In New Zealand, asbestos removal and assessor licences are issued by WorkSafe New Zealand under the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016. Licences last five years.
Certificates of competence no longer count
Before the 2016 regulations, removal work in New Zealand was done under certificates of competence. Those transitional arrangements ended on 4 April 2018. Today you need a current WorkSafe licence, and supervisors must meet the NZQA unit standard requirements below.
Class A and Class B
A Class B licence covers more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos. A Class A licence covers friable asbestos as well. A PCBU applying for Class A must have a certified safety management system in place.
Nominated supervisors
According to WorkSafe's applicant guide:
- Class B supervisors must be at least 18 and have completed courses that include NZQA unit standards 29765 (non-friable removal) and 29767 (supervising removal). They need at least one year's relevant experience, including at least 200 days removing non-friable asbestos, shown by notifications to WorkSafe.
- Class A supervisors must be at least 18 and have completed courses that include unit standards 29766 (friable removal) and 29767. They need three years' relevant experience, including at least 600 days removing friable asbestos.
Experience must be recent. For example, a Class B supervisor must have done Class B work within six months of the application date. You record it on the nominated supervisor's experience form.
Applying
Complete WorkSafe's application form and send it with the supporting documents and fee. WorkSafe notes that the licence fee doesn't include your first nominated supervisor. Each supervisor is charged separately, so check the current fee schedule in the applicant guide. WorkSafe also checks that an individual applicant lives in New Zealand, or that a company's registered office is here.
Assessor licence
WorkSafe also issues asbestos assessor licences, which are needed for clearance inspections and air monitoring on Class A work. See WorkSafe's assessor applicant guide, and our article on when you need a licensed asbestos assessor in New Zealand.
Once licensed, you must notify WorkSafe before licensed removal work begins. Disposal goes to a council-consented landfill. See our New Zealand disposal guide.
This guide summarises official regulator information as at October 2026. Requirements and fees change, so always check the WorkSafe's current page before you apply.