Can Nigerian Nurses Work in Ghana, South Africa or Singapore? Registration Steps Explained

Not every nurse wants to move to the UK, Canada or the US. Ghana, South Africa and Singapore also accept foreign-trained nurses, but each has its own rules, and some are much harder to access than others. Here’s how registration works in each.

Ghana

Ghana’s Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC Ghana) licenses foreign-trained nurses through an application, a licensing exam and a practical orientation.

1. Submit your documents for approval: transcript, professional certificates (originals for inspection), birth certificate, passport photos, two testimonials from a workplace where you’ve worked for at least a year, your last appointment letter, verification of registration from your home regulator (the NMCN), and a certificate of English proficiency.
2. Sit the licensing exam, held in June and December. It has two papers of 100 objective questions each: Paper I covers medical, surgical and paediatric nursing, and Paper II covers psychiatric, public health and obstetric nursing. The pass mark is 50%.
3. Complete a three-month practical orientation at a teaching, regional or accredited hospital.
4. Pay the licensing fee (US$150 according to the council’s application pack) and register.

South Africa

Foreign nurses face the most paperwork in South Africa. Registration with the South African Nursing Council (SANC) typically requires:

• An evaluation of your qualification by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).
• A letter of support from the National Department of Health’s Foreign Workforce Management Programme, plus a Department of Health endorsement, before you can sit SANC’s examinations.
• Passing SANC’s examination, then registering.

South Africa has tightened the employment of foreign health workers, so entry is limited, and a job offer and the right work visa are essential. Check the latest SANC circulars before you start.

Singapore

Singapore’s route is driven by employers. To register with the Singapore Nursing Board (SNB) you generally need:

• A nursing programme the SNB assesses as equivalent to Singapore’s.
• Current registration and a practising licence in your home country, and recent clinical experience (within the past five years).
• A job offer from a Singapore healthcare facility that provides inpatient care.
• A pass in the SNB licensure exam for registered nurses, enrolled nurses or midwives.

Without a job offer you can’t start, so look for Singapore hospitals recruiting internationally through official channels.

What all three have in common

• NMCN verification comes first. Every regulator will want confirmation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. See our NMCN guide.
• Nursing registration is not a work visa. You’ll need the right immigration permission too.
• Use official channels only. Avoid agents promising guaranteed jobs or licences.

Read also: Easiest countries for Nigerian nurses: UK, Canada, Australia, NZ, Ireland and the USA · How to register as a nurse in Kenya

Sources: NMC Ghana: application pack for foreign-trained nurses; GroundUp: foreign nursing qualifications in South Africa (2022); Homage: Singapore Nursing Board licensure. Requirements change, so confirm with each regulator before applying.