The Voluntary Bonding Scheme 2025 intake information

2025 Intake: The Registration of Interest period has closed. Information for Registrants

The four-week registration period for the 2025 Intake of the Scheme has closed (Sunday 21st December 2025, 5pm).

Completed, submitted registrations will now be assessed by Health NZ. Registration does not guarantee a place on the Scheme, If places on the Scheme are over-subscribed, a selection process may be undertaken. If we need more information to assess your registration, we will contact you, via a portal message and/or email.

Once the assessment and approvals process is complete, at that point we can advise 2025 registrants as to whether they have been formally accepted to the Scheme. You will be notified by email that the outcome of your registration is available to view in the portal. It is anticipated outcome notifications will be issued in the new year (2026).

Queries can be sent to vbs@tewhatuora.govt.nz, or as a message through the registrant portal.

2025 Intake: eligible professions, specialties/settings and communities

Health NZ is pleased to announce the eligible professions, specialties/settings, and communities for the 2025 intake of the Scheme with a primary/community healthcare and public allied health focus.

This builds on the governments primary care investment announced in March 2025 to improve access to primary care and boost the primary and community health care workforce.

The 2025 intake will be open to:

newly qualified (2024) Nurse Practitioners in primary and community healthcare and aged care settings nationwide
new graduate (2024) Registered Nurses in primary and community healthcare and aged care settings nationwide
new or recent (2022-2024) graduate Pharmacists in Pharmacies and Primary Care Practices in Rural and Regional Community settings
rural and regional General Practice trainees, in targeted communities
new graduate (2024) midwives nationwide
new graduate (2024) Anaesthetic Technicians, Radiation Therapists, Medical Physicists, and Sonographers working for Health NZ
new and recent graduate (2022-2024) Dentists and Oral Health Therapists in rural and regional community practice or for Mâori and Pacific services

The full list of eligible professions, specialties and communities can be found 2025 below.

The eligible 2025 Intake Health Professions, Communities and Specialties

Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners — 2025 Intake (those who completed qualification in 2024)

Specialties/Settings (nationwide)

Practice Nursing (GP Clinics or nurse led practices)
Practice Nursing (Urgent Care, or Youth and Tertiary Education primary health services)
Aged residential care (including hospices)
Homecare Nursing
Hauora Māori primary health services
Pacific primary health services
Well Child Tamariki Ora
Primary Mental Health and Addiction Services (NGO primary care settings)
Other primary (Public Health, Family Planning/Sexual health, Occupational Health and primary care roles in Rural Trust hospitals)

Pharmacists —2025 Intake

Those who completed undergraduate qualification in 2024 and commenced internship in 2024 or 2025, or those who completed undergraduate qualification in 2022 or 2023 and who completed their internship in 2024.

Pharmacies and Primary Care Practices in Rural and Regional Community settings**

** For Pharmacists, the category is geographically targeted to rural and regional Aotearoa New Zealand and excludes the urban boundaries of the six main centres (Metropolitan Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin).

General Practice Trainees (PGY3-5), who commenced GPEP1, 2, or 3 in early 2025

Bay of Plenty (excluding Tauranga)
Canterbury (excluding Christchurch)
Capital & Coast (excluding Wellington)
Counties Manukau (excluding metropolitan Auckland)
Hawke’s Bay
Lakes
Midcentral
Nelson Marlborough (excluding Nelson/Richmond)
Northland
South Canterbury
Southern (excluding Dunedin/Mosgiel)
Tairāwhiti
Taranaki
Waikato (excluding Hamilton)
Wairarapa
Waitemata (excluding metropolitan Auckland)
West Coast
Whanganui

Midwives — 2025 Intake (those who completed qualification in 2024)

Core-employed and LMCs nationwide (including Health NZ roles)

Anaesthetic Technicians, Radiation Therapists, Medical Physicists and Sonographers — 2025 Intake (those who completed qualification in 2024)

Health NZ roles nationwide

Dentists and Oral Health Therapists — 2025 Intake (those who completed qualification in 2022, 2023 or 2024)

Māori Oral Health Providers:

Te Hiku Hauora – Kaitaia
Ngāti Hine Health Trust – Kawakawa
Raukura Hauora o Tainui – Kirikiriroa / Hamilton
Te Manu Toroa – Tauranga
Tipu Ora – Rotorua
Ngati Porou Hauora – Te Puia Springs / Ruatoria
Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga – Heretaunga / Hastings
Ora Toa PHO – Porirua

OR

Māori Oral Health Providers (to be assessed on a case-by-case basis) *
Pacific Oral Health Providers (to be assessed on a case-by-case basis) *
practices located in rural or remote areas (to be assessed on a case-by-case basis) *

* Oral health practices in semi-rural hubs (i.e., smaller towns) and Health NZ roles may be considered if it can be verified that the role provides significant services to surrounding rural and semi-rural populations and/or to Māori and/or Pacific communities

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