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Trained in Nigeria

Nigerian nurses and doctors to UK, Ireland, EU, US (2026)

Trained in Nigeria and planning to register in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands or the USA? Here is each route, the Nigerian paperwork it needs, and what the red list does and does not mean for you.

United KingdomIrelandGermanyNetherlandsUnited States

Overview

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

No destination regulator bars Nigerian qualifications. What changes is the paperwork your Nigerian council must send, the English evidence you need, where you can sit the exams, and how employers are allowed to recruit you. Nigeria is on the WHO health workforce support and safeguards list 2023 and on the UK code of practice red list, which limits how UK employers and agencies recruit from Nigeria. It does not stop you applying yourself.

The UK is the most common destination for Nigerian nurses and doctors. Nurses and midwives register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) through the Test of Competence (a computer-based test, the CBT, and a practical OSCE in the UK). Doctors register with the General Medical Council (GMC), usually through PLAB 1 and PLAB 2. The GMC holds PLAB 1 at overseas centres that include Nigeria, and Pearson VUE delivers the NMC CBT in Nigeria. Ireland, the USA and, for people willing to learn German or Dutch, Germany and the Netherlands are the other main routes.

Being trained in Nigeria matters in four practical ways. First, the Nigerian councils (the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria) must verify your registration or issue a letter of good standing, and their processes set much of your timeline. Second, Nigeria is not on the NMC's or HCPC's list of majority English-speaking countries, so most applicants need IELTS or OET even though training is in English. Third, Nigeria does not appear on the Hague Apostille Convention status table, so where a destination asks for legalised documents you cannot use an apostille. Fourth, the red list changes how you find a job in the UK: you apply directly to employers rather than through recruitment agencies.

This page is written for people still in Nigeria and for Nigerians already working in the Gulf or elsewhere. It sets out each destination as its official sources describe it, the Nigerian documents to gather and how, where to take each test from Nigeria, and the recruitment rules exactly as WHO, GOV.UK and NHS Employers state them. Fees and scores change, so every figure links to its official source and the page shows the date we last checked.

One caution from recent history: in 2023 the NMC found what it called widespread fraud at one CBT centre in Ibadan, Yunnik Technologies, and treated all CBT results from that centre as invalid. People affected had to retake the CBT elsewhere. Book your tests only through the official Pearson VUE, IELTS and OET systems, never through a third party offering guaranteed results.

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; pharmacists with the GPhC; allied health professionals with the HCPC. Nigeria is on the UK code of practice red list, so UK health and care employers and agencies must not actively recruit from Nigeria, but employers may consider your direct application to an advertised job.

  1. 1Get your English score first: IELTS Academic or OET at the level your regulator sets, because Nigeria is not on the NMC or HCPC lists of majority English-speaking countries.
  2. 2Nurses: open an NMC application, ask the NMCN to send verification and a letter of good standing to the NMC, then sit the CBT at a Pearson VUE centre.
  3. 3Doctors: start ECFMG EPIC verification of your MBBS, then book PLAB 1 at an overseas centre or in the UK, and PLAB 2 in Manchester.
  4. 4Apply directly to advertised NHS and care vacancies on job boards such as NHS Jobs, not through an agency.
  5. 5With a job offer and certificate of sponsorship, apply for the Health and Care Worker visa; nurses sit the OSCE in the UK once the NMC confirms they need it.

Watch out: Red list: the code says countries on the red list must not be targeted for international recruitment unless there is a government-to-government agreement, and there is no such agreement with Nigeria. It also says individual employers may consider direct applications from people resident in red list countries, and that agencies approached by such individuals should signpost them to a jobs board. A direct application is one you make yourself to a specific advertised role, without an agency. The NMC fees, CBT and visa rules are the same for you as for anyone else.

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; health and social care professionals to CORU. Nigeria is not one of the five countries whose training NMBI accepts as English evidence, so you 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 school of nursing or university to complete NMBI's qualification form and send your transcript and syllabus.
  3. 3Request a Certificate of Current Professional Status from the NMCN (issued within six months) for NMBI, or a certificate of good standing for the Medical Council.
  4. 4Pass IELTS Academic or OET at NMBI's or the Medical Council's scores in a single sitting.
  5. 5Complete any compensation measure (adaptation or the RCSI aptitude test) and apply for a Critical Skills Employment Permit with your job offer.

Watch out: We found no Irish rule equivalent to the UK red list that restricts recruitment from Nigeria. NMBI requires you to handle your own MyNMBI account and payment; it says applicants must not share their login with anyone, including agents.

