Becoming an Ordinary (Student) member
If you want to join the NZSA, but you are not eligible as an Associate or a Fellow you may apply to join as a Student Member.
Students wishing to become a student member should submit an application for membership signed by a Fellow, with a certified copy of their academic record.
Most of our Ordinary Members are students studying to become actuaries. It is only through passing exams and gaining work experience you can progress to Associate and Fellow.
If you are studying to become an Actuary you will need to be a member of an overseas professional body to gain a qualification as an Associate or a Fellow. The list below shows which professional bodies’ qualifications are recognised in New Zealand.
You do not need to be working for an actuarial employer to become an Ordinary member of the Society, but your application does need to be endorsed by a Fellow to help ensure that you have an understanding of what it means to be a member of a professional body.
If you don’t know any Fellows, you can speak to an actuary in order to get an endorsement.
Becoming an Associate member
To become an Actuary and be awarded the Associate (ANZSA) designation you must attain the equivalent designation at one of the mutually recoginised actuarial associations.
The NZSA currently holds mutual recognition agreements with the following actuarial associations:
- Actuarial Society of South Africa (ASSA)
- Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA)
Associates of the above associations may be accepted as Associate members of the Actuaries Institute subject to satisfying the following conditions:
- the applicant must have qualified as an Associate by examination; and
- be a current financial Associate, of one of the above-mentioned bodies.
On successful completion of your technical exams and a professionalism course, you can apply for Associate membership. Please refer to the overseas actuarial body conducting the exams for exact requirements.
Associate membership allows you to call yourself an actuary in New Zealand.
If you don’t know any Fellows, you can speak to an actuary in order to get an endorsement.
Becoming a Fellow
Fellowship is our top designation, and allows you to undertake statutory roles, such as an Appointed Actuary role. If you are a New Zealand resident, a Fellowship designation gives you voting rights and the ability to stand for NZSA Council.
A Fellow of the NZSA (FNZSA) is a fully-qualified actuary. Fellows can sit on the NZSA committees, stand for Council and vote in Council elections and at Annual General Meetings. The FNZSA qualification is recognised in many countries and is held in high esteem throughout New Zealand and internationally.
To qualify as a Fellow, members need to have passed or been exempted from the Institute’s examinations, met the practical experience requirement, and completed a recognised Professionalism Course. Fellowship applications are approved by Council.
Transferring accredited Membership to Fellowship
Accredited Members are actuaries who have qualified overseas.
- Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA)
- Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS)
- Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA)
- Institute of Actuaries of India (IAI)
- New Zealand Society of Actuaries (NZSA)
- Society of Actuaries (SoA)
- Society of Actuaries in Ireland (SAI)
- Actuarial Society of South Africa (ASSA)
Fellows of the above associations who have been accepted as Accredited Members of NZSA may transfer to become a Fellow after a waiting period of six months, during which time they must work and reside in New Zealand or Australia. Fellows of the New Zealand Society of Actuaries (NZSA) may work and reside in either Australia or New Zealand during the six month waiting period.
Members of other actuarial associations are required to satisfy a waiting period of three years, during which time they must reside and work in New Zealand and maintain current financial membership as a Fellow of their overseas body.