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Trained in Kenya

Kenyan nurses and doctors to UK, Ireland, Europe, US (2026)

Trained in Kenya and planning to register in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands or the USA? Here is each route, the Kenyan paperwork it needs, and what the UK amber list and the UK-Kenya agreement mean for you.

United KingdomIrelandGermanyNetherlandsUnited States

Overview

If you trained as a nurse, midwife, clinical officer, doctor, pharmacist or allied health professional in Kenya, you can apply to register in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and the USA.

Kenya is not on the WHO health workforce support and safeguards list 2023. In the UK code of practice it is on the amber list, because the UK and Kenya signed a government-to-government agreement on healthcare workforce collaboration in 2021: UK recruitment from Kenya is permitted only on the terms of that agreement. You can still apply directly to advertised jobs yourself.

The UK is the main destination. Nurses and midwives register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) through the Test of Competence, a computer-based test (CBT) followed by a practical OSCE in the UK. Doctors register with the General Medical Council (GMC), usually through PLAB 1 and PLAB 2. Physiotherapists, radiographers, biomedical scientists and other allied professionals register with the HCPC, and here Kenya has an advantage: Kenya is on the HCPC's list of countries where English is the predominant language, so if your first practising qualification was gained in Kenya you do not need an English test for the HCPC.

The US is the second big route for Kenyan nurses, partly because Kenya is one of the international NCLEX test locations, so you can sit the NCLEX-RN without leaving the country. Ireland's NMBI, the Irish Medical Council and CORU are open to Kenyan applicants, and Germany and the Netherlands are possible for people ready to learn German or Dutch to a professional level.

Being trained in Kenya matters in three practical ways. First, your Kenyan council (the Nursing Council of Kenya, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council, or the Pharmacy and Poisons Board) must confirm your registration and good standing to the destination regulator. Second, the English rules differ by regulator: the HCPC exempts Kenyan qualifications, but the NMC, GMC and NMBI do not list Kenya, so nurses and doctors usually need IELTS or OET. Third, Kenya does not appear on the Hague Apostille Convention status table, so where a destination asks for legalised documents you cannot use an apostille.

This page is for people in Kenya and for Kenyans already working in the Gulf or elsewhere. It sets out each destination as its official sources describe it, the Kenyan documents to gather, where to take each test from Kenya, and the recruitment rules exactly as WHO, GOV.UK and NHS Employers state them. Every figure links to its official source and the page shows the date we last checked.

Where you can go

United Kingdom

Nurses and midwives register with the NMC through the Test of Competence; doctors with the GMC, usually through PLAB; allied health professionals with the HCPC; pharmacists with the GPhC. Kenya is on the UK code's amber list: recruitment from Kenya is permitted only in compliance with the UK-Kenya government-to-government agreement, and employers may also consider your direct application to an advertised job.

  1. 1Check your English evidence: HCPC professions trained in Kenya are exempt, but nurses need IELTS Academic or OET at the NMC's scores and doctors need IELTS or OET at the GMC's scores.
  2. 2Nurses: open an NMC application and ask the Nursing Council of Kenya to respond to the NMC's verification request, then sit the CBT at a Pearson VUE centre.
  3. 3Doctors: start ECFMG EPIC verification of your MBChB, then book PLAB 1 and later PLAB 2 in Manchester.
  4. 4Find a job by applying directly to advertised vacancies, or through the managed route set up under the UK-Kenya agreement; ask the employer how it recruits from Kenya.
  5. 5With a job offer and certificate of sponsorship, apply for the Health and Care Worker visa; nurses then sit the OSCE in the UK.

Watch out: Amber list: the code says amber means international recruitment is only permitted in compliance with the terms of the government-to-government agreement. GOV.UK announced in July 2021 that the agreement was a request by the Government of Kenya to make use of qualified but unemployed health workers. The code also says employers may consider direct applications from people resident in red or amber list countries; a direct application is one you make yourself to an advertised role, without an agency.

Full guide to working in the United Kingdom

Ireland

Nurses and midwives apply to NMBI for recognition; doctors to the Medical Council, usually via PRES; allied professionals to CORU. Kenya is not one of the five countries whose training NMBI accepts as English evidence, so Kenyan nurses need IELTS or OET.

  1. 1Check your programme against NMBI's standards: NMBI says a programme shorter than three years is unlikely to meet the threshold without an extra course.
  2. 2Ask your college or university to complete NMBI's qualification form and send your transcript and syllabus.
  3. 3Request a Certificate of Current Professional Status from the Nursing Council of Kenya, issued within six months, for NMBI.
  4. 4Pass IELTS Academic or OET at NMBI's scores in a single sitting.
  5. 5Complete any compensation measure and apply for a Critical Skills Employment Permit with your job offer.

