BECOME A REGISTERED NURSE IN THE UK

A step-by-step guide to registration.

The new NMC Registration system will apply to any applications from overseas nurses and midwives submitted will consist of six main steps.

• Step one – declaring eligibility

 Occupational English Test (OET) - £349 or IELTS – Can be done in home country

We currently accept two language tests as evidence of your ability to communicate effectively in English: the International English Language Test System (IELTS) and the Occupational English Test (OET). 

The IELTS and the OET are used across the world. They are often chosen to test the language competency of healthcare professionals in the UK. 

International English Language Test System (IELTS) 

If you have completed an IELTS examination you must provide an IELTS certificate that confirms:

at least 7.0 in the listening and reading sections 
at least 7.0 in the writing and speaking sections, and 
at least 7.0 overall. 

Occupational English Test (OET) 

If you have completed an OET examination you must provide a certificate that confirms:

at least a B grade in listening and reading, and
at least a B grade in writing and speaking

NMC amends OET Writing to C+ from late January 2020

• Step two - Online Application Form - £140 – Can be done in home country

Applicants must submit their application to become a registered nurse or midwife on Nursing and Midwifery (NMC) website.

Applicants will be asked to sit the first part of the test of competence. This will be a computer based test of theoretical practice-based knowledge. The test format will be multiple choice and can be taken in test centres around UK. Applicants have two attempts at the test. If an applicant fails to achieve the required minimum score after both attempts, they must wait six months in order to restart the application process. Applicants will need to contact Pearson VUE (the test provider) directly to book and pay for their test.. You may be offered a Job at this stage.

• Step Third - Test of Competence – Part One - £90 – Can be done in home country

• Step four – Full Application and Assessment

Applicants will need to provide the following evidence in order for us to complete an assessment.

1. 1. a valid passport – this same document must also be presented at the test centre


2. 2. birth certificate


3. 3. a qualification certificate for each qualification being submitted as part of the application.


4. 4. registration certificates from each jurisdiction where the applicant has practiced and/or been registered – if the applicant’s country operates state registration, they will need to have registered in each state where they practiced. 


5. 5. Two employment references confirming the applicant’s post-registration practice of at least 12 months, their competence and character. 


6. 6. Verification from all jurisdictions where the applicant practiced or where the applicant has been previously registered. 


7. 7. Transcript of training for all relevant nursing or midwifery programmes completed by the applicant. These must be calculated in hours or be accompanied by a letter from the training institution with a key to how the credits translate to hours. 


8. 8. A good health declaration from the applicant’s general practitioner or the occupational health department at their place of work. 


9. 9. For every overseas country in which they have lived for more than three months, they will need to provide a police clearance certificate. If they have lived in the UK for more than three months, they will need to provide us with a standard level Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate. 
   All of the relevant forms required are available to download from Nursing and Midwifery (NMC) website once the applicant reaches the assessment stage, but not before. The applicant must send the relevant forms to the correct authorities to be completed and they must be posted back to NMC. We require the original forms that the referee or relevant body have completed. Uploads or copies of those forms cannot be accepted. All forms must be completed in full and be signed, stamped and dated.

• Step five – Job Offer

Apply for Tier-2 Visa

This Stage you will be offered a job with Private or Public Employers (NHS Hospitals, Care homes, Nursing Homes. Prison Service..etc)

The overseas nurse registration process requires applicants to sit a test in the UK before they can legally practice as a nurse, how does this work with the Tier 2 visa process?

The NMC introduced a new process for overseas nurse registration in October 2014, which includes the requirement for applicants to complete a practical test (OSCE) in the UK prior to gaining registration. In March 2015, the Tier 2 visa process was amended to reflect the need for nurses to gain entry to the UK in order to sit the OSCE, prior to officially commencing employment as a nurse. This amendment enables pre-registration nurse candidates to now enter the UK and prepare for the OSCE, while working as a pre-registration candidate, for up to three months.

From which date does the applicant have three months to sit their first OSCE attempt - is it the date they enter the UK or the date on the CoS?

The applicant has up to three months from the employment start date noted on the CoS to sit the OSCE exam. If a candidate fails the OSCE at first attempt they will need to re-sit the test within a maximum of eight months from the start of their visa. As of 6 April 2017, applicants can sit the OSCE up to three times as part of one application. Employers must notify UKVI within 10 working days when a re-sit date is confirmed.

Test of Competence

The second part of the test of competence will assess an applicant’s clinical knowledge. The test is an objective-structured clinical examination (OSCE) and can only be completed in the UK. The test will be administered by one of the approved university test centres who will administer their own test fee in agreement with us. Applicants will need to contact the university directly to book and pay for their test.
The OSCE will simulate a clinical environment and patient scenarios which registered nurses and midwives are likely to encounter when they assess, plan, implement and evaluate care. The OSCE contains nursing or midwifery scenarios along with separate skill stations. Each separate clinical examination is known a ‘station’ and candidates will circulate through all the stations within a set time frame

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Candidates are expected to demonstrate competence through safe and effective practice. The test of competence is based on current UK pre-registration standards. 
Applicants applying from 6 April 2017 will have three attempts (an initial sitting, and two full or partial re-sits) at the OSCE, as part of one application. 
If an applicant is unsuccessful at their first OSCE, they must wait a minimum of 10 working days before they can take the examination again. If an applicant is unsuccessful at their second OSCE, they must wait a minimum of three months from the date of their second attempt before they can take the OSCE for the third time.

A face-to-face ID check will take place at the OSCE location on the same day as the OSCE. Applicants will be required to bring all the original documents that they have uploaded as supporting evidence for their application. If applicants cannot produce the documents required, they will have to rebook an ID check at our London office before they can complete the last stage of the process and receive their registration number.

Once we have received notification that an applicant has successfully completed part two of the test of competence and the ID check, they will be invited to complete their final declaration and payment for registration online. Once both have been received, we will send the applicant their registration number (Pin).

Document Required

Processing Times

Step one – declaring eligibility-1-3 Working Days

Step two – test of competence-7-30 Days

Step three – full application & assessment-30-70 Days

Step four – Job Offer-14-21 Days

Step five – OSCE-2-8 Weeks

Step six – admission-2-4 weeks

Normal Processing Time – 45-90 days

Primary Care Nurses » Nurse Compliance

• Step six - Test of Competence – Part Two - £794 – In the UK
  • Step seven – ID Checks – In the UK
  • Step eight – Final Registration - £153 – In the UK
  • 1. a valid passport
  
  
  • 2. a birth certificate
  
  
  • 3. qualification certificates for each qualification
  
  
  • 4. Registration certificates from the country of training and every state where the applicant has practised and/or been registered
  
  
  • 5. two employment references
  
  
  • 6. verifications from relevant regulators confirming there have been no fitness to practise issues with the practitioner in question
  
  
  • 7. a transcript of training for relevant nursing or midwifery programmes
  
  
  • 8. a good health declaration from the applicant’s Doctor or occupational health department
  
  
  • 9. police clearance certificates
  
  
  • 10. English translations of the above documents where necessary
  
  
  
  
   
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