International nursing guides
Explore registration pathways, exam planning, document preparation and relocation safety. Start with the guide that matches your destination and situation.
The guide library
Confirm current requirements using the official sources linked in each guide.
All destinations
A nurse planning a move abroad should identify the destination jurisdiction, nursing category, current licence, education country, recent practice, and immigration status before paying for assessments. Nursing…
All destinations
A licence from one country does not by itself provide automatic permission to practise in another. A UK licence may be relevant to certain Australia registration pathways, but additional criteria apply. A US…
All destinations
A useful preparation file includes valid identification, nursing diploma or degree, transcript, licensing registration history, good-standing records, practice or employment verification, language test…
Exams
NCLEX is used by US nursing boards and certain Canadian nursing regulators for applicable registration classes. The exam measures entry-level nursing competence. Its eligibility, application, and results…
All destinations
Nursing registration, authorization to work, and a job offer are distinct. Employers may require further occupational health checks, references, background screening, local orientation or specialty…
Australia
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) sets registration standards; Ahpra administers registration. Internationally qualified nurses should determine the applicable route. The established…
Canada
NNAS verifies and processes records for internationally educated applicants in participating Canadian jurisdictions. Its expedited RN/LPN pathway and registered psychiatric nurse pathway have different…
Canada
Ontario nursing registration is administered by the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO). Ontario uses RN and RPN, where RPN means Registered Practical Nurse, not Registered Psychiatric Nurse. Applicants may…
Canada
British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Atlantic provinces and territories use jurisdiction-specific nursing regulators and pathways. Requirements can differ by category and by where the…
Canada
Canada does not have one nationwide RN licence. The provincial or territorial regulator determines eligibility to practise. Many internationally educated nurses use NNAS, but not every province, territory,…
New Zealand
For most internationally qualified nurses, the Nursing Council of New Zealand requires primary document verification through TruMerit before a Council application. The Council lists current or recent overseas…
United Kingdom
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) regulates nurse and midwife registration in the UK. Overseas-trained nurses begin with eligibility and qualification evaluation, then complete the NMC-specified Test of…
USA
US nursing licensing is state-based. A state board of nursing assesses internationally educated applicants and determines the credential evaluation, English language and background-check conditions for that…
USA
A VisaScreen healthcare-worker certificate is a credentials-screening product relevant to certain US immigration processes. It is not a US nursing licence, an NCLEX registration, or a visa. TruMerit/CGFNS…