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Guides for internationally trained health professionals
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16 min read
PLAB 1 and PLAB 2: the complete route to GMC registration
Every stage of the PLAB route for international medical graduates, in order: eligibility, English, EPIC, PLAB 1 and PLAB 2, attempts and validity, 2026 GMC fees, registration with a licence, and the alternatives now that MTI has closed.
Read16 min read
NMC CBT for international nurses and midwives: format, booking, results and how to prepare
Part A numeracy and Part B clinical, how to book with Pearson VUE, fees, results, resits and a revision plan built on the NMC blueprint and Future Nurse standards.
Read15 min read
NCLEX-RN for international nurses: eligibility, the Next Generation NCLEX, fees and results
How internationally educated nurses become eligible through a state board, what the Next Generation NCLEX looks like, where to test abroad, the 2027 fee change, results, retakes and preparation.
Read15 min read
IELTS or OET? Which English test each UK healthcare regulator accepts
Every UK healthcare regulator accepts IELTS, but OET is not open to everyone. A regulator-by-regulator comparison of tests, scores, sittings, validity and exemptions, plus how the visa English rule differs.
Read13 min read
Passed the NMC OSCE: what happens next, how long the PIN takes and your first job as a registered nurse
The final steps from an OSCE pass to your NMC PIN, why some nurses wait longer, and what changes in your band, pay, preceptorship and visa once you are registered.
Read14 min read
Best country in Europe for international doctors: UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, the Nordics and the USA compared
Which European country suits an international medical graduate? We compare the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, with the USA as a contrast, on exams, language, working before full registration, specialist recognition, official pay, visas and settlement.
Read18 min read
Best country in Europe for international nurses: UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and the Nordics compared
Which European country suits an internationally trained nurse? We compare the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland on registration, language, exams, time, official pay scales, visas, family and settlement, with the trade-offs of each.
Read14 min read
Care worker visa UK 2026: what changed and who can still apply
What changed for care workers and senior care workers on the Health and Care Worker visa, in GOV.UK's words: the closure to applicants abroad, in-country switching until 22 July 2028, the three-month rule, dependants, English, fees, and what it means for healthcare assistants and nurses.
Read13 min read
How to become a dentist in the UK, Ireland, Europe or the USA as a foreign-trained dentist
The routes for a foreign-trained dentist in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and the USA side by side: the ORE, the Dental Council Examination, the Kenntnisprüfung, the ACTA BI-test and US advanced standing with the INBDE, with official fees, languages, attempts and the real bottlenecks.
Read15 min read
ECFMG certification for international medical graduates: requirements, Pathways, OET, fees and timeline
Every requirement for ECFMG certification in 2026 to 2027: World Directory Sponsor Notes, MyIntealth, credential verification, USMLE, the six Pathways, OET Medicine, certificate expiry, fees and a realistic timeline.
Read12 min read
Failed the NMC CBT or OSCE: retake rules, fees, waiting periods and what it means for your visa
Three attempts per test, 10 days apart, resit only what you failed. The fees, the one-year and two-year windows, the six-month wait after a third fail, and the visa deadline.
Read16 min read
Failed PLAB 1 or PLAB 2: attempts, appeals and what to do next
What to do after a PLAB 1 or PLAB 2 fail: how the GMC scored you, how to read your feedback, the four-attempt limit and the 12-month fifth attempt, appeal grounds and deadlines, resit fees for 2026 and the alternatives to PLAB.
Read12 min read
GDC registration for overseas dental hygienists and therapists
The GDC route for dental hygienists and dental therapists who qualified outside the UK: no exam, but a panel assessment against the GDC learning outcomes. Documents, references, English, every fee, how the panel decides, the common reasons for refusal, the visa problem for hygienists, and what working in the UK looks like.
Read18 min read
H-1B vs J-1 for international medical graduates: which visa for US residency
How the ECFMG-sponsored J-1 and the H-1B compare for IMGs: eligibility, Step 3, the two-year home residence rule and its waivers, the $100,000 proclamation, families and green card routes.
Read12 min read
HCPC registration for overseas occupational therapists
A complete guide for occupational therapists trained outside the UK: what the HCPC's OT assessors look for, how to show occupation-focused practice in your mapping document and experience section, English scores, fees, the renewal window, timelines, the test of competence, refusals, and first jobs in the NHS and social care.
Read14 min read
HCPC registration for international physiotherapists
The HCPC international route for physiotherapists, step by step and checked against the HCPC's own pages: what the physiotherapy assessors look for, the standards of proficiency mapping document, English scores, every fee, realistic timelines, the test of competence, common reasons for refusal and how to land a first Band 5 post.
