Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora funds fertility treatment, including IVF, for people who meet the Clinical Priority Assessment Criteria (CPAC), a points score based on the chance of pregnancy with and without treatment. In the Northern region the woman must be under 40 at referral, with a BMI of no more than 32 and non-smoking, and couples with two or more children are not eligible. As of May 2026, Auckland's public service reported a 9 to 10 month wait for a funded IVF cycle.
| Item | New Zealand | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| How access is rationed | CPAC points, counting age, BMI and fertility-limiting conditions; Health NZ said it had no plans to change the criteria | Health NZ, quoted by 1News, August 2023 |
| Who sets funding | Not the Ministry of Health: regional lead health providers hold the contracts with fertility providers, and CPAC prioritises access | Ministry of Health OIA reply, May 2022 |
| Referral | From a GP or other specialist to a specialist fertility clinic; in Auckland, a GP e-referral to the Northern Region Fertility Service | govt.nz, 2020; Healthpoint, May 2026 |
| Residency | Both partners New Zealand citizens or eligible to live in New Zealand for at least 2 years (Northern region: residents or 2-year work-permit holders) | govt.nz, 2020; Healthpoint, May 2026 |
| Woman's age | Under 40 at referral | Northern region, Healthpoint, May 2026 |
| BMI and smoking | Woman's BMI no greater than 32 for funded treatment; both partners non-smoking | 1News, 2023; Healthpoint, May 2026 |
| Existing children | Couples with two or more children are not eligible | Northern region, Healthpoint, May 2026 |
| Time trying | One year of infertility, or a known severe cause | Northern region, Healthpoint, May 2026 |
We did not find a current national Health NZ page setting out the CPAC criteria, so these rules come from the regional and official sources listed.
No current official page we found states the number. In May 2021 the Health Minister, quoted by 1News, said that "typically, treatment over two cycles is available", with district health boards deciding access; the same report says funding was extended from one IVF cycle to a second in 2004/05 for couples still meeting the CPAC threshold. Confirm with your fertility service how many funded cycles you can have.
Fertility PLUS (Health NZ, Auckland) accepts public referrals for a first specialist appointment for women under 40 and men under 55, with BMI under 35 for women and under 40 for men. Funded treatment then requires a BMI under 32 for women and under 40 for men, and both must be non-smoking.
Waits are measured in months. The Northern region aims to give a first specialist appointment within 4 months; treatment normally starts within 12 months of being offered and is usually completed within 18 months of the first cycle. Fertility PLUS reported a 9 to 10 month wait for a funded IVF cycle once eligibility is confirmed, with no wait to start IUI (May 2026). In Canterbury and the West Coast, the average time to funded treatment was 408 days in 2018.
Criteria and waits differ by region and change over time. Confirm the current rules with your GP and your regional fertility service before you plan.
In New Zealand the first specialist appointment is where your CPAC score is decided, so it is worth using well. Map to the Positive suggests a short script for that first visit:
If the diagnosis is serious, the proposed treatment is complex, or 6 months pass without progress, the book treats a second opinion as good practice: ask for copies of all your test results and reports and present the case neutrally to another specialist.
How to choose the right doctor is Chapter 31 of Map to the Positive, in Station IV. It covers the technical and human criteria for a good specialist, the warning signs, when to get a second opinion and when to change doctors. The same station explains when to see a specialist, the treatment ladder and IVF step by step.
Take 30 days. If it does not give you more clarity than everything you have read for free so far, ask for a refund and you get every cent back. We cannot promise you a pregnancy. We can promise you will not be guessing.
References: How to get fertility treatment - govt.nz (2020-11-13) · Calls to change BMI requirements for publicly funded IVF treatment - 1News (2023-08-28) · Kiwis forking out tens of thousands on fertility treatments to start family - 1News (2021-05-02) · Response to Official Information Act request H202205459 - Ministry of Health (2022-05-24) · Northern Region Fertility Service (NRFS), Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora - Healthpoint (2026-05-18) · Women's Health - Fertility PLUS, Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora - Healthpoint (2026-05-25) · Official Information Act response CDHB 10008: publicly funded fertility treatment - Canterbury District Health Board (2019-02-21)