Full guide to working in Ireland

Germany

Nurses apply for recognition as a Pflegefachfrau or Pflegefachmann; doctors, dentists and pharmacists for the Approbation from the state authority. The language of licensing is German, not English. Nigeria is listed in the annex to section 38 of the German Employment Ordinance (BeschV), so recruitment and placement for health and care jobs from Nigeria may only be carried out by the Federal Employment Agency.

  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 profession-specific language exam (Fachsprachprüfung for doctors and pharmacists).
  3. 3Send certified copies and qualified German translations of your certificate, transcript, registration and good standing letter.
  4. 4If the authority finds substantial differences, sit the Kenntnisprüfung or complete an adaptation course.
  5. 5Apply for the right visa, for example the recognition visa under section 16d, once you have the authority's decision.

Watch out: Section 38 BeschV governs recruitment and placement, not individuals. It says recruitment in, and job placement from, the listed countries for health and care occupations may only be carried out by the Federal Employment Agency. It does not say you cannot apply to a German employer yourself.

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 (B1 for nurses, B2 or B2+ for other professions) and English reading proof.

  1. 1Check the BIG register's foreign diploma pages for your profession and the documents it asks for.
  2. 2Learn Dutch to the level the BIG register sets, and get the State Examination NT2 or listed certificate.
  3. 3Have documents certified and translated as the BIG register describes.
  4. 4Apply, then sit 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: The BIG register sets the language rules; there is no separate language test for the highly skilled migrant permit. We found no Dutch rule restricting recruitment from Nigeria.

Full guide to working in the Netherlands

United States

Nurses need a state board licence and the NCLEX-RN; doctors need ECFMG certification, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK, and a residency. Nigeria is not on the NCLEX list of international test locations, so Nigerian nurses test in the US or travel to a listed country.

  1. 1Nurses: choose a state board and complete its credentials evaluation, then register for the NCLEX with Pearson VUE.
  2. 2Sit the NCLEX in the US or at an international centre in a listed country such as the UK, South Africa or Kenya; 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 asks for.
  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 apply only to education in the UK, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), New Zealand, Ireland or the US, so Nigeria-trained nurses need an English test. Check the Prometric centre locator for current USMLE centres in Nigeria.

Full guide to working in the United States

Documents to gather

  1. Nursing or midwifery certificate and transcript

    Get certified copies of your RN or RM certificate, or your BNSc, and the official transcript from your school of nursing or university. NMBI and some state boards want the school to send forms directly, so ask your school early who signs them. Many delays come from schools that have merged or closed: find out now who holds your records.

  2. Medical degree and internship certificate

    Doctors need the MBBS or MBChB certificate, the transcript and evidence of your internship (housemanship). The GMC requires 12 months of acceptable internship and has your final diploma verified by ECFMG through EPIC. Check that your medical school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools before you pay for any exam.

  3. Council licence and registration

    Keep a copy of your current practising licence and your registration certificate from the NMCN, MDCN or PCN. Destination regulators ask for your registration details and contact your council, and the NMCN's verification requirements include a photocopy of your current licence. Renew your licence before you apply so it is current when the council answers.

  4. NMCN verification and letter of good standing

    The NMCN lists separate services for verification of certificates, a letter of good standing, and verification of registration with a letter of good standing for the NMC UK. You apply with a letter stating the purpose and destination, the council's verification form, photocopies of your licence and certificates and a birth certificate or age declaration, and pay through Remita. Check the current fee and requirements on the NMCN verification page before paying.

  5. MDCN and PCN certificates of good standing

    Doctors and dentists request a certificate of good standing from the MDCN, and pharmacists from the PCN. The GMC asks for one from each regulator you have been registered with in the last five years, valid for three months from signature, so request it near the end of your application. Ask the council whether it sends the certificate directly to the destination regulator, which most regulators prefer.

  6. Employment references and experience letters

    Get letters from each employer showing your role, dates and hours. NMBI uses its own employment forms, and employers abroad often ask for references from your last two posts. Gulf experience counts as experience; get the letters before you leave each post.

  7. Identity and civil documents

    You need a valid passport, and a birth certificate or age declaration for NMCN verification. If your name has changed, keep the official evidence, such as a marriage certificate; the NMC asks for a marriage, civil partnership or divorce certificate, or a deed poll. Make sure your name is spelt the same on your passport, certificates and test reports.

  8. Legalisation and translations

    Nigeria is not listed as a party on the Hague Apostille Convention status table, so an apostille is not available. The NMC and GMC verify directly with the issuing bodies and do not ask for legalisation, but some German authorities and US agencies set their own rules: ask the destination authority which certification it accepts before you pay for anything. Germany needs qualified German translations; the Netherlands has its own certification rules.