Read12 min read
HCPC registration for international radiographers
How diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers trained outside the UK join the HCPC Register: choosing your branch, the standards each branch is assessed against, IR(ME)R and radiation protection, English scores, fees, timelines, the test of competence, sonography, and first NHS posts.
Read12 min read
HCPC registration for overseas speech and language therapists
For speech-language pathologists and speech therapists trained outside the UK: why the HCPC sets a higher English bar for SLTs, what the SLT assessors look for across communication and swallowing, how to write your mapping document, fees, timelines, the test of competence, RCSLT membership and first jobs.
Read14 min read
How to get GMC registration without PLAB: every route in 2026
Every way to register with the GMC without sitting PLAB: the accepted postgraduate qualifications (and common ones that are not), GMC-approved sponsorship, specialist and GP registration, European qualifications, the MTI closure, and what every route still requires.
Read17 min read
Medical Council Ireland: supervised division vs general division
How the Medical Council's Supervised and General Divisions differ, who qualifies for each, the PRES Level 2 exemption list for supervised posts, what happens when a post ends, and how to transfer to general registration.
Read14 min read
New medical graduate from abroad: UK Foundation Programme or PLAB?
For new international medical graduates: whether you can apply to the UK Foundation Programme or should take PLAB, how your internship decides provisional or full GMC registration, the UKFP 2027 rules and dates, the prioritisation law and FY2-level jobs.
Read14 min read
Moving to the UK as a nurse: your first weeks checklist
A step-by-step checklist for your first weeks in the UK as an international nurse: UKVI account and eVisa, right to work, National Insurance number, bank account, GP registration, renting and council tax, payslip and tax code, OSCE timing and bringing your family.
Read13 min read
Can newly qualified international nurses work in the UK without experience?
What the NMC actually requires from newly qualified nurses trained abroad, what NHS employers ask for and why, the English rule that needs experience, realistic routes into a sponsored UK job and how to build experience employers value.
Read12 min read
NHS doctor salary 2026/27: every grade in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Official 2026/27 pay for every NHS doctor grade, from FY1 to consultant, with the new ten-point resident scale in England, on-call and weekend allowances, SAS and salaried GP pay, and the separate Scottish and Welsh scales.
Read14 min read
NHS interview questions for international nurses: Band 5 questions and how to answer
How NHS Band 5 interviews for international nurses work: the NHS values and 6Cs panels listen for, values and clinical scenario questions with what to cover, STAR answers, questions to ask, and how to handle a video interview from abroad.
Read15 min read
NHS trusts that sponsor visas: how to find visa sponsorship jobs in the NHS
Which NHS employers can sponsor you, how to read the GOV.UK register of licensed sponsors, how to find sponsored vacancies on NHS Jobs, NHS Scotland Jobs and HSC Jobs, what advert wording means, and the red flags the Code of Practice warns about.
Read15 min read
NMC application refused or closed: what it means and what to do next
Closed, refused or not eligible: what each NMC outcome means, which ones you can appeal within 28 days, and a checklist for reapplying so it does not happen twice.
Read12 min read
How much does NMC registration cost for international nurses? Every fee in 2026
Every NMC fee from the October 2026 schedule, what resits add, the costs the NMC total leaves out, visa fees, and what employers may and may not reclaim under the Code of Practice.
Read13 min read
NMC revalidation for international nurses and midwives: requirements, dates and a three-year plan
What revalidation needs, when your first one is due after your PIN, why pre-registration hours do not count, and a three-year plan for nurses new to UK practice.
Read12 min read
Nurse salary in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and the USA: official pay scales compared
What a registered nurse earns in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and the USA, from official pay scales and statistics only: NHS Agenda for Change, HSE consolidated scales, TVöD P tables, the Cao Ziekenhuizen and BLS data, with the year of each figure and what sits behind it.
Read18 min read
Nurse recognition in Germany (Anerkennung): the complete route for foreign nurses
How foreign-trained nurses get the Pflegefachfrau or Pflegefachmann title: which state authority, the deficit notice, knowledge test or adaptation period, German rules by state, the recognition visas and Triple Win.
Read14 min read
Passed PLAB 2: next steps to GMC registration, your first NHS job and the visa
Everything to do after a PLAB 2 pass, in order: the GMC application and its fees, the English concession, the identity check, which NHS jobs to apply for and what they pay, the Health and Care Worker visa and pre-employment checks.
Read12 min read
How to work as a psychologist in the UK or Ireland with a foreign qualification
How an overseas-trained psychologist registers with the HCPC in the UK, why BPS chartership is not registration, where CORU's psychologist registers stand, and how Department of Health validation and PSI fit for HSE jobs in Ireland, with fees, English, pay and permits.
