Registration guides
Registering as a health professional abroad, explained
The regulator questions nurses, midwives and allied health professionals ask most, each checked against the regulator’s own pages and linked to them. Checked October 2026.
NMC (UK)
- How do I register with the NMC if I trained as a nurse outside the UK?The NMC sets out four steps: check you are ready, apply for eligibility and have your qualification assessed, sit the Test of Competence (the CBT and the OSCE) alongside your registration application, then the NMC evaluates everything, contacts your referees and makes its decision.
- What are the NMC CBT and OSCE?The NMC Test of Competence has two parts. Part 1, the CBT, is a multiple-choice computer-based test sat at Pearson VUE centres in most countries. Part 2, the OSCE, is a practical exam of 10 stations sat at an NMC test centre in the UK. You can take them in either order, but must pass both within two years of each other.
- What documents do I need for NMC registration?The NMC asks for evidence in this order: identity, qualification, health, character, language, then confirmation of professional indemnity. Its free pre-application checklist tool turns your answers into a personalised list of everything you need to provide.
- How long does NMC registration take for overseas nurses?The NMC says it aims to assess your qualification within 14 days of hearing back from your regulator or institution, and to consider a complete registration application within 30 days. The rest depends on you: once eligibility is confirmed you have two years to finish, including the CBT and the OSCE.
- How much does NMC registration cost for nurses trained abroad?The NMC’s costs page lists £1,226 in total for first sittings: a £167 evaluation fee, £83 for the CBT, £794 for the OSCE and a £182 registration fee. That excludes your visa, flights and UK travel. The NMC says its fees changed on 1 October 2026, so check the page before you pay.
HCPC (UK)
- How do I apply for HCPC registration if I trained outside the UK?You apply online through the HCPC’s international route: seven sections covering your details, qualification, experience, registration, English and a standards of proficiency mapping document, then declarations. You pay the scrutiny fee to start processing, and two assessors from your profession compare your training and experience with the HCPC’s standards.
- How do internationally trained radiographers register with the HCPC?Radiographers trained outside the UK apply through the HCPC international route. Radiographer, diagnostic radiographer and therapeutic radiographer are protected titles, so you must be on the HCPC Register to use them. You apply online, map your training and experience to the radiography standards of proficiency, and pay the £678.38 scrutiny fee.
- How do physiotherapists trained abroad register with the HCPC?Physiotherapists trained outside the UK apply through the HCPC international route. Physiotherapist and physical therapist are protected titles, so you need HCPC registration to use them. You apply online, map your training to the physiotherapy standards of proficiency, show English at the HCPC’s level and pay the £678.38 scrutiny fee.
- How do occupational therapists trained abroad register with the HCPC?Occupational therapists trained outside the UK apply through the HCPC international route. Occupational therapist is a protected title, so you must be on the HCPC Register to use it. You apply online, map your training and experience to the standards of proficiency, show English at the HCPC’s level and pay the £678.38 scrutiny fee.
- How long does HCPC international registration take?The HCPC says you will hear within 10 working days of submitting, and that a first decision takes about 3 months from receipt of a complete application because of high volumes. Its verification page says outstanding checks can take a further 3 months before you are invited to pay the registration fee.
English tests
- What IELTS or OET score does the NMC need?The NMC accepts only IELTS Academic and OET. For IELTS you need 7 in reading, listening and speaking and 6.5 in writing. For OET you need B (350 or above) in reading, listening and speaking and C+ (300 or above) in writing. Scores are valid for two years.
- What English test score does the HCPC need?The HCPC accepts IELTS, OET and TOEFL iBT. For most professions IELTS is 7.0 with no element below 6.5, and OET is 1400 with no element below 300 in your profession’s test. Speech and language therapists need IELTS 8.0 with no element below 7.5, or OET 1800 with no element below 400.
- IELTS or OET for NMC and HCPC registration: which should I take?Both the NMC and the HCPC accept IELTS and OET, so the choice is yours. OET is set in a healthcare context and has profession-specific versions; IELTS is a general academic test. The rules differ: the NMC accepts only IELTS Academic and allows two sittings to be combined, while the HCPC accepts IELTS General too, plus TOEFL iBT.
- What English test scores does Ahpra need?Ahpra’s English language skills standard accepts IELTS Academic, OET, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT and Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency. For tests taken on or after 23 April 2026, IELTS Academic needs an overall 7, with 7 in listening, reading and speaking and 6.5 in writing. Results must usually be from the two years before you apply.
Ahpra (Australia)
- How do overseas nurses register with Ahpra and the NMBA?Internationally qualified nurses and midwives start with the Nursing and Midwifery Board’s online Self-check, which places you in Stream A, B or C. Stream A completes orientation and applies; Stream B also submits a Portfolio and sits an MCQ exam and an OSCE in Australia; Stream C must upgrade the qualification first. Nurses from some comparable countries may use the IQRN standard instead.
- How do overseas radiographers register in Australia?Internationally qualified radiographers register with the Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia through Ahpra. The Board has three pathways: the Comparable Regulator Pathway (for HCPC and CORU registrants in diagnostic radiography or radiation therapy), the Recognised International Qualification Pathway, and the Qualification Assessment Pathway, which can lead to the national exam.
- How do overseas physiotherapists register in Australia?Internationally qualified physiotherapists must complete the Australian Physiotherapy Council’s assessment before general registration with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia. The Council runs the full Australian Physiotherapy Entry Pathway (APEP), and shorter Express FLYR and FLYR pathways for physiotherapists from listed countries.
Other countries
- How do overseas nurses register with the Nursing Council of New Zealand?Internationally qualified nurses must be currently registered overseas, use the Council’s self-assessment tool, and verify their documents through TruMerit; you cannot apply directly to the Council. You then complete two free online cultural safety courses, a criminal history check and, if required, a competence assessment of an online MCQ and an OSCE in Christchurch.
- How do internationally educated nurses take the NCLEX?Apply to the board of nursing (the nursing regulatory body) where you want a licence first, then register with Pearson VUE and pay. Once the board makes you eligible you receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) and can schedule the NCLEX-RN, including at international test centres. Each board sets its own requirements, which can include credentials evaluation and an English test.
- What is NNAS and how does it work for nurses moving to Canada?The National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) is the first step for internationally educated nurses applying to most Canadian nursing regulators. It collects and assesses your documents and sends an Advisory Report to the regulators you choose. NNAS does not grant licences: only the provincial regulator decides.
- How do nurses trained outside Ireland register with the NMBI?The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) uses a two-step process: first your qualifications are recognised, then you register. The recognition decision can be full recognition, a request for more information, a compensation measure (an adaptation period in Ireland or an aptitude test), or a provisional refusal.
Moving to the UK or Australia? Let Migo prepare the paperwork.
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