Watch out: We found no Irish rule restricting recruitment from Kenya. NMBI requires you to manage your own MyNMBI account and payment and not share your login with agents.

Full guide to working in Ireland

Germany

Nurses apply for recognition as a Pflegefachfrau or Pflegefachmann; doctors, dentists and pharmacists for the Approbation. Licensing is in German, and English tests do not count. Kenya is not listed in the annex to section 38 of the German Employment Ordinance, so the rule reserving health recruitment from listed countries to the Federal Employment Agency does not apply to Kenya.

  1. 1Use the Anerkennung in Deutschland recognition finder to find the authority for your profession and state.
  2. 2Reach at least B2 general German, and prepare for the Fachsprachprüfung if you are a doctor or pharmacist.
  3. 3Send certified copies and qualified German translations of your certificate, transcript, registration and good standing letter.
  4. 4Sit the Kenntnisprüfung or complete an adaptation course if the authority finds substantial differences.
  5. 5Apply for the right visa, for example the recognition visa under section 16d.

Watch out: Clinical officer is a Kenyan profession without a direct German equivalent; check with the recognition authority which profession, if any, your training can be compared with.

Full guide to working in Germany

Netherlands

Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and other BIG professions apply to the BIG register for a certificate of competence. You need Dutch at the level set for your profession and English reading proof.

  1. 1Read the BIG register's foreign diploma pages for your profession.
  2. 2Learn Dutch to the level set (B1 for nurses, B2 or B2+ for other professions) and get the State Examination NT2 or listed certificate.
  3. 3Have your documents certified and translated as the BIG register describes.
  4. 4Apply, then take the knowledge and skills tests if the assessment requires them.
  5. 5With BIG registration, apply for a highly skilled migrant permit through a recognised sponsor.

Watch out: There is no separate language test for the highly skilled migrant permit; the language rules come from the BIG register. We found no Dutch rule restricting recruitment from Kenya.

Full guide to working in the Netherlands

United States

Nurses need a state board licence and the NCLEX-RN, which can be sat in Kenya. Doctors need ECFMG certification, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK, and a residency.

  1. 1Nurses: choose a state board, complete its credentials evaluation and register for the NCLEX with Pearson VUE.
  2. 2Book the NCLEX at the Kenya international location; an international scheduling fee applies outside the US.
  3. 3Doctors: apply to ECFMG and the USMLE through the FSMB portal; Step 1 and Step 2 CK are delivered at Prometric centres, with a region fee outside the US and Canada.
  4. 4Pass OET Medicine for ECFMG, and the English test your state board or VisaScreen requires.
  5. 5Follow the visa route your employer or programme uses (EB-3 for nurses, J-1 or H-1B for residency).

Watch out: VisaScreen and NCSBN exemptions cover only education in the UK, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), New Zealand, Ireland or the US, so Kenya-trained nurses need an English test. Check Prometric's locator for current USMLE centres in Kenya.

Full guide to working in the United States

Documents to gather

  1. Nursing or midwifery certificate and transcript

    Get certified copies of your diploma or BScN certificate and the official transcript from your college or university, including the clinical hours if the school records them. NMBI and some US evaluation agencies want the school to send documents directly, so ask early who signs them. If your college has changed name or merged, find out who now holds the records.

  2. Medical degree and internship evidence

    Doctors need the MBChB certificate, transcript and internship completion evidence. The GMC requires 12 months of acceptable internship and has your final diploma verified by ECFMG through EPIC. Check your medical school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools before booking exams.

  3. Council registration and current licence

    Keep copies of your registration certificate and current practising licence from the Nursing Council of Kenya, KMPDC or the Pharmacy and Poisons Board. Destination regulators contact your council, and an expired licence can slow its answer. Renew before you apply, and check your entry on the council's online register (the NCK's Online Services Portal, KMPDC's registers dashboard or the PPB practice portal).

  4. Verification and good standing from your council

    Ask your council how it responds to overseas verification requests and issues certificates of good standing, and whether it sends them directly to the destination regulator. The NCK, KMPDC and PPB websites we reviewed do not publish a step-by-step overseas verification procedure, so contact the council in writing and keep the reply. Request good standing letters close to submission, as the GMC accepts them for only three months from signature.

  5. Employment references

    Get letters from each employer giving your role, dates and hours, signed on letterhead. NMBI uses its own employment forms; without them your experience is not counted. Get letters from any Gulf employers before you leave each post.

  6. Identity and civil documents

    You need a valid passport and, for some regulators, a birth certificate. Make sure your name is spelt the same on your passport, certificates and test reports. If your name has changed, keep the official evidence, such as a marriage certificate.

