Overseas Nurse Registration UK

Growing nursing shortages in the UK make this country a preferred destination for overseas qualified Nurses, who can find rewarding career opportunities in the UK.

Nurses who are trained outside the UK can apply to register on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) if they meet the required standards. There is much demand for skilled, competent Nurses with reasonable work experience and qualifications and proficiency in English.

There are different fees for different stages of the application process. Application for nursing/midwifery costs for qualification evaluation, the cost of Part 1 test of competence (CBT) and the cost of Part 2 test of competence (OSCE) , and finally the cost of admission onto the register.

There is also a 3-part application process for nurses educated outside the UK, EU and EEA. Each professional field of nursing, including adult (general), children’s, learning disabilities and mental health nursing, are examined by a test of competence.

Part one

Submit your eligibility and qualification application. After successful completion goes to Part 2.

Part two A

Test of competence, a computer based test (CBT) with multiple-choice questions which can be accessed in test centres across the globe.

– The CBT is split into two parts: Part A will cover numeracy and Part B will cover clinical questions related to nursing or midwifery.

– After successful completion of CBT, need to provide supporting documents need to be submitted along with required forms for assessment by by a member of the International Registrations Team.

Part two B

a practical objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) which will always be held in the UK. The OSCE has ten stations, to assess additional skills as well as the candidate’s values and behaviours, and evidence-based practice.

You must pass the CBT and OSCE within two years of each other. You can sit your CBT or OSCE in any order, but you need to complete both parts to continue with your application for initial registration or readmission. Once you have successfully passed both the CBT and OSCE, your Test of Competence (ToC) will remain valid for five years.

Part three

Complete registration application in NMC.

Note that in the UK, each field of nursing and midwifery is separate and distinct. Each requires three years of specialist pre-registration education and practice.

English language proficiency mandates

Have recently achieved the required score in one of the English language
tests accepted by the NMC and must achieve the required score in each of the
four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking.

• Candidates must demonstrate English language proficiency by successfully completing a language test such as the IELTS (Academic), achieving a minimum overall level of 7. You must achieve a score of no less than 7 in reading, listening and speaking, and no less than 6.5 in writing.
• You may provide two IELTS test certificates to meet the above requirements,
  but must not have scored below 6.5 in any categories in either of the test sittings.
• – For OET at least a grade C+ in the writing section, and at least a grade B in the reading, listening and speaking sections. You can club 2 results but no score is lower than grade C+.
• – You must take the two test sittings within six months of each other.

A pre-registration nurse midwife or nursing associate qualification which was
taught and examined in English.

Recent practice of at least one year in a majority English speaking country

For more information, please visit this link.