Check you are ready
Overview
Check if You’re Ready to Register
Before you apply to join the NMC register as a nurse or midwife trained outside the UK, it’s important to be fully prepared. This step helps you understand the requirements and prevents delays or refusals caused by missing or incorrect documents.
The NMC’s pre-application checklist tool offers a personalised summary of the evidence you need to provide. It takes into account your qualifications and background to guide you through:
Required documents and verifications
Possible tests or assessments (such as English language proficiency or competency exams)
Contacts you may need in your home country (like regulators or education institutions)
Essential guidance materials to review before applying
Completing this preparation stage carefully will help make your application smoother, faster, and increase your chance of success.
How much is it going to cost?
How Much Will It Cost?
The total cost of fees and tests is £1,170.
This includes the cost of the CBT (Computer-Based Test) and OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) — both are part of the Test of Competence.
Visa application fees
Flights to the UK
Accommodation or travel within the UK
Any resit fees (if required)
Costs may be higher if you need to retake any part of the assessment process.
Breakdown of Costs
| Requirement | Description | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification Evaluation Fee | Paid to the NMC when submitting your eligibility and qualification application. Non-refundable. | £140 |
| CBT – First Sitting | Paid to the test provider before taking the test. | £83 |
| CBT – Full Resit (Clinical & Numeracy) | For candidates who need to retake both parts of the CBT. | £83 |
| CBT – Partial Resit (Clinical Only) | For candidates who need to retake only the Clinical section. | £70 |
| CBT – Partial Resit (Numeracy Only) | For candidates who need to retake only the Numeracy section. | £50 |
| OSCE – First Sitting | Paid to the test provider before taking the OSCE. | £794 |
| OSCE – Full Resit | Required if a candidate fails eight or more stations. | £794 |
| OSCE – Partial Resit | Required if a candidate fails up to seven stations. | £397 |
| Registration Fee | Paid to the NMC when submitting your registration application. Refundable in some cases. | £153 |
How Long Is It Going to Take?
Take Time to Prepare
Several factors affect how long the registration process takes, including gathering the necessary evidence to prove you meet our requirements and the preparation time you need before taking the Computer Based Test (CBT) and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), if required. Use our pre-application checklist to identify the documents you need to have ready before starting your application.
Assessing Your Application
After you submit your eligibility and qualification application, we aim to assess your qualifications within 14 days, once we receive responses from your regulator and, where applicable, your training institution.
Once your eligibility is confirmed, you’ll have two years to complete your full registration. This period includes passing the CBT and OSCE, if you are required to take the Test of Competence.
When you submit your full registration application—including your health and character declarations, English language evidence (if applicable), CBT and OSCE results, and payment—we aim to process it within 30 days.
Contact Your Referees Before You Begin
Before submitting your application, notify your referees that the NMC will be contacting them for supporting declarations. This helps ensure they respond promptly, avoiding delays in your application.
Changing Your Personal Details
If your contact details change during the application process, you can update them anytime by logging into your NMC Online account. If you change your name during this period, you can update it during the Final Declaration stage, the last step before registration is granted.
Prepare Your Evidence
What We Ask For
Throughout your registration application, we’ll require evidence to demonstrate that you meet the NMC’s registration standards. To avoid unnecessary delays, we strongly recommend gathering all your documents before you begin your application.
This guide will walk you through the types of evidence you’ll need to provide, in the order we’ll request them:
Identity evidence
Qualification evidence
Health evidence
Character evidence
English language evidence
Confirmation of professional indemnity cover
Who Needs to Take the Test of Competence?
New UK regulations, introduced after Brexit, allow certain European general nursing and midwifery qualifications to be recognised automatically until the end of 2022. If you hold a relevant European qualification that meets the automatic recognition criteria, you won’t need to take the Test of Competence — even if you are not an EU national.
Check the official list to see if your qualification qualifies for automatic recognition.
If your qualification is not on this list, you will be required to take the Test of Competence as your qualification cannot be recognised automatically.
Things to Be Aware Of
I don’t have my original qualification certificate
You may need to request a replacement or certified copy from your education provider or regulator.My certificate is not in English
Any documents not in English must be officially translated by a certified translator.My name is different on my qualification evidence
If your name has changed since your qualification was awarded, you may need to provide legal proof of your name change.My regulator no longer issues certificates
In this case, contact your verifier or regulatory body to find out what alternative evidence can be provided.
Contact Your Verifiers Before You Begin
To prevent delays, get in touch with your education providers, regulatory bodies, or other verifiers before starting your application. Make sure they are prepared to respond promptly to verification requests from the NMC.
Get Your Pre‑Application Checklist
We understand that moving to live and work in a new country is a life-changing decision. Registering with the NMC is a key part of that journey, and we want to help you feel fully prepared before you begin.
Our pre-application checklist tool is designed to guide you through the early stages of your registration journey. It will help you understand:
What evidence you’ll need to provide when registering as a nurse or midwife
Who you may need to contact (such as your education institution or professional regulator)
What official guidance you should read before you apply
Using Your Checklist
The tool asks a few simple questions about your qualifications and background. Based on your answers, it creates a personalised checklist of everything you should consider before starting your application.
You can download the checklist as a PDF for future reference
Please note: your results won’t be saved, so if you leave the page, you’ll need to complete the tool again
While we strive to keep the tool accurate and current, it does not cover every individual circumstance — it is meant to be used as a helpful guide, not a final assessment
About Us
Extenseur HR simplifies global healthcare recruitment and compliance, helping UK providers focus on delivering exceptional patient care.
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