Verification and good standing

  • NMC (UK): you name your regulator and upload your registration certificate, and the NMC contacts your regulator directly to confirm your details. The NMC aims to assess your qualification within 14 days once it has your application and your regulator's response, so delays usually sit with the NMCN.
  • NMCN: the council lists a dedicated service for verification of registration and a letter of good standing for the NMC UK, separate from its general verification and letter of good standing services. Each needs an application letter stating the purpose and destination, the verification form and copies of your licence and certificates, with payment through Remita.
  • GMC (UK): your primary medical qualification is verified by ECFMG through EPIC. The GMC says most medical 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, valid for three months from the date signed.
  • NMBI (Ireland): it asks for a Certificate of Current Professional Status issued in the last six months from every jurisdiction where you registered or practised, plus forms completed by your school and employers.
  • USA: ECFMG verifies medical diplomas through EPIC; nursing credentials go through the evaluation agency your state board names. Have documents sent directly from the issuing body: applicant copies are usually refused.
  • NMCN has changed its verification requirements before, and independent reports have described stricter rules on experience. The current official verification page lists the requirements set out above; read it on the day you apply and keep your payment receipts.

English tests

  • Nigeria is not on the NMC's list of majority English-speaking countries (last updated January 2025), so the NMC's recent practice route does not apply to practice in Nigeria.
  • NMC qualification route: a qualification taught and examined in English in a country not on the list counts only if your transcript shows at least half your time interacting with patients and others, with at least 75% of those interactions in English. Most Nigerian applicants use IELTS Academic or OET instead.
  • HCPC: Nigeria is not on the HCPC's list of countries where English is the predominant language, so physiotherapists, radiographers, biomedical scientists and other HCPC professions trained in Nigeria need an accepted test.
  • NMBI exempts only training or practice in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States or the United Kingdom. Training in Nigeria does not qualify, but three years of practice in the last five in one of those countries can.
  • US: VisaScreen and NCSBN exemptions cover only the UK, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), New Zealand, Ireland and the US. ECFMG requires OET Medicine from every applicant, with no exemptions.
  • IELTS in Nigeria: IDP lists IELTS centres in 17 cities including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Enugu, Kano and Benin, on paper and on computer, with IELTS for UKVI also offered. The British Council also runs IELTS in Nigeria.
  • OET: check the OET venue finder for current venues and dates in Nigeria. Note that NMBI, the GPhC and the Irish Medical Council do not accept OET@Home.
  • Score validity is usually two years at the point the regulator assesses you, so time your test so it is still valid when your application is decided.

Sitting exams from here

  • NMC CBT: delivered by Pearson VUE at test centres in most countries. Pearson VUE's NMC page lists Nigeria among the countries where candidates can buy test vouchers if card payment is difficult. Use Pearson VUE's centre locator to book.
  • NMC OSCE: only at NMC-approved test centres in the UK, after the NMC confirms you need it.
  • GMC PLAB 1: the GMC holds PLAB 1 in UK cities, Dublin and Madrid, and at British Council centres overseas in countries including Nigeria. Bookings for overseas centres close about six weeks before the exam. PLAB 2 is only in Manchester.
  • NCLEX: Nigeria is not on the NCLEX list of international locations, which includes Australia, India, Kenya, South Africa, the United Kingdom and others. An international scheduling fee applies outside the US.
  • 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 centres in Nigeria.
  • Ireland: PRES for doctors and the RCSI aptitude test for nurses are held in Ireland. Germany: the Kenntnisprüfung and Fachsprachprüfung are held in Germany.

Ethical recruitment rules

  • WHO: Nigeria is on the WHO health workforce support and safeguards list 2023, one of 55 countries with a density of doctors, nurses and midwives below the global median and a low UHC service coverage index. WHO says listed countries should be provided with safeguards that discourage active international recruitment, and that government-to-government agreements are not proscribed if they meet set conditions. WHO said it would update the list every three years, with the next update scheduled for 2026; at our review we found no published replacement for the 2023 list.
  • WHO also says that neither the code nor the list places any restriction on voluntary health worker mobility, and that they have no provisions limiting an individual's pursuit of jobs abroad. They aim to discourage systematic, proactive recruitment by employers and agencies.
  • UK code of practice (England, last updated 27 March 2025): Nigeria is on the red list. The code says countries on the red list must not be targeted for international recruitment unless there is a government-to-government agreement. The UK has no such agreement with Nigeria. Active recruitment means employers, agencies or anyone involved in recruitment targeting individuals to market UK jobs, including referral bonus schemes.
  • Direct applications: the code says individual health and social care employers may consider direct applications from people resident in red or amber list countries. A direct application is one you make on your own behalf to a specific advertised role, without a third party such as an agency. If you approach an agency, the code says it should signpost you to a relevant jobs board.
  • Fees: the code notes that it is illegal under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 for recruitment organisations to charge you fees for job-finding services. Any repayment clause in your contract must be transparent, proportionate, time-limited and flexible.
  • Germany: Nigeria is in the annex to section 38 of the Employment Ordinance (BeschV), so recruitment and placement for health and care jobs from Nigeria may only be carried out by the Federal Employment Agency.
  • Departure from Nigeria: we found no official exit-clearance scheme for health workers comparable to the Philippines or India. Your council's verification and good standing letter are the Nigerian steps every destination relies on.

