Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Meeting the registration requirements
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Meeting the registration requirements

Internationally qualified nurses and midwives (IQNMs) who apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) are assessed against the NMBA registration standards. IQNMs’ qualifications are assessed against the three qualification criteria of the assessment model.

Registration standards define the requirements that applicants must meet to be considered fit to practise as nurses and midwives.

Qualification criteria define the minimum acceptable education and training that IQNMs must have completed.

Registration applicants must meet all registration standards and qualification criteria in order to be eligible for registration without conditions or limitations.

The NMBA has approved the following registration standards for those seeking initial registration:

  • Criminal History 
  • English Language Skills 
  • Recency of Practice 
  • Professional Indemnity Insurance Arrangements

More information relating to registration standards is available in FAQ and fact sheets on the NMBA website.

Before you can be registered to practice in Australia as a registered nurse, enrolled nurse and/or midwife your qualification will be assessed against the criteria listed below. You need to provide us with evidence that you meet each of the three criteria. For more information about the documentation required, please see the Supporting documentation section on the NMBA website.

Criterion What the criterion requires
1 Qualification recognised for registration Your qualification was recognised by a statutory registration/licensing body for registration as a registered nurse or midwife or enrolled nurse in the country your qualification was received and you have met any pre- registration examination requirements. Where there is only one level of nurse in your country your qualification will be assessed at the registered nurse level.
2 Quality assurance and accreditation At the time you received your qualification as a registered nurse or midwife or enrolled nurse the qualification was subject to quality assurance and recognised or accredited by a body external to the education institution and based on published accreditation standards. The accreditation standards for registered nurse or midwife or enrolled nurse education must include all of the following:

  • contemporary approaches to education
  • institutional resources (staffing and facilities)
  • evidenced based and contemporary nursing and/or midwifery practice
  • workplace experience across a variety of healthcare settings and
  • medication management that addresses safe and effective use of medicines.
The published processes for reviewing programs/providers against the accreditation standards must include all of the following:
  • an assessment conducted by an individual or team with appropriate expertise in education and in the registered nurse or midwife or enrolled nurse practice, and
  • institutional resources (staffing and facilities)
regular review of the program of study such as annual reporting or cyclic re-accreditation.
3 Academic level of qualification The academic level of your qualification is comparable to, at a minimum, an Australian Bachelor Degree at level 7 (registered nurse or midwife) or Australian Diploma level 5 (enrolled nurse) of the Australian Qualifications Framework.

Qualifications that are likely to meet criterion 2

The NMBA has found that nursing and midwifery qualifications issued by education institutions in the countries listed below are likely to meet the requirements for criterion 2.

Canada (nursing) 
Hong Kong (nursing)
Republic of Ireland (nursing and midwife)
United Kingdom (nursing and midwifery)
United States of America (nursing and midwifery)

Qualifications that may meet criterion 2

The NMBA has found nursing and midwifery qualifications issued by education institutions in the countries listed below may meet the requirements for criterion 2.

Belgium Flanders (nursing and midwifery)
Chile (nursing)
Hong Kong (midwifery)
Pakistan (nursing and midwifery)
Papua New Guinea (nursing)
Singapore (nursing and midwifery)

Qualifications that are unlikely to meet criterion 2

The NMBA has found nursing and midwifery qualifications issued by education institutions in the following countries are unlikely to meet the requirements for criterion 2. The advice applies to both nursing and midwifery qualifications unless specified otherwise:

  • Albania
  • Austria
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Barbados
  • Belgium (Walloon region)
  • Bosnia
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • Cambodia
  • Canada (midwifery)
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Cyprus
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Fiji
  • Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
  • France
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Greece
  • India
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Kenya
  • Lebanon
  • Lithuania
  • Malaysia
  • Malta
  • Namibia
  • Nepal
  • Netherlands
  • Nigeria
  • Norway (nursing)
  • Oman
  • Palestinian Territory, Occupied
  • Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Russia
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Serbia
  • Slovenia
  • South Africa
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Swaziland
  • Switzerland
  • Sweden (nursing)
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

 

Many qualifications have previously been assessed by Ahpra and will be available to select from a picklist in the Self-check. If your qualification is listed in the Self-check, as soon as you complete the Self-check you will be advised of the steps (assessment stages) you need to complete before applying for registration.

If your qualification has not yet been assessed by Ahpra, it will not be available to select from the Self-check. You can still proceed by indicating on the Self-check that you cannot find your qualification. Ahpra will advise you of the steps you need to complete for you to have your qualification assessed.

See Completing the Self-check for more information.

 
 
 
Page reviewed 26/05/2020