Immigration New Zealand accepts for the qualification. It is not a points score.

Qualification Abbrev. NZQF level
Bachelor of Arts BA 7
Bachelor of Science BS 7
Diplom-Ingenieur / Diplom-Ingenieurin DI 9
Magister / Magistra — Requires NZQA assessment
Master of Arts MA 9
Master of Science MS 9
Master of Social Sciences MSS 9
Doktor / Doktorin D 10
Doctor of Philosophy / PhD*** PhD 10

Notes on this table

  • *Abbreviations used are for the purpose of this list only.
  • **Specialities will be stated on award certificates.
  • ***May also be awarded as Doktor der Philosophie.
  • Note: Award certificates must be provided in their original language for all qualifications. Translations should not be used to determine the name of the awarded degree. The following must be referred to NZQA for an International Qualifications Assessment: - All honorary degrees - All listed qualifications where study was completed at any institution outside of the country, including any overseas campuses of any listed awarding institution - All listed qualifications that contain cross-credited courses or papers - All initial teacher training degrees - All qualifications awarded after 2018

Awarding institutions

Your qualification is only exempt if it was awarded by one of these institutions, the abbreviation appears against that institution, and the award year falls in the range shown.

Institution Qualifications and years
Akademie der Bildenden Künste Wien MA: 2008 D and PhD: 2009
Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt (Universität Klagenfurt 1993–2004) BA and BS: 2009 DI, MA and MS: 2008 D: 1993
Medizinische Universität Graz MS: 2008 D: 2004–2009 PhD: 2009
Medizinische Universität Innsbruck BS and PhD: 2009 MS: 2008
Medizinische Universität Wien MS: 2008 D: 2004 PhD: 2009
Die Montauniversität Leoben BS: 2009 DI: 2008 D: 1990 PhD: 2009
Die Technische Universität Graz BS: 2009 DI and MS: 2008 D: 1990
Technische Universität Wien BS: 2009 DI: 2008 D: 1990
Die Universität für Künstlerische und Industrielle Gestaltung Linz / Kunstuniversität Linz BA and PhD: 2009 DI and MA: 2008
Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien / University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna BS and PhD: 2009 MS: 2008
Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien / Vienna University of Economics and Business BS: 2009 MS: 2008 D: 2009–2015 PhD: 2015

Source: Immigration New Zealand Operational Manual . Synced 13 September 2026.

Not sure how yours reads?

Matching an award certificate against this list is fiddlier than it looks: institutions get renamed, award years narrow the exemption, and the notes can rule a qualification out. Talk it through with us and we will listen to your situation and match you with the right IAA-licensed adviser.

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This page reproduces Immigration New Zealand's published List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment and is general information, not immigration advice. INZ revises the list, so check the linked source page before you rely on it. ProVisas is a licensed New Zealand immigration advisory firm (IAA Licence 201301110).