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Nurses moving to the UK: visa, NMC and costs

An overseas nurse needs a sponsored job, a visa (£324 for up to 3 years, no healthcare surcharge) and registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. NMC fees for the route total £1,226 if the Test of Competence is needed, and a sponsor may employ a nurse before registration for up to 8 months.

Two separate bodies decide whether a nurse trained overseas can work in the UK. The Home Office decides the visa. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) decides whether the person can be on the register and use the title of nurse. The two processes have different fees, different English requirements and different timetables, and they interact: the Home Office rules on pre-registration nurses depend on how far through the NMC process the nurse is.

This guide explains each step using GOV.UK, the sponsor guidance and the NMC's own pages as at 10 October 2026. It describes the rules for nurses trained outside the UK (applicants with EU qualifications and returners to practice have different routes, which the NMC explains separately). It does not tell any nurse which route to take.

The visa route and who can sponsor

GOV.UK lists nurses in occupation codes 2231 (midwifery nurses), 2232 (registered community nurses), 2233 (registered specialist nurses), 2234 (registered nurse practitioners), 2235 (registered mental health nurses), 2236 (registered children's nurses) and 2237 (other registered nursing professionals) as eligible for a Health and Care Worker visa, which is part of the Skilled Worker route. Nursing auxiliaries and assistants (6131) are also listed. Care workers (6135) and senior care workers (6136) are treated differently and are covered in our care worker guide.

The nurse needs a confirmed job offer from an approved employer before applying: the NHS, an organisation providing medical services to the NHS, or an organisation providing adult social care. The employer assigns a certificate of sponsorship, which must be used within three months. A visa application can be made up to three months before the start date on it, and GOV.UK says that once the application, identity proof and documents are in, a decision usually takes three weeks.

An employer that is not yet approved can apply for a sponsor licence: £611 for small businesses and charities or £1,682 for medium and large organisations, taking around eight weeks. Our guides to sponsor licence costs and the application process cover this.

Salary and the cost of the visa

For most Health and Care jobs the salary must be at least £25,000, or the going rate for the job if higher. GOV.UK says the going rate for many health jobs follows national pay scales listed by NHS pay band and area of the UK, and tells applicants to ask the employer which band the job is on.

The application fee is £324 per person for a stay of up to three years and £628 for more than three years, whether applying from inside or outside the UK. The Immigration Health Surcharge is not payable by the worker or by dependants. That is the main difference from a Skilled Worker visa outside health and care, where the standard fees begin at £819 and the surcharge is usually £1,035 per year.

The nurse must also show £1,270 in a bank account, held for at least 28 days in a row with day 28 within 31 days of applying, unless they have been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months or the employer certifies on the certificate that it will cover the first month's costs.

GOV.UK also says a criminal record certificate from each relevant country is needed when applying from outside the UK for nearly all eligible health jobs. Nurses under 28 need certificates from any country they have stayed in for 12 months or more since turning 18. Those 28 or over need one from any country they stayed in over the last 10 years. A tuberculosis test is needed if the applicant has lived in a listed country for six months or more.

English: two different checks

The visa and the NMC each check English, and they use different standards.

For the visa, GOV.UK says new Health and Care Worker applicants must show English at level B2 of the Common European Framework, but GOV.UK says a nurse does not need to prove knowledge of English for the visa if they have already passed an English language assessment accepted by the regulated professional body. In practice, a nurse who has met the NMC's English requirement can rely on that. GOV.UK also lists nationalities exempt from the visa English requirement, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA.

For the NMC, the English requirement is the same for every applicant, and there are three accepted types of evidence: a recent English language test, a pre-registration nursing or midwifery qualification taught and examined in English, or one year of recent practice as a nurse, midwife or nursing associate in a country where English is the majority-spoken language. The two tests the NMC accepts are IELTS Academic and the Occupational English Test (OET):

  • IELTS Academic: 7 in listening, 7 in reading, 6.5 in writing and 7 in speaking;
  • OET: grade B (350 or above) in listening, reading and speaking, and C+ (300 or above) in writing.

Scores can be combined across two sittings, but both must be within 12 months of each other and no more than two years old when the NMC assesses the complete application, and a nurse cannot retake individual domains separately.