  7. Legalisation and translations

    Kenya does not appear on the Hague Apostille Convention status table, so an apostille is not available. The NMC, GMC and HCPC verify with issuing bodies directly and do not ask for legalisation, but German authorities and some US agencies set their own rules: ask the authority which certification it accepts. Germany needs qualified German translations even for English documents in some states.

Verification and good standing

  • NMC (UK): you name your regulator and upload your registration certificate, and the NMC contacts the Nursing Council of Kenya directly. The NMC aims to assess your qualification within 14 days once it has your application and the regulator's response.
  • GMC (UK): ECFMG verifies your primary medical qualification through EPIC, and the GMC says most schools respond within 90 days. You also need a certificate of good standing from every medical regulator you have been registered with in the last five years, including KMPDC, valid for three months from signature.
  • HCPC (UK): it assesses your qualification and registration evidence as part of its international application; your Kenyan qualification also counts as English evidence if it is the one that first let you practise.
  • NMBI (Ireland): it needs a Certificate of Current Professional Status issued in the last six months from every jurisdiction where you registered or practised.
  • USA: ECFMG verifies medical diplomas through EPIC; nursing credentials go through the evaluation agency your state board names, with documents sent directly from the issuing body.
  • Kenyan councils: the NCK, KMPDC and PPB run online registers and portals, but their public pages do not set out an overseas verification procedure or fee. Contact the council in writing before you apply abroad, and allow time for a reply.

English tests

  • HCPC: Kenya is on the HCPC's list of countries where English is the predominant language. If the qualification that first enabled you to practise was gained in Kenya, you do not need to provide further English evidence for HCPC registration.
  • NMC: Kenya is not on the NMC's list of majority English-speaking countries (last updated January 2025). Most Kenyan nurses and midwives use IELTS Academic or OET; the qualification route needs a transcript showing at least half your time in patient interaction with at least 75% of it in English.
  • GMC: doctors need IELTS Academic or OET Medicine at the GMC's scores. The employer confirmation route applies only to work in a country on the GMC's list where English is the first and native language.
  • NMBI exempts only training or practice in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States or the United Kingdom, so Kenyan training does not qualify.
  • US: VisaScreen and NCSBN exemptions do not include Kenya. ECFMG requires OET Medicine from every applicant.
  • IELTS in Kenya: IDP lists IELTS centres in Nairobi and Eldoret, on paper and on computer. The British Council also runs IELTS in Kenya.
  • OET: check the OET venue finder for current venues in Kenya. NMBI, the GPhC and the Irish Medical Council do not accept OET@Home.
  • Results are usually valid for two years at the point the regulator assesses you.

Sitting exams from here

  • NMC CBT: delivered by Pearson VUE at centres in most countries. Pearson VUE's NMC page lists Kenya among the countries where candidates can buy test vouchers if card payment is difficult.
  • NMC OSCE: only at NMC-approved test centres in the UK.
  • NCLEX: Kenya is on the NCLEX list of international testing locations. An international scheduling fee applies outside the US.
  • GMC PLAB 1: held in UK cities, Dublin, Madrid and at British Council centres overseas. Check the GMC's current list for a Kenyan centre before booking; we could not confirm one. PLAB 2 is only in Manchester.
  • USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK: delivered at Prometric centres, with a region fee of $210 for Step 1 and $235 for Step 2 CK outside the US and Canada, according to USMLE. Check Prometric's locator for Kenya.
  • Ireland and Germany: PRES, the RCSI aptitude test, the Kenntnisprüfung and the Fachsprachprüfung are held in Ireland or Germany.

Ethical recruitment rules

  • WHO: Kenya is not on the WHO health workforce support and safeguards list 2023, which names 55 countries. WHO said the next update was scheduled for 2026; at our review we found no published replacement for the 2023 list.
  • UK code of practice (England, last updated 27 March 2025): Kenya is on the amber list. GOV.UK's change history shows Kenya was added to the amber list on 11 November 2021, the date the UK-Kenya bilateral agreement on healthcare workforce collaboration was published. The code says that for amber countries international recruitment is only permitted in compliance with the terms of the government-to-government agreement.
  • The agreement: GOV.UK said in July 2021 that the arrangement was part of a request by the Government of Kenya to capitalise on qualified but unemployed health workers, with Kenyan professionals gaining UK experience before returning to Kenya's health sector. The agreement sets out recruitment procedures, employment conditions and a joint oversight committee.
  • Direct applications: the code says employers may consider direct applications from people resident in red or amber list countries. A direct application is one you make yourself to a specific advertised role, without an agency. If you approach an agency outside the agreement, the code says it should signpost you to a jobs board.
  • Fees: the code notes it is illegal under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 for recruitment organisations to charge you fees for finding you a job, and repayment clauses must be transparent, proportionate, time-limited and flexible.
  • Germany: Kenya is not in the annex to section 38 of the Employment Ordinance (BeschV), so the restriction on private recruitment for health and care jobs does not apply to Kenya.
  • WHO's wider position: neither the WHO code nor the list restricts individual health workers who choose to migrate; they aim to discourage systematic, proactive recruitment by employers and agencies.

