How do I work as a nurse in the UK from another country?
Key facts
- Step 1: NMC eligibility application and qualification verification.
- Step 2: CBT (Computer Based Test) — taken in your home country.
- Step 3: English evidence — IELTS Academic 7.0 (6.5 writing accepted), OET B, or an exemption.
- Step 4: Job offer + Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed sponsor.
- Step 5: OSCE in the UK within 3 months of arrival, then full NMC PIN.
The full answer
Most candidates lose months at step 1 and step 4, not on the exams. Qualification verification stalls when transcripts, registration letters or hours-of-training evidence arrive in the wrong format, and sponsorship stalls when candidates apply to employers who are not on the sponsor register at all.
Many UK employers reimburse the CBT, pay for the OSCE, provide free accommodation for the first weeks, and cover flights. These packages are not always advertised — they are negotiated. Our team asks the question for you before you commit.
Pay for a Band 5 nurse starts around £29,000–£31,000, with unsocial-hours enhancements on top for nights and weekends; London roles add a high-cost-area supplement.
We apply to multiple licensed sponsors on your behalf, send an endorsement letter with each application, and keep pushing until you have an answer rather than leaving one application sitting in a queue.
Our placement team vets the employer, writes the application, endorses you and follows up — 10 applications in 30 days or your money back.