Working as a Registered Nurse/Midwife in the UK

Q: What’s the difference between IELTS UKVI and Academic IELTS?

IELTS UKVI is for Visa purposes only . To be able to register with the NMC and travel to the U.K. you need to pass the Academic IELTS at a score of 6.5 in Writing and 7 in Reading, Speaking and Listening or OET at a score of C+ in Writing and B in Reading, Speaking and Listening. It is not required that you pass any other English Language exams.

Have you recently decided it’s time for a change, and you’re now looking for a new career challenge? Starting a new job in a different country can be very exciting and lead to lots of great opportunities, but you need to make sure that you choose the right agency to hold your hand and guide you through the process. NEU Professionals offers careers for Registered Nurses at some of the most prestigious NHS Trusts in the United Kingdom.

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Register with the NMC

If you wish to start your journey as a nurse or a midwife in the United Kingdom you must register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). NEU Professionals will support you with your NMC registration process so you do not need to be registered with the NMC before sending us your application.

There are different ways to apply for registration, depending on which part of the register you want to join and where you trained.

Throughout your application, the NMC will ask you for evidence that shows how you meet their registration requirements. We strongly recommend you gather your evidence before you start your application. This is so there are no unnecessary delays.

NMC Registration

What do I need to become a Nurse or Midwife in the U.K?

Below you can find a list of all essential requirements and steps to follow for your application with NEU Professionals to be successful:

1st Step. Nursing Degree

You are required to hold a Nursing Degree at post-secondary level leading to registration as a general nurse, or a Midwifery Degree at post-secondary level leading to registration as a Midwife or Nurse-Midwife. This is usually a minimum 3-year programme taught at a university or qualified nursing school. The NMC will contact your educational institution as part of their verification process to confirm their programme meets their requirements.

2nd Step. English Language Certificate at the level required by the NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council) – If applicable

All nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). If you are an overseas nurse or midwife and your experience and studies have been mainly accomplished in a non-English speaking country, the NMC requires that you hold a valid Academic IELTS or OET certificate to register as a nurse or midwife in the U.K. This is an essential requirement and your application will not be processed unless you present this certificate.

IELTS Academic Minimum score accepted by the NMC:	OET Minimum score accepted by the NMC:
Listening – 7.0 Speaking – 7.0 Reading – 7.0 Writing – 6.5 Candidates who do not score the minimum required by the NMC may be eligible to combine scores from a second sitting. The combined exams must be taken within 12 months of each other and the score on neither of the combined exams is below a 6.5 in Listening, Speaking, and Reading or below a 6.0 in Writing. When combining scores, a score of 6.0 or higher in Writing will be considered passing.	Listening – B (350-440) Speaking – B (350-440) Reading – B (350-440) Writing – C+ (300-340) Candidates who do not score the minimum required by the NMC may be eligible to combine scores from a second sitting. The combined exams must be taken within 12 months of each other and the score on neither of the combined exams is below a C+ (300-340) for Listening, Speaking, and Reading or below a C (250-290) in Writing. When combining scores, a score of C (250-290) or higher in Writing will be considered passing.

IELTS Academic

Minimum score accepted by the NMC:

OET

Minimum score accepted by the NMC:

Listening – 7.0
Speaking – 7.0
Reading – 7.0
Writing – 6.5

Candidates who do not score the minimum required by the NMC may be eligible to combine scores from a second sitting. The combined exams must be taken within 12 months of each other and the score on neither of the combined exams is below a 6.5 in Listening, Speaking, and Reading or below a 6.0 in Writing. When combining scores, a score of 6.0 or higher in Writing will be considered passing.

Listening – B (350-440)
Speaking – B (350-440)
Reading – B (350-440)
Writing – C+ (300-340)

Candidates who do not score the minimum required by the NMC may be eligible to combine scores from a second sitting. The combined exams must be taken within 12 months of each other and the score on neither of the combined exams is below a C+ (300-340) for Listening, Speaking, and Reading or below a C (250-290) in Writing. When combining scores, a score of C (250-290) or higher in Writing will be considered passing.

For more detailed information about NMC English language requirements, including a Combining Scores Calculator, please visit the NMC website.

3rd Step. Send us your documents and we will schedule a friendly video interview!

Have you passed your IELTS/OET at the required scores and do you think you are eligible to register? Congratulations!

Now simply forward your documents (IELTS/OET certificate, up-to-date CV and passport copy) to apply@neuprofessionals.com or attach them to your application form when applying for a job. If your application is successful, our team will be in touch to schedule a first video interview with one of our recruiters and give you guidance on the next steps of the process.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Our NHS Trusts may demand additional required documents before scheduling an interview. These may include:

That you hold a CBT certificate to process your application – see point 5 for more information.
Certain Trusts may ask you to complete a simple test before your interview, such as a “drug calculation test”. These tests will be completed via video call and supervised by your designated NEU Professionals recruitment consultant.

4th Step. Check that you are ready to register

It is advisable that you check if you are eligible to join the NMC register before sending us your application, as it helps speed up the whole process. However, this is not essential and our team will be happy to advise you accordingly depending on your situation and experience.

You can check if you have all the essential requirements to register with the NMC by filling in their Pre-application checklist. If the NMC agrees that your experience is relevant you will be then required to submit a number of documents so they can assess your fitness to practice. You will receive a decision letter within 60 days.

