What documents do I need for NMC registration?

What the official guidance says

• Qualification: a copy of the original certificate showing your name, the qualification name and the date it was awarded. The qualification must allow, or have allowed, you to register in the country where you trained.
• Registration: if you have been registered, give your regulator’s name and your registration certificate; the NMC contacts the regulator. If you were never registered, give your education institution’s contact details.
• Documents not in English need the original, a stamped and signed photocopy, a stamped and signed full translation, and the translator’s contact details.
• If your name differs between documents, you need official evidence of the change, and you show the original at the face-to-face ID check.
• Health: a self-declaration plus a declaration from a nominated registered medical practitioner (not a friend or family member), who must have assessed your health in the last twelve months.
• Character: a self-declaration, and a police clearance from each country where you have lived for 12 months or more in total in the last ten years. A DBS check is needed if you have lived in the UK for 3 months or more.
• A supporting declaration of character comes from your regulator if you were registered in the last three years, or otherwise from an employer, training institution or NMC registrant, among other options the NMC lists.
• The checklist tool gives a personalised list of the evidence, who to contact and which guidance to read. You can download it as a PDF; your answers are not saved.

What it does not mean

• ✕A generic course syllabus is not the same as a personal transcript. Where the NMC asks for a transcript (for example as English evidence), it must be yours.
• ✕Collecting documents does not mean sending them all at once. The NMC asks for them in stages: eligibility first, then the registration application.
• ✕Police clearances are not only for your current country. They cover every country where you lived 12 months or more in the last ten years.

What to do next

1. 01Run the NMC checklist tool and save the PDF.
2. 02Request your registration certificate and ask your regulator how it answers NMC verification requests.
3. 03Order police clearances early, since they come from other countries’ authorities.
4. 04Book your English test, or gather your English evidence, so it is still in date when the NMC assesses your full application.

Questions

Official sources

• NMC: Prepare your evidence
• NMC: Qualification and registration information
• NMC: Health
• NMC: Character
• NMC: Pre-application checklist tool

Checked October 2026. Regulators change their rules, fees and scores, so confirm them on the official page before you act.

The visa side

Registration and the visa are separate. Migo’s visa guides cover the routes for this country, from the official government pages.

• UK Health and Care Worker visa: who can apply

Related guides

• NMC (UK)How do I register with the NMC if I trained as a nurse outside the UK?
• English testsWhat IELTS or OET score does the NMC need?
• NMC (UK)How long does NMC registration take for overseas nurses?