NMC registration step by step

The NMC's guide for nurses and midwives trained outside the UK has these stages:

  1. Check readiness. The NMC advises gathering evidence before starting. Applications that have not progressed within three months of opening are closed.
  2. Eligibility and qualification application. The nurse provides identity evidence and qualification and registration information, and pays the evaluation fee. The NMC aims to assess the qualification within 14 days, once it has received a response from the nurse's regulator and training institution where required. Documents not in English need the original, a photocopy stamped and signed by a translation service, and a complete English translation.
  3. Test of Competence. Unless the nurse holds a relevant European qualification that qualifies for automatic recognition, the NMC says the nurse must take the Test of Competence. It has two parts, a computer-based test (CBT) and a practical Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), and the nurse must pass both within two years of each other. The test is specific to the part of the register: adult, mental health, learning disabilities, children's nursing or midwifery. Once both are passed, the result remains valid for five years.
  4. Registration application. The nurse supplies health evidence, character evidence, English language evidence and confirmation of professional indemnity arrangements, then pays the registration fee. Referees are contacted to verify information. The NMC aims to consider a complete application within 30 days.
  5. ID check. All applicants must have a face-to-face ID check at one of the NMC's Test of Competence centres.

After eligibility is confirmed the nurse has two years to complete registration, including the CBT and OSCE. The Home Office sponsor guidance states that the CBT can be taken at a test centre in most countries, but the OSCE is only available at NMC-approved centres in the UK.

NMC costs

The NMC states that its fees increased on 1 October 2026. On its cost page for nurses and midwives trained outside the UK, the total of fees and tests is £1,226 if the Test of Competence is required. That total does not include the visa, flights, or accommodation and travel while in the UK. The listed amounts are:

  • qualification evaluation fee: £167, paid to the NMC and non-refundable;
  • CBT: £83 for the first sitting;
  • OSCE: £794 for the first sitting;
  • registration fee: £182, paid to the NMC, refundable in certain circumstances.

Resits cost extra: a full CBT resit £83, a partial CBT resit £70 (clinical only) or £50 (numeracy only), a full OSCE resit £794 if eight or more stations are failed and a partial OSCE resit £397 if up to seven are failed. The amounts are set by the NMC and its test providers, and other NMC pages can show older figures, so check the NMC cost page for your route before paying.

The figures give an example of the cumulative cost to reach registration. A nurse who passes everything first time pays £167 + £83 + £794 + £182 = £1,226 in NMC and test fees, plus the visa fee of £324 for up to three years and the other items above.

Working before registration: the 8-month rule

Employers can sponsor a nurse who has not yet completed NMC registration. Section SK9 of the sponsor guidance on Skilled Worker sets the rules for these "pre-registration" nurses and midwives in codes 2231 to 2237.

The nurse must complete NMC registration within 8 months of the start date on the certificate of sponsorship (or of the previous employment start date if extending). The employer must stop sponsoring them as a nurse if that does not happen, and must not sponsor a nurse who failed to register within 8 months under a previous sponsor.

For a nurse working towards registration for the first time, both of these must be true on the date of application: the nurse has passed the NMC's English language requirements and the CBT, and intends to sit the OSCE no later than 3 months after the job start date on the certificate.

During those 8 months, or until registered if sooner, the salary may fall below £25,000, but must be at least the Agenda for Change Band 3 rate shown in the sponsor guidance's occupation table. After registration the employer must pay in line with the salary rule for registered nurses, and tell UKVI within 10 working days of the full registration, the role change and the salary.

OSCE attempts are limited: up to three as part of one application, with at least 10 working days between attempts. After three failures the application closes and a new one is needed, with no OSCE sitting for at least six months. The guidance says a nurse who fails the OSCE three times is unlikely to register within 8 months, and the employer must stop sponsorship and tell UKVI within 10 working days.

Family, extending and settlement

A partner and children can apply as dependants, each with a separate application. For a nurse's dependants the visa fee follows the worker's band (£324 or £628 each) with no surcharge, and the amounts of money each must show are £285 for a partner, £315 for one child and £200 for each additional child. A partner must show a marriage or civil partnership recognised in the UK, or a relationship of at least two years.

The visa can last up to five years and can be extended as many times as the nurse remains eligible. GOV.UK says that after five years a nurse may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain if other requirements are met. A change of employer requires an application to update the visa.

If the sponsor's licence ends, the nurse's permission can be shortened. Our guide to revoked sponsor licences explains the normal 60-day position. If a nurse's NMC registration is withdrawn, the sponsor must report that it has stopped sponsoring.