5th Step. Pass the Computer Based Test (CBT) – NMC Test of Competence (Part 1)

To register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council it is required that you pass their Test of Competence, which is divided in two parts (CBT and OSCE). Once you have received your decision letter, the NMC will give you green light to continue with the process and book your CBT test, which it can be taken in various exam centres around the world. Some NHS Trusts require that you hold this certificate prior sending your application, but it is not always essential to apply. However, it is still advisable that you pass this test before submitting your application or, in the case of CBT not being an essential requirement, that you at least have your exam booked.

6th Step. Forward other relevant documents to us

We will ask you to share other documents with us which we will then send to the NHS Trust. These documents will include:

Other ID documents
Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) – for every country you have lived in for more than 12 months in the last 10 years.
References – from every employer and educational institution you have worked for / attended in the last 3 years.

7th Step. Apply for your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)

Your NHS Trust will apply for this on your behalf, as they will be acting as your sponsor. You must have a Certificate of Sponsorship (C0S) to apply for your Visa and has a validity of 3 years (it can then be renewed).

8th Step. Apply for your Visa

As a healthcare professional you will be entitled to apply for a Skilled Worker Visa. Our NHS Trusts are mostly happy to refund all Visa costs, but note that this might not always be the case. Your Visa usually takes around 3 to 4 weeks to be processed.

9th Step. Get your luggage ready – The U.K. awaits!

Upon receipt of your visa NEU Professionals will book your flight to the United Kingdom and will arrange transport from the airport to your accommodation. A Trust representative will receive you with open arms and a warm welcome.

10th Step. Pass the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) – NMC Test of Competence (Part 2)

You will start the OSCE training provided by your NHS Trust which may take between 6-12 weeks depending on the employer. The OSCE exam will take place at one of the NMC approved testing centres in the UK. Your Employer will book the exam for you in advance.

This exam will mainly assess your knowledge and clinical skills as well as your ability to deal with healthcare scenarios that NHS nurses and midwives are likely to encounter when delivering care to patients.

You will have three attempts to pass your OSCE exam. In the unlikely event of not being successful, you will be asked to return to your home country. Therefore we recommend that you travel to the U.K. alone in the first instance until you have passed your OSCE and everything is settled.

You will receive your results within 5 days.

11th Step. Celebrate! You are now officially a Registered Nurse in the United Kingdom!

Within a few days of receiving the good news about your OSCE results, you will receive your Nursing and Midwifery Council PIN Number and you may officially call yourself a U.K. registered nurse or midwife!

Congratulations!

Asian and african women holding hands during group therapy session

NEU Professionals Limited is an International Healthcare Recruitment Agency headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

NEU Professionals Limited is an International Healthcare Recruitment Agency headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

We embrace and champion the values of ethical recruitment outlined in the NHS Code of Practice for International Recruitment and the World Health Organisation guidelines. This means that you can be reassured of the following:

The recruitment is legitimate and compliant and always adhering to the UK and sourcing country’s regulatory requirements.
You will not be charged any fees in relation to gaining your employment in the UK – our services are completely FREE.
The roles you will be offered will deliver extensive opportunities for training, education and enhancement of your clinical skills.
We will always be fully transparent with you and disclose all of the information you need about the Trust, vacancy you are applying for, geographical area and costs of living to enable you to make an informed choice.
You will have a nominated Recruitment Consultant who will look after you throughout every stage of the recruitment/registration process, the entire relocation, your cultural adaptation journey and beyond.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Find more answers below!

Frequently Asked Questions

Find more answers below!

All FAQs

Does the Trust help you with commuting?ukneu20242024-04-03T21:33:12+01:00

Does the Trust help you with commuting?

Yes, many Trusts often provide loans for season travel tickets. Commuting is not a problem because you get to travel outside of rush hour for nursing shifts!

What’s the salary like in London?ukneu20242024-04-03T21:33:12+01:00

What’s the salary like in London?

In addition to basic pay, there is also extra pay for staff who work in high cost areas such as around London. Working as a nurse in London in our CapitalNurse programme you will be eligible for a high cost area supplement, and that depends on whether you are working in inner London, outer London or the fringe zones , but that can add a significant extra amount of money to your pay each month and each year. Your salary will also depend on your years of work experience.

Is it possible to relocate from one Trust to another before finishing the 3 year contract?ukneu20242024-04-03T21:33:12+01:00

Is it possible to relocate from one Trust to another before finishing the 3 year contract?

No, it’s not possible. Once you sign up for your contract, we advise you to read your contract and your offer letter very carefully, you normally are within a contract with a Trust which has relocated you for the first three years; but that doesn’t mean you can’t move from ward to ward in the same Trust. That’s another great thing about the NHS, there are often opportunities for career advancement or for moving from one ward to a different ward within the same hospital Trust.

What’s the difference between IELTS UKVI and Academic IELTS?ukneu20242024-04-03T21:33:12+01:00

What’s the difference between IELTS UKVI and Academic IELTS?

IELTS UKVI is for Visa purposes only. To be able to register with the NMC and travel to the U.K. you need to pass the Academic IELTS at a score of 6.5 in Writing and 7 in Reading, Speaking and Listening or OET at a score of C+ in Writing and B in Reading, Speaking and Listening. It is not required that you pass any other English Language exams.

Can I choose the Trust or Location I want?ukneu20242024-04-03T21:33:12+01:00

Can I choose the Trust or Location I want?

We can’t guarantee you a specific one, but we can guarantee you that in all our Trusts you will have the opportunity to develop as a professional and grow easily.

How does the application work?ukneu20242024-04-03T21:33:12+01:00

How does the application work?

All you need to do is send us your CV, your passport and you approved English Certificate certificate to apply@neuprofessionals.com