The United Kingdom is one of the most popular destinations for internationally educated nurses. To work as a registered nurse you need to join the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register, which usually means passing an English language test, a computer-based test (CBT) and a practical exam (OSCE), then working under a Health and Care Worker visa sponsored by your employer.
This guide brings together everything we have published on working in the UK, in the order most nurses need it.
Step 1: Register with the NMC
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) UK: Registration, CBT and OSCE, English Tests, Fees and Fitness to Practise (2026 Guide)
- How to Prepare for the NMC CBT and OSCE: A Practical Plan for International Nurses
- NMC CBT Practice Questions With Answers: 30 Numeracy and Clinical Questions for International Nurses
- NCLEX, Prometric, NMC CBT or OSCE? Which Nursing Exam You Need for Each Country (2026)
- UK Nursing: NMC Fee Rises to £143 as Nigerian Nurses Joining the Register Fall by a Third
- NMC’s New Fitness to Practise Rules From 1 October 2026: What Nurses Need to Know
Step 2: Pass an English test
- IELTS vs OET: which English test should nurses take?
- OET Reading Tips for Nurses: How to Pass Parts A, B and C (Format, Timing and Strategy)
- OET Listening Tips for Nurses: Format of Parts A, B and C and Strategies to Score Grade B
- OET Speaking Role-Play Sample for Nurses: Full Model Dialogue, Useful Phrases and How the Criteria Are Marked
- OET Writing Sample for Nurses: Model Referral Letter, Case Notes and Step-by-Step Tips to Score a B
Step 3: Find an NHS job and get sponsored
- How to get a nursing job abroad without an agency
- Is the NHS Still Recruiting International Nurses in 2026? The Numbers, the Red List and How to Get In
- How to Write an NHS Supporting Statement as a Nurse (With a Band 5 Example Structure)
- 15 NHS Nursing Interview Questions and How to Answer Them (2026)
- How to Write a Nursing CV for Jobs Abroad (UK, US, Gulf, Canada, Australia): Template and Examples
- Fake Nursing Recruitment Agencies: 12 Red Flags and How to Verify a Job Abroad Before You Pay Anything
- Before You Sign: How International Nurses Should Read a Job Contract Abroad (Repayment Clauses, Pay and Red Flags)
Step 4: Pay, bands and career progression
- NHS Pay Scales 2026/27 for Nurses: Band 5, 6 and 7 Salaries After the 3.3% Rise
- UK Nurse Salary After Tax 2026/27: Band 5, 6 and 7 Take-Home Pay
- NHS Pay 2027–28: Government Proposes 2.4% Rise for Nurses in England, RCN Calls It a ‘Betrayal’
- Band 5 to Band 6: How International Nurses Get Promoted in the NHS (2026 Guide)
- Bank and Agency Nursing in the UK Explained: Pay, How It Works and Visa Rules for International Nurses
- NMC Revalidation: A Step-by-Step Guide for International Nurses in the UK (2026)
- Reflective Practice for Nurses: Using Gibbs’ Cycle (With an Example for Revalidation)
Step 5: Visas, family and settling in the UK
- Bringing Your Family to the UK on the Health and Care Worker Visa: A Guide for International Nurses (2026)
- Indefinite Leave to Remain for Nurses in the UK: What’s Confirmed and What Could Change (October 2026)
- UK ILR for Nurses: 20 Questions Answered on Indefinite Leave to Remain, Earned Settlement, Absences and Dependants (2026)
- UK Settlement Shake-Up: Nurses Keep the Five-Year Route to ILR as Default Wait Doubles to 10 Years
- UK Care Workers ILR After 5 Years: The £25,000 Rule, the Second 5-Year Visa and Who Qualifies
- Moving Abroad as a Nurse: 25 Documents and Tasks to Complete Before You Travel
- Money Plan for Nurses Moving Abroad: What to Budget Before You Travel and in Your First Three Months
Looking at other countries? See our guide to working abroad as a nurse and licensing guides for 16 countries.