Overseas applications for Nursing Jobs in London

Below is a guide on what you need to become registered in the UK and also some tips and guidelines on agencies and other employers. In the majority of cases you will need to fulfil the following criteria in order to secure a nursing job in London.

As a general rule overseas applicants will need:

NMC Registration

The NMC is responsible for registering all nurses working in the UK. It is not possible to work as a registered nurse with the NMC registration.

In order to get registered there are 3 stages.

You will first need:
1. Information Pack:
You can get one of these by either writing to the NMC and they can post one to you or downloading one from the NMC website. If you do not have broadband internet connection it can take a long time to download. The application pack you will be sent will detail what you will need to send to the NMC in order for them to assess you as to your suitability to become NMC registered.

Certain documents will definitely be needed so it is best to realize this in advance:
Registration certificate
Birth Certificate
Copies of Diplomas
References from previous employers
Transcript of your training from your training provider. This should include details of the amount of practical training you have had.

2. Payment:
In order to proceed you will need complete the application form and send all relevant documents along with a fee of £117 to the NMC.

3. Assessment:
Each application is then assessed by the NMC. This can be a long process and you should allow a minimum of 3 months for a decision to come through. In practice it will probably take longer. The NMC will verify all the information you send them and determine the adequacy of the education and training that you have had compared to an equivalent course in the UK.

4. Possible Decisions
a. Accepted onto the NMC register
b. Rejection to the NMC register - where education/training levels do not meet the required standard
c. Need to complete a period of Supervised Practice.
It is quite often the decision of the NMC for the nurse to undertake a period of supervised practice. It will state in the letter how long this period is to last for. It is often between 3 and 6 months.

Obtaining Supervised Practice
Only some agencies will accept nurses who are looking for Supervised Practice, however this is fairly rare. In order to gain a placement for supervised practice you should try to contact hospitals directly. You can also try nursing homes.


Top Tips

NEVER pay an agency a fee. Agencies receive their money from the hospital/employer. Some unscrupulous agencies might ask nurses to pay a fee in order to help them secure a job. Do not deal with these agencies as there are plenty of agencies who will not charge you.

DO NOT surrender your passport and any other documents to an Agency. Agencies do this to try to make sure that you stay with a certain employer so that the agency will not have to repay the fee. However you should agree a minimum period that you will stay with a certain employer.

Prepare early for NMC registration: NMC registration is a notoriously long process and ideally you should apply 6 months before wanting to move to UK.


source: Nurses 4 London