NMC Registration

1) UK graduates

You can apply for registration with the NMC as a nurse or midwife if you have obtained the appropriate qualifications from a UK university. All registered nurses trained in the UK will have completed a pre-registration nursing programme and will have met the NMC’s requirements of good health and good character. All registered midwives will have completed a midwifery programme of education and will have also met the NMC’s requirements of good health and good character.

2) Trained in Europe

This route applies to the following:

- Those that are a national of a Member State of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA), who trained as a nurse or midwife in the EU or EEA and have at least 3 years experience, or;
- Exempt people with enforceable EC Rights, who have trained as a nurse or midwife with the appropriate qualifications and experience.

The NMC will expect applicants to have an appropriate qualification and be registered or be eligible for registration as a nurse or midwife in their Member State. The applicant will need to have a certificate of good standing from their professional authority which confirms their registration and they will need to have completed minimum training requirements.

If your qualification does not meet the standards set for automatic registration, your application may still be considered, but you may need to pursue a course known as Acquired Rights and may need to undertake an Adaptation Period and pass an Aptitude Test.

For those following this route to registration, the NMC cannot require evidence of an applicant’s ability to communicate in English, but it is essential that applicants have sufficient knowledge of English to be able to practise safely and a failure in this regard may led to a fitness to practise investigation.

When assessing any application for registration the NMC will also consider an applicant’s fitness to practise in general terms.

3. Trained outside of Europe

If you qualified as a nurse or midwife outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) or are a non-EEA national with an EEA nursing or midwifery qualification (other than from the UK) then you may apply for registration with the NMC if you have at least 12 months experience. All practising nurses and midwives in the UK need to communicate effectively and clearly in English. You will, therefore, need to meet the NMC English language requirements, having a score of at least 7 in IELTS (International English Language Test).

The NMC will assess your training programme against the relevant UK educational requirements. They will require a transcript of your training, setting out the number of hours of theoretical and clinical studies and the number of deliveries if you are a midwife.

To successfully apply for registration you will need to have passed an Overseas Nursing Programme or Adaptation to Midwifery Programme.

As well as having the appropriate qualifications, the NMC will also generally consider if they regard an applicant as being fit to practise before granting registration.