Meeting the registration requirements

Registration & endorsement

Internationally qualified nurses and midwives who apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) are assessed against the NMBA registration standards and the 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 international applicants must have undertaken.

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

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Registration standards

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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.

Qualification criteria: internationally qualified registered nurses/enrolled nurses/midwives

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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.

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.