AHPRA- Registration step-by-step guide for UK and International Nurses!

Step 1: Confirm nursing skills!

✅ Hold an active NMC registration

✅ Meet AHPRA’s registration standards (UK, Canada, Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand registrations are equivalent!)

✅ Meet the new hours standards effective from April 2025- if you are unsure, please contact AHPRA.

Step 2: Organise Your Documents (this is a taxing task- so if you want to print this out and follow step by step, please do!)

✅ Identity Documents: passport, birth certificate and name change documents if applicable (eg marriage certificates).

💡 Tip: these need to be certified as well. To do this find a Notary or Justice of the Peace. A solicitor without these qualifications can not certify. I previously went to a solicitor who did not have these services and I ended up paying twice… (once with them, and once to get it done properly!) Make sure to check that a solicitor is also a Notary or JP if that is the service you are wanting to use.

Certifying, just means that they confirm you are the person you say you are. So, google your closest Notary or JP and contact them for help!

✅ Nursing Qualification Evidence – Diploma or Degree Certificate.

✅ Academic Transcript – a detailed list of all modules, hours of theory and clinical practice taken at University.

💡Tip: Contact your University for an official copy of both (Academic Transcript and Nursing Certificate) if you do not have both. If you ask for them together, you are only waiting once! (Provided they are organised and they come together!)

✅ NMC Certificate of Current Professional Status (CCPS)

💡 To get this:

1. Login to your NMC account
2. Select ‘my registration’
3. Select ‘request a certificate of current professional status’

This is a free online service, and usually the form comes back very quickly!

✅ Employer Verification Form (Proof of Work Experience)

• Form from current and previous employers confirming the amount of nursing hours you have worked.
• Your employer must send this directly to AHPRA – they will not accept a forwarded copy from you!

💡 Tip: If you have worked for multiple employers (eg agency work) contact them all!! These hours provide evidence of work pay scales (the more hours worked- the higher rank= more money!) Keep all of these hours documents in a safe location! You will need them for future jobs.

✅ English Language evidence (IELTS/ OET or exemption- taught English in school/ university)

• If you were taught in English (either in school or university) you may be exempt from doing an English exam. I had to provide a letter from my University lecturer that stated that my degree was taught in the English language.
• IELTS/ OET or other English language exam boards provide tests for us to sit to prove English proficiency. You would have to complete four separate sections: listening, reading, writing and speaking.

💡 Tip: If you later plan on applying for permanent residency, you will likely need a IELTS level 7+ (or equivalent from other exam boards) for your ANMAC skills assessment. I have just completed mine! It lasts for up to two years- so if you are exempt, I would not rush to complete it! (PR can take up to 12 months, or in some cases longer – check ‘Visas, which one won’t ruin my life’ for a more in-depth discussion on this!)

Step 3: Submit, Pay and Wait for Approval

• Submit your AHPRA application! Take your completed AHPRA application to your local post office and send it across. This is a standard for international nurses and ensures that the quality of the process is maintained!
• Pay the application fee – check AHPRA for up to date costs! As of September 2024 the current cost is $475 for international nurse submission. (£239.16)
• Wait for AHPRA’s response – this can take a while, so make sure to submit with plenty of time!

💡 Tip: Keep up to date with notifications on your account! I needed to resubmit some documents (my certified documents completed by a solicitor, needed re-certifying by a notary) and this added time to the process. So, by being aware of your account you can provide timely responses – ensuring your registration is not delayed by the time you reach your Aussie destination!

Step 4: In-principle Approval!

🎉 YAY!! The exciting part! Your AHPRA in-principle approval has come through and now you are almost registration under the Australian health board! (Congratulations!!)

You now need to present to AHPRA – but as a part of the new system- you can now present remotely! You have to meet with an advisor to go through your identity documents- just to prove you’re a person 😃

Step 5: Present to AHPRA – Yay you are an Aussie Nurse!

• Present to your AHPRA remote appointment and receive your AHPRA registration number!!
• Have your ID & approval letter– ready to show for your appointment!
• Receive your AHPRA registration!! You are now officially registered in Australia! Party time 🎉 (or work time- however, you look at it!!)

💡 Tips: you must present to AHPRA within 3 months of having your in-principle approval through!

💡 This registration has an annual subscription due on the 31/5! Make sure to update it to keep your registration in Aus! 🇦🇺

Final thoughts!

This may seem overwhelming- but I cannot encourage you enough to go through this process. When the sun is shining, and you are taking a dip after work, you will remember why you did it!

✔️ Keep organised

✔️ Double check your documents before submission!

✔️ Use a Notary or JP for certifications (not a solicitor!)

✔️ Follow up if AHPRA requests any further information!

If you need any further help, please don’t hesitate to contact me! There are comment sections on each of my pages and my email address is emilytheuknursedownunder@gmail.com

Good luck 🎉🎉

Follow this blog for more tips and tricks for your amazing new adventure in Australia!