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The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) in partnership with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) assesses registration applications from internationally qualified nurses and midwives (IQNMs) to ensure they are suitably trained and qualified for registration in Australia.
There are several possible outcomes for your application:
Registration with the NMBA enables you to practise your profession anywhere in Australia. Under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory (the National Law), to be eligible for registration you must meet:
If you have met all of the above requirements your registration will be finalised.
Your registration details will appear on the national register. Nurses and midwives are registered with the NMBA until 31 May every year. You must renew your registration annually at this time.
If you have met all registration requirements, but only provided the minimum proof of identity evidence with your application (because you were not living in Australia at that time), the NMBA will provide you with a letter stating in principle approval for registration. In principle registration is valid for three months, and details the outstanding proof of identity requirements.
This does not mean that you are registered.
Final registration will be subject to you providing the outstanding proof of identity requirements. Read more about current present in person measures on the proof of identity webpage.
One of the application requirements is to provide a Certificate of Registration Status (CORS) or Certificate of Good Standing (COGS) from every jurisdiction outside of Australia in which you are currently, or have previously, been registered as a health practitioner during the last five years.
A CORS or COGS is valid for three months from the date of issue. If your CORS or COGS is no longer valid when you present in person, you will also need to provide a statutory declaration, signed before an approved witness, to affirm your registration/standing with the relevant health profession regulatory authority. A statutory declaration form for each state and territory is provided below. Please use the form for the state or territory where you will be presenting for registration. This form must be signed and witnessed in Australia in the relevant state or territory.
Statutory declarations:
If you are granted in principle registration and do not provide the identification requirements in person at an Ahpra office within the required three months and are no longer responsive, we will take it that you have withdrawn your application under section 80(5) of the National Law.
If your registered nursing qualification is assessed at less than AQF level 7, you will not meet the requirements for registration. However, if you:
the NMBA will grant registration with conditions, which will require a period of 12 months full time equivalent supervised practice. You will also have a notation on your registration.
More information:
For all IQNM registrants, it is a requirement of registration to complete Orientation Part 2 within 6 months of registration. If you do not complete Orientation Part 2 within 6 months from your initial registration date, you may be unable to renew your registration until you complete the orientation. See Fact sheet: Orientation Part 1 and Part 2 for information.
You will be refused registration if the NMBA decides that you do not meet the registration standards. If your application is refused we will refund your registration fee. You do not need to apply for the registration fee refund, as Ahpra will initiate your fee refund as part of closing your application. If required, Ahpra will contact you for new payment details.
If you do not provide all the information required to assess your application within the timeframe given to you, your application will be withdrawn because there will be insufficient information to make an assessment.
You can also contact your regulatory officer to request that your application is withdrawn if you do not wish to continue with your application.
International applicants pay an application fee and a registration fee upon application. If your application is withdrawn we will refund the registration fee. You do not need to apply for the registration fee refund, as Ahpra will initiate your fee refund as part of closing your application. If required, Ahpra will contact you for new payment details.