Thousands of nurses trained in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Punjab and across India have built careers in NHS hospitals and UK care settings. The route is clear once you see it laid out, but it has several moving parts: a regulator (the Nursing and Midwifery Council, or NMC), an English test, a two-part Test of Competence, and a visa sponsored by your employer.
This guide walks through each step in order, with the official fee for each stage and a link to where we checked it. Every figure below was checked on 31 Oct 2026. Fees change, so open the official link before you pay anything.
Quick summary
| Stage | Who runs it | Official fee (checked 31 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility and qualification evaluation | NMC | £167, non-refundable (NMC costs) |
| CBT (Test of Competence part 1) | Pearson VUE, for NMC | £83 (NMC costs) |
| OSCE (Test of Competence part 2), in the UK | NMC-approved test centre | £794 (NMC costs) |
| Registration fee | NMC | £182 (NMC registration fee) |
| Health and Care Worker visa | UK Home Office | £324 (up to 3 years) or £628 (more than 3 years) (GOV.UK) |
The NMC lists a total of £1,226 for the evaluation, both test parts and registration, before any resits. Important: the NMC's own pages carry a note that its fees increased on 1 October 2026, and some of its pages still show older amounts. Confirm the current figures on the NMC costs page before paying.
Step 1: Check you are ready
Before you open an NMC account, gather:
- Your nursing qualification certificate and transcripts (GNM or BSc Nursing)
- Your current registration with your State Nursing Council (for example, the Kerala Nurses and Midwives Council) and the Indian Nursing Council details
- A valid passport
- An English test result, or a plan to take one soon
- Police clearance for every country where you have lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years. The NMC says the certificate for your current country must be dated within 12 months of submission (NMC ID and police check guidance)
The NMC has a free pre-application checklist tool that builds a personal list of evidence for you. Use it first.
Step 2: Pass your English test
The NMC accepts two tests. You need these minimum scores (NMC accepted tests):
| Test | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 |
| OET (Nursing) | B (350+) | B (350+) | C+ (300+) | B (350+) |
Things that catch people out:
- Results are valid for two years and must still be in date when the NMC assesses your full application.
- You can combine two sittings of the same test taken within 12 months of each other. For IELTS, no score in either sitting can fall below 6.5 (or 6.0 for writing). For OET, no score can fall below C+ (or C for writing) (NMC IELTS rules, NMC OET rules).
- IELTS Online is not accepted. OET@Home is accepted.
- You cannot mix an IELTS result with an OET result.
- India is not on the NMC's list of majority English-speaking countries, so practice experience in India does not replace the test (NMC country list).
Test fees: IDP India lists IELTS Academic at INR 19,000 (IDP India). OET lists the full test at AU$587 (OET); the local price in INR can differ, so check at booking.
Step 3: Apply to the NMC and pass the evaluation
You open your application on the NMC portal, enter your qualification and registration details, and pay the £167 evaluation fee. The NMC then contacts your State Nursing Council and, where needed, your college to verify your record.
The NMC says it aims to give you an outcome within 14 days of receiving everything it needs, including the responses from your regulator (NMC timings). In practice, the wait for your Indian council to respond is often the slowest part, so make sure your State Council registration is current before you start.
Once you are found eligible, you have two years to complete registration, including both parts of the Test of Competence. The NMC closes applications that do not progress within three months of being opened, so do not open an account too early.
Step 4: Take the CBT (Test of Competence part 1)
The computer-based test (CBT) checks nursing knowledge and numeracy. You book it with Pearson VUE once the NMC tells you to, and Pearson has test centres in India (Pearson VUE NMC page). Book the correct exam code, for example NMC_RNA for adult nursing. Pearson warns that a wrong booking cannot be accepted and is not refunded.
Fees: £83 for the first sitting. A full resit is £83, a clinical-only resit £70 and a numeracy-only resit £50 (NMC costs).