Questions

Yes. The red list stops UK employers and agencies from actively recruiting in Nigeria; it does not stop you registering with the NMC, applying for jobs or getting a Health and Care Worker visa. The code says employers may consider direct applications from people resident in red list countries. You apply yourself to an advertised vacancy rather than through an agency.

Under the code, agencies must not target people in red list countries for UK health and care jobs. If you approach an agency, the code says it should signpost you to a jobs board where you can find direct application opportunities. A direct application, by definition, does not use an agency.

Yes. Nigeria is on the WHO health workforce support and safeguards list 2023. WHO says the list discourages active international recruitment from listed countries but places no restriction on individual health workers who choose to migrate.

Usually yes. Nigeria is not on the NMC's or HCPC's lists of majority English-speaking countries, and NMBI exempts only five countries. The NMC qualification route for other countries needs a transcript showing at least half your time in patient interaction with 75% of it in English, which most transcripts do not show.

Yes, the CBT is delivered by Pearson VUE, which has centres in most countries, and Pearson VUE's NMC page lists Nigeria among countries where vouchers are available if card payment is difficult. Book only through Pearson VUE. The NMC invalidated all results from one Ibadan centre in 2023 after finding fraud.

The GMC lists British Council centres overseas, including in Nigeria, as well as UK cities. Bookings for overseas centres close about six weeks before each exam, and PLAB 1 runs four times a year.

No. Nigeria is not on the NCLEX list of international testing locations. You can test in the US or at a centre in a listed country such as Kenya, South Africa or the UK, paying the international scheduling fee.

The NMCN has a specific service for verification of registration and a letter of good standing to the NMC UK. You send an application letter stating the purpose and destination, the verification form, copies of your licence and certificates and your birth certificate, and pay through Remita. The NMC then receives the confirmation from the NMCN.

Nigeria does not appear on the Hague Apostille Convention status table, so apostilles are not available. The NMC and GMC verify directly with your council and school. For Germany and some US agencies, ask the authority which form of certification it accepts.

Yes, through recognition of your qualification and German language at B2 or above. Nigeria is listed in section 38 BeschV, so recruitment and placement for health and care jobs from Nigeria may only be done by the Federal Employment Agency. Private agencies cannot recruit you for these jobs, but the rule does not stop you applying yourself.

It counts as clinical experience, but it does not remove the English test unless the country is on the regulator's list, and none of the GCC states are on the NMC's list. You will need a good standing letter from each Gulf regulator as well as the Nigerian council.

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. 6NMCN: Verification of certificate
Show all 39 sources
  1. 7Pharmacists Council of Nigeria
  2. 8NMC: Statement on the Yunnik test centre
  3. 9NMC: Information for people affected by the Yunnik test centre issue
  4. 10NMC: Trained outside the UK
  5. 11NMC: English language requirements
  6. 12NMC: Qualified in English
  7. 13NMC: List of accepted English-speaking countries (January 2025)
  8. 14NMC: Test of Competence
  9. 15Pearson VUE: NMC Test of Competence (CBT)
  10. 16GMC: When and where can I take PLAB 1
  11. 17GMC: Primary source verification for international medical graduates
  12. 18GMC: Your certificate of good standing
  13. 19HCPC: English language proficiency
  14. 20GPhC: Registering as an internationally qualified pharmacist
  15. 21GOV.UK: Health and Care Worker visa
  16. 22NMBI: Qualified outside the EU
  17. 23NMBI: English language requirements
  18. 24Medical Council (Ireland): PRES
  19. 25DETE: Critical Skills Employment Permit
  20. 26Beschäftigungsverordnung (BeschV) § 38 and annex
  21. 27Beschäftigungsverordnung (BeschV), full text including the annex to § 38
  22. 28Anerkennung in Deutschland: Recognition finder
  23. 29Make it in Germany: Visa for the recognition of foreign qualifications
  24. 30BIG register: Foreign diploma
  25. 31BIG register: Dutch language proficiency
  26. 32BIG register: Certifying and translating documents
  27. 33NCLEX: Testing locations
  28. 34NCSBN: Internationally educated nurses
  29. 35USMLE: Apply for exams
  30. 36ECFMG: OET Medicine requirement
  31. 37TruMerit: VisaScreen
  32. 38IDP IELTS Nigeria
  33. 39HCCH: Apostille Convention status table

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