New Zealand
A dual-regulator system, almost always planned alongside Australia but never identical to it.
How the system actually works
New Zealand runs a dual-regulator system rather than a single agency. The NZ EPA assesses human health and environmental risk, while ACVM, administered by MPI, assesses chemistry, residues and efficacy. These are two separate applications rather than one combined submission, and they can be lodged and assessed simultaneously, but ACVM cannot issue registration until EPA approval is granted, and both are typically built from the same underlying data package. New Zealand launches are almost always planned alongside Australia, and on the agricultural chemicals and veterinary medicines side, APVMA and ACVM are moving closer together: a Memorandum of Understanding updated in late 2025 has led to a trans-Tasman pilot for novel products, aimed at increasing reliance on each other’s scientific assessments. For now, though, the two countries still run separate approval processes with separate data requirements, so a product needs to be scoped for both from the start, not assumed to transfer automatically.
NZ EPA
Human health and environmental risk
ACVM (MPI)
Chemistry, residues and efficacy
Two separate applications, usually built from the same data package — not one joint dossier. Following a 2025 update to the APVMA–ACVM Memorandum of Understanding, a trans-Tasman pilot for novel products is starting to bring this closer to Australia’s process, but for now the two run separately.