Step 5: Complete your registration application
While you prepare for the OSCE, you submit health, character, language and professional indemnity evidence through the NMC portal and pay the £182 registration fee. The NMC requires this application to be submitted before your OSCE day, because your face-to-face ID check happens on the day of your first OSCE attempt.
Step 6: Get a job offer and your visa
Most nurses from India take the OSCE after arriving in the UK on a Health and Care Worker visa, with their employer booking and often paying for it. Key visa facts from GOV.UK:
- You need a confirmed job offer and a certificate of sponsorship from a Home Office licensed sponsor.
- Visa fee: £324 for up to 3 years, £628 for more than 3 years (fees).
- Health and Care Worker visa holders and their dependants do not pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS exemption).
- You need £1,270 in savings held for 28 days, unless your employer certifies it will cover your first month.
- You will usually get a decision within 3 weeks of applying and proving your identity.
- Salary: usually at least £25,000 or the going rate for the job (your job). For context, NHS Agenda for Change Band 5 is £32,073 to £39,043 from 1 April 2026 (NHS Employers).
- India is on the UK list of countries where a TB test is needed for stays of 6 months or more. The certificate is valid for 6 months from your x-ray (TB test).
Step 7: Pass the OSCE and join the register
The OSCE is a practical exam taken at a UK test centre. It costs £794. If you fail up to seven stations, the partial resit is £397; failing eight or more means a full £794 resit. Results reach your NMC portal within five working days (NMC). The NMC aims to decide your complete application within 30 days.
Until you pass, most employers will employ you in a pre-registration role. Ask your employer in writing what your pay and role will be before you register.
Typical timeline
These are planning ranges, not promises. They depend on your English score, your council's response time and your employer.
| Stage | Official guide | Planning range |
|---|---|---|
| English test preparation | No official figure | A few weeks to several months |
| NMC evaluation | NMC aims for 14 days after it has everything | Weeks, longer if your council is slow |
| CBT booking and pass | Depends on centre availability | Weeks |
| Job offer and visa | Visa decision usually within 3 weeks | 1 to 3 months |
| OSCE and registration | 5 working days for results, 30 days for decision | 1 to 3 months after arrival |
Settlement: what we know
GOV.UK says the visa can last up to 5 years before extending, and after 5 years you may be able to apply to settle. The UK government consulted on an "earned settlement" model that would raise the standard qualifying period to 10 years. That consultation closed on 12 February 2026 (GOV.UK consultation). Check the latest rules before planning around settlement dates. We will post updates in Pulse.
Scam warning
India is a green-list country with a UK government-to-government agreement, so ethical recruitment is allowed. That also means scammers target Indian nurses heavily. Protect yourself:
- Never pay a UK-based agency to find you work. GOV.UK says this is illegal, and that being asked for a recruitment fee is a sign of a scam (GOV.UK advice).
- Do not pay employer costs such as the certificate of sponsorship fee or the Immigration Skills Charge. Those belong to the employer.
- Check the sponsor on the government's register of licensed sponsors.
- Never buy test results or use a proxy. In 2023 the NMC found widespread fraud at one CBT centre abroad and invalidated every CBT taken there, affecting more than 1,900 applicants and registrants (NMC statement). Honest nurses who tested there had to resit.
- Indian recruiting agents must hold a valid registration with the Protector General of Emigrants. Ask to see it, and check it on eMigrate.
Not sure about an agent? Run their details through our free fake-agent checker.
Practise free
NurseFlyAbroad is free for nurses, always. Try our OET Nursing mocks and NMC CBT-style questions and get a free PDF report card after each test.
FAQ
Can I take the NMC CBT in India? Yes. Pearson VUE runs the CBT at test centres in India. You can only book once the NMC tells you to take it.
Is GNM accepted, or do I need a BSc? The NMC assesses each qualification individually during the eligibility stage, so we cannot promise an outcome for any diploma. Use the NMC pre-application checklist and apply for evaluation to get a formal answer.
Do I need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge? No. GOV.UK says people eligible for a Health and Care Worker visa, and their dependants, do not pay it.