Finding a regulated adviser

Visa rules and NMC rules change, and a mistake in a certificate, a date or a salary can affect both. GOV.UK explains how to find an immigration adviser. Only IAA-registered advisers, solicitors and other qualified persons can give immigration advice, and the NMC itself handles registration queries.

The Migratio directory lists IAA-registered advisers (with their level) and SRA-regulated solicitors, each with their regulator and registration number. Migratio is not regulated by the IAA or the SRA and does not give immigration advice. This page explains how the rules work; it does not tell you what to do in your case.

Questions people ask

How much does the Health and Care Worker visa cost for a nurse?

£324 per person for a stay of up to three years, and £628 for more than three years. There is no Immigration Health Surcharge. The nurse usually also needs £1,270 held for 28 days unless the employer certifies maintenance.

How much does NMC registration cost for an overseas nurse?

The NMC gives a total of £1,226 if the Test of Competence is needed: £167 evaluation, £83 CBT, £794 OSCE and £182 registration. Its fees increased on 1 October 2026. Resits and the visa cost extra.

Can I work as a nurse in the UK before I am on the NMC register?

A sponsor may employ a nurse in codes 2231 to 2237 while they complete registration, but registration must finish within 8 months of the start date on the certificate. The nurse must meet conditions including having passed the NMC English requirement and the CBT.

What English score does the NMC require?

IELTS Academic 7 in listening, reading and speaking and 6.5 in writing, or OET grade B in listening, reading and speaking and C+ in writing. Scores can be combined across two sittings within 12 months.

Where do I take the OSCE?

The sponsor guidance says the OSCE is only available at NMC-approved test centres in the UK, while the computer-based test can be taken in a test centre in most countries.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-10.

Related guides

  • Care worker visa in 2026: who can still apply — Under rule SW 6.1B, care workers (6135) and senior care workers (6136) can only apply for permission to stay, not for entry clearance from abroad. The rule allows either a switch after at least three months working legally for the sponsor, with an application before 22 July 2028, or an application by someone already holding permission in those codes.
  • Skilled Worker visa cost: worker and employer totals — A worker applying from outside the UK for up to 3 years pays £819 plus £1,035 a year in healthcare surcharge, and usually needs £1,270 held in savings. The employer separately pays a £525 certificate fee and the immigration skills charge, and its licence fee if it is new.
  • Skilled Worker salary: £41,700 and going rates — Under Appendix Skilled Worker the general salary test is at least £41,700 a year and the occupation's going rate, whichever is higher. Lower thresholds of £33,400, £37,500 or £25,000 apply to specific groups, and only guaranteed basic pay counts.
  • Bringing family on a Skilled Worker visa: costs and rules — Each partner and child pays the same application fee as the Skilled Worker for the same length of stay (£819 or £1,618 from outside the UK), plus the Immigration Health Surcharge, and must show £285 for a partner, £315 for the first child and £200 for each further child. Restrictions apply to dependants of care workers and some medium-skilled jobs.
  • Health and Care Worker vs Skilled Worker visa — The Health and Care Worker visa is a version of the Skilled Worker route for listed health and social care jobs with approved employers. It costs £324 for up to 3 years with no health surcharge, against £819 plus £1,035 a year on the standard Skilled Worker route. Which one applies depends on the job and employer, not on cost.
  • Doctors moving to the UK: visa and GMC steps — Doctors in codes 2211 and 2212 can use the Health and Care Worker visa, which costs £324 for up to 3 years and has no healthcare surcharge. A sponsored doctor must hold the registration the job needs (GMC registration for a doctor), and the sponsor must report if it is withdrawn.
  • Sponsor licence cost for employers in 2026 — A UK sponsor licence for the Worker routes costs £611 for a small or charitable sponsor and £1,682 for a medium or large one. Each Skilled Worker certificate of sponsorship then costs £525, plus the Immigration Skills Charge, which the employer must pay and may not recover from the worker.
  • Sponsor licence revoked: what it means for your visa — If your sponsor loses its licence, the Immigration Rules say your permission may be cancelled. Home Office guidance says that where you were not involved, cancellation normally leaves you 60 days to apply for permission with a new sponsor or to leave. There is no appeal or administrative review against cancellation. A temporary arrangement currently protects care workers.