How Indian nurses can work in Ireland

Ireland needs nurses, and many nurses trained in India have built careers in Irish hospitals, nursing homes and community care. The route has three parts: the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) decides whether your training meets Irish standards, an English test proves your language level, and an employer applies for a work permit for you.

This guide follows the steps in order. Every figure below was checked on 31 Oct 2026 on the official page named next to it. Fees and thresholds change, so open the official link before you pay anything.

ਸੰਖੇਪ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ

Step 1: Check your qualification and gather documents

Start by looking at your nursing certificate, your State Nursing Council registration and your transcripts. NMBI's own pages say that you must apply online through MyNMBI, the board's portal, and that you must not share your login details with anyone (NMBI Registration).

NMBI has a separate page on certifying documents and translations. Read it before you send anything, because a missing certificate or translation can delay the whole file.

ਕਦਮ 2: ਆਪਣਾ ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ੀ ਟੈਸਟ ਪਾਸ ਕਰੋ

NMBI accepts IELTS Academic (including the UKVI version) and OET (Nursing). These are the minimum scores on its English language page:

Things to watch:

• Results must be less than two years old. For a digital application, the result must still be valid when you submit.
• Only one test result is accepted. NMBI does not combine results from different sittings.
• IELTS Online and OET at Home are not accepted. Book a test centre sitting.
• IELTS One Skill Retakes are not accepted.

Test prices change by country and by month, so check the fee at booking. Our free practice page helps you prepare before you pay for a sitting.

Step 3: Pay the fees and apply on MyNMBI

The NMBI fee table lists these amounts for overseas applicants. All amounts are in euro, and the page does not give a date for the table:

• Overseas Qualification Recognition Fee: €350
• Overseas Registration Fee: €145
• Additional division fees (only if you add a division): €200 recognition and €80 registration
• Temporary and Occasional Registration Fee: €45

The page does not say whether any of these fees is refundable, so ask NMBI before you pay. Payments are made inside your application on MyNMBI. The NMBI customer care team can be reached on 0818 200 116, Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm.

Important: You pay these fees yourself, in your own application. A job offer that asks you to pay for the job, a placement, or a "guaranteed" registration is a warning sign. See the scam warning below.

Step 4: Understand the outcome of your assessment

NMBI's outcomes page lists four results for an assessment:

1. Qualifications recognised. Your training meets NMBI standards, and you move to the next stage.
2. Further information required. NMBI needs more material before it decides. Send it quickly, because the process waits for you.
3. Compensation measure. This applies to G2 and G3 applicants only. You must complete a period of adaptation or an aptitude test before your qualification is recognised.
4. Provisional refusal to recognise qualifications. NMBI found significant gaps in theory or clinical content. Ask NMBI what would close those gaps.

The outcomes page does not give timelines for any of these results. Plan for a wait, and keep your evidence in order.

Step 5: Adaptation or aptitude test, if NMBI asks for it

If you receive a compensation measure, NMBI says it can be either an adaptation and assessment period or an aptitude test. NMBI publishes guidance for the adaptation route. It covers three phases: before the adaptation, the adaptation and assessment period, and after it. A competence assessment tool sets out the duties of the candidate nurse and the preceptor during supervised practice, with the forms both must complete (NMBI Compensation Measures).

The pages we checked do not say how long an adaptation lasts, whether it is paid, or what it costs. Ask NMBI for the current guidance document and the Candidate Eligibility Report before you commit to a placement.

Step 6: Get a job offer and the employment permit

You need an employer who will apply for an employment permit for you. The Department of Enterprise (DETE) says the nurse route works like this:

• Eligibility: a third-level degree or diploma that NMBI accepts as a sufficient qualification (DETE Critical Skills).
• Salary: the permit has a minimum annual remuneration. DETE lists €40,904 for a restricted group of strategically important occupations with a relevant degree, €36,848 if you qualified in the 12 months before applying, and €68,911 for other roles above that level. DETE's minimum pay page also shows increases scheduled for 2026, so check the rate in force on the day of your application (DETE minimum annual remuneration).
• Timing: the application must reach DETE at least 12 weeks before the start date. Applications are processed in date order. If DETE asks for more information, you have 28 days to reply.
• Contract: a contract signed by both parties must go with each application.
• Fee: a Critical Skills Employment Permit costs €1,000 for a permit of up to 24 months. DETE says the fee must be paid by the applicant, who is most often the employer (DETE fees). The fee page is dated 22 March 2021, so confirm the current amount.

Once you have the permit, apply for the visa or permission to stay as your Irish Immigration Service page advises. You need a valid employment permit or another permission first. Depending on how long you will work, you may need a short stay (C) visa or a long stay (D) visa. If you stay longer than 90 days, you must register after arrival (Irish Immigration Service).

ਆਮ ਸਮਾਂ-ਸਾਰਣੀ

These are planning ranges, not promises. Only the figures marked "official" come from a government or regulator page.

Your family

DETE says that once a permit holder's family is in Ireland, a spouse or partner can seek any employment and apply for a Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit. That permit is issued free of charge. The page says permit holders can apply for immediate family reunification through the Immigration Service Delivery. The page does not describe what children receive, so check that part with the Irish Immigration Service before you plan a move.

ਧੋਖਾਧੜੀ ਦੀ ਚੇਤਾਵਨੀ

Scammers target Indian nurses who want to work in Ireland. Protect yourself:

• Never pay a job fee. Genuine employers and agencies do not charge nurses to be hired.
• Use registered recruiting agents only. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) says that recruitment of Indian workers abroad goes through registered recruiting agents in India. Its FAQ says that overseas nursing recruitment starts with three state agencies: NORKA Roots (Kerala), ODEPC Ltd (Kerala) and Overseas Manpower Corporation Ltd (Tamil Nadu). The FAQ was last updated on 6 February 2023, so check it again (MEA FAQ).
• Ask the employer to apply for the permit. Your employer applies for the employment permit with the contract. If someone asks you to pay for a permit, a placement or a visa "for them", stop.
• Check the NMBI fees page yourself. Pay only the fees listed by NMBI, inside your own application on MyNMBI.

Not sure about an agent or an offer? Run the details through our free fake-agent checker.

ਮੁਫ਼ਤ ਅਭਿਆਸ ਕਰੋ

NurseFlyAbroad is free for nurses, always. Use our free practice before you book your English test, and read the Ireland destination page for the rules we check.

FAQ

How long does NMBI take? NMBI does not publish a timeline on the pages we checked. Keep your documents complete and answer any request for information quickly.

Is an adaptation programme paid? The pages we checked do not say. Ask NMBI for the adaptation guidance and the Candidate Eligibility Report, and ask the employer about pay in writing.

Can my family join me in Ireland? Yes, immediate family can apply for reunification. A spouse or partner can then seek work and apply for a Dependant/Partner/Spouse Employment Permit, which is free of charge.

ਸਰੋਤ (checked 31 Oct 2026 ਨੂੰ ਜਾਂਚੇ ਗਏ)

• NMBI: Registration, Registration fees, English language requirements, Outcomes of assessment, Compensation measures
• Department of Enterprise (DETE): Employment permits, Critical Skills Employment Permit, Minimum annual remuneration, Fees
• Irish Immigration Service: Coming to work in Ireland
• Ministry of External Affairs, India: Recruitment FAQ (last updated 6 February 2023)