Questions

No. Kenya is on the amber list of the UK code of practice. That means UK recruitment from Kenya is permitted only in compliance with the UK-Kenya government-to-government agreement. You can also apply directly to advertised UK jobs yourself.

No. Kenya is not one of the 55 countries on the WHO health workforce support and safeguards list 2023. Its UK amber status comes from the UK code and the 2021 bilateral agreement.

Only in line with the terms of the UK-Kenya agreement, as the code states for amber countries. Outside that, if you approach an agency the code says it should signpost you to a jobs board where you can apply directly. Agencies must not charge you fees for finding you a job.

Usually yes. Kenya is not on the NMC's list of majority English-speaking countries. The NMC accepts IELTS Academic or OET at its set scores, or, in limited cases, a qualification taught and examined in English with a transcript showing enough patient interaction in English.

No, if the qualification that first enabled you to practise was gained in Kenya. Kenya is on the HCPC's list of countries where English is the predominant language. This applies to all HCPC professions, including radiographers and biomedical scientists.

Yes. Kenya is on the NCLEX list of international testing locations. You pay an international scheduling fee on top of the registration fee, and you still need your state board's authorization to test first.

The CBT is delivered by Pearson VUE in most countries, and Pearson VUE's NMC page lists Kenya among countries where vouchers can be bought if card payment is difficult. Use the Pearson VUE locator to find a centre and date.

IDP lists IELTS centres in Nairobi and Eldoret, with paper and computer tests. The British Council also offers IELTS in Kenya. Book the Academic test, which is the version the NMC and GMC accept.

There is no UK register for clinical officers as a profession. If you also hold a qualification in a registered profession, such as nursing, you apply on that qualification. Check with the relevant UK regulator before you pay for any exam.

The councils' public pages we reviewed do not publish a step-by-step procedure, so contact the council in writing and ask whether it sends the certificate directly to the destination regulator. The GMC accepts a certificate for three months from signature, and NMBI wants one issued in the last six months.

Kenya does not appear on the Hague Apostille Convention status table, so an apostille is not available. UK regulators verify directly with your council and school; for Germany or US agencies, ask which certification they accept.

Sources

  1. 1WHO health workforce support and safeguards list 2023
  2. 2WHO: Understanding the WHO health workforce support and safeguards list 2023
  3. 3GOV.UK: Code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel in England
  4. 4GOV.UK: Code of practice collection page and update history
  5. 5NHS Employers: Code of practice for international recruitment
  6. 6GOV.UK: Bilateral agreement between the UK and Kenya on healthcare workforce collaboration
Show all 41 sources
  1. 7GOV.UK: Unemployed Kenyan nurses given chance to work in the UK under new Kenya-UK health agreements
  2. 8Nursing Council of Kenya
  3. 9Nursing Council of Kenya: Registration
  4. 10Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council
  5. 11Pharmacy and Poisons Board
  6. 12NMC: Trained outside the UK
  7. 13NMC: English language requirements
  8. 14NMC: Qualified in English
  9. 15NMC: List of accepted English-speaking countries (January 2025)
  10. 16NMC: Test of Competence
  11. 17Pearson VUE: NMC Test of Competence (CBT)
  12. 18GMC: When and where can I take PLAB 1
  13. 19GMC: Primary source verification for international medical graduates
  14. 20GMC: Your certificate of good standing
  15. 21GMC: Using your IELTS certificate
  16. 22HCPC: English language proficiency
  17. 23GPhC: Registering as an internationally qualified pharmacist
  18. 24GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa
  19. 25NMBI: Qualified outside the EU
  20. 26NMBI: English language requirements
  21. 27Medical Council (Ireland): PRES
  22. 28DETE: Critical Skills Employment Permit
  23. 29Beschäftigungsverordnung (BeschV), full text including the annex to § 38
  24. 30Anerkennung in Deutschland: Recognition finder
  25. 31Make it in Germany: Visa for the recognition of foreign qualifications
  26. 32BIG register: Foreign diploma
  27. 33BIG register: Dutch language proficiency
  28. 34BIG register: Certifying and translating documents
  29. 35NCLEX: Testing locations
  30. 36NCSBN: Internationally educated nurses
  31. 37USMLE: Apply for exams
  32. 38ECFMG: OET Medicine requirement
  33. 39TruMerit: VisaScreen
  34. 40IDP IELTS Kenya
  35. 41HCCH: Apostille Convention status table

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