Nursing in the UK
Will your qualifications be recognised?
The qualifications of nurses and midwives who are citizens of EU or European Free Trade Area (EFTA) countries are recognised under an agreement between all member states. However, you need to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) - the UK's regulatory body - unless you only want to work in the UK temporarily. Your qualifications will not be recognised automatically if you are not part of the European Union.
The process of registering with the NMC can take months. At the time of writing the NMC are experiencing delays in processing overseas registrations, although it aims to process them in 135 days. Applications for entry to the NMC's register are considered on the basis of education, training and registration outside the UK, as well as the ability to communicate effectively in English. For those outside the EU or EFTA they are considered on an individual basis, therefore it’s not possible to say whether an application will be accepted immediately, or might involve a long wait and further work or study. However, training in some countries may lead to rapid acceptance providing certain criteria have been met. These countries are the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the West Indies and Hong Kong.
How do you find out?
The NMC's registration department has a dedicated team to handle overseas registrations. You can telephone the department on (+44) 20 7333 6600 between 08.00 and 17.00, weekdays, or email OverseasReg@nmc-uk.org.
Alternatively, you can write to:
Registrations Department
NMC
23 Portland Place
London
W1B 1PZ
Where can you get further information?
Information for nurses and midwives trained outside the European Community is contained in the NMC booklet Registering as a nurse or midwife in the UK. To obtain a copy write to the NMC, or email publications@nmc-uk.org. You can also download it at www.nmc-uk.org.
How do you apply?
The NMC has an application pack. Before it will send the pack out, however, you will need to provide information on your:
- title (for example: Miss, Mr, Mrs, Dr etc.)
- forenames
- surname (or family name)
- date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy)
- country of origin/training
- whether you wish to be registered as a general nurse and/or a mental health nurse and/or a nurse for the mentally handicapped (learning disabilities) and/or a sick children's nurse and/or a midwife
Write to the NMC or email overseasreg@nmc-uk.org to request an application pack.
Will you have to pay?
Yes. If you are an overseas (non EU or EFTA) applicant you will be asked to pay a non-returnable fee of £117 to receive the full application pack. You should not send this until you are asked to do so by the NMC. If you are accepted, you will have to pay £93 for your first three years' registration.
What is a 'supervised placement'?
Nurses and midwives from some countries are advised by the NMC to obtain a supervised placement in a hospital or approved nursing home, where their clinical abilities can be assessed. You will work as an unqualified care assistant for a set period, then, following correspondence with your employer, a decision will be made regarding your registration. Any NHS trusts looking to employ nurses and midwives from overseas is worth approaching.
UK employers have a fair degree of freedom in how they organise these placements. To find an arrangement that suits you approach more than one potential employer. You will not have to pay any commission or fees, and you will be giving them the benefit of your experience, if not your registration, so they should be generous!
The NMC website lists all nursing homes that are currently approved to offer supervised placements. If you do a placement at an unapproved home the NMC will not accept you onto the Register.