Read18 min read
NMC to NMBI: moving from the UK to Ireland as a nurse
There is no transfer from the NMC register to NMBI. How NMBI assesses UK-trained and overseas-trained NMC registrants, the documents and CCPS, English exemptions, compensation measures, fees, timelines and the right to work in Ireland.
Read12 min read
The BI-test and CBGV assessment: registering in the Netherlands with a foreign diploma
How the Netherlands assesses doctors, dentists, nurses and other health professionals trained outside the EEA: the Dutch and English levels, the BI-test for each profession, booking and capacity in 2026, fees, the CBGV's advice, the three possible outcomes and registration in the BIG register.
Read13 min read
Critical Skills Employment Permit for health workers in Ireland
Which health occupations are on the Critical Skills Occupations List, the salary thresholds and the public sector pay rule, how to apply, fees, processing dates, family rights and the route to Stamp 4.
Read15 min read
EPIC verification: how ECFMG checks your medical degree for the GMC and the USA
What EPIC is, who needs it and how to use it: MyIntealth and identity checks, which documents the GMC wants verified, the April 2026 fees, how long schools take, how EPIC relates to ECFMG Certification and US licensure, and the mistakes that cause delays.
Read12 min read
The Fachsprachprüfung: Germany's medical German test explained
Everything about the medical German test for foreign-trained doctors: why it exists, the C1 standard, the doctor-patient, documentation and doctor-doctor parts, how the state chambers book you, published fees, retakes, the B2 certificate and how to prepare, plus the versions for dentists, pharmacists and nurses.
Read15 min read
How internationally qualified pharmacists register with the GPhC
The current GPhC route for pharmacists qualified outside the UK and EEA, step by step: OSPAP eligibility and documents, the one-year OSPAP, the national recruitment scheme and 52 weeks of foundation training, the Common Registration Assessment, English, every fee, the four-year limit and the 2026 consultation.
Read13 min read
Moving from a Gulf licence to UK registration: what carries over
For doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and allied health staff licensed in the Gulf: what UK regulators accept from your Gulf years, what they do not, and how to time good standing, references and the visa.
Read15 min read
Health and Care Worker visa: eligibility, costs and dependants
Who qualifies for the UK Health and Care Worker visa, the occupation code for each profession, salary and English rules, fees and the surcharge exemption, the care worker dependant restrictions, switching and settlement, from GOV.UK.
Read14 min read
The Kenntnisprüfung: Germany's knowledge test for foreign-trained health professionals
How Germany's knowledge test works for doctors trained outside the EU: the legal basis, the patient presentation and oral exam, who runs it in each state, published fees, attempts and preparation, plus how the test differs for nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, dentists and pharmacists.
Read15 min read
NMBI compensation measures: the RCSI aptitude test or a period of adaptation
What an NMBI compensation measure is, how the RCSI aptitude test works (format, booking, fees, results), how a period of adaptation and assessment works, which one suits you and how to prepare.
Read15 min read
NMC OSCE: what to expect at the test centre and how to prepare
The APIE and skills stations, the three UK test centres, booking, fees, resits, what happens if you fail twice, preparing with your employer and how the midwifery OSCE differs.
Read16 min read
The ORE for overseas dentists: Part 1, Part 2 and GDC registration
Everything an overseas-qualified dentist needs for the GDC's Overseas Registration Exam, in order: eligibility and the candidate list, Part 1 and Part 2, how booking and priority places work, current fees, the four-attempt and five-year rules, preparation and registration.
Read15 min read
PRES: the Medical Council's Pre-Registration Examination System for doctors
Who has to sit the Pre-Registration Examination System, the exemptions, the Level 2 and Level 3 formats, 2026 dates and venues, fees, attempts, results, appeals and the step to registration.
Read13 min read
USMLE for international medical graduates: Step 1, Step 2 CK, ECFMG certification and the Match
Step 1 and Step 2 CK formats and fees, the move to FSMB, every ECFMG certification requirement, the 2027 Pathways and OET Medicine, the Match calendar, a realistic timeline and what it all costs.
Read13 min read
VisaScreen certificate: who needs it, English scores, fees and timeline
What the federal health care worker certificate is, which nine professions need it, the education, licensure and English checks, the official May 12, 2026 score table, fees, processing time and renewal.
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Start where you are
Guides for each stage of the move
- 1
Check eligibility
- 2
Prove your English
- 3
Pass the licensing exam
- 4
Register and get a licence
- 5
Find a job and a visa
- 6
Move and settle
By country
Guides by destination
How we help
From your first question to a written plan
- 1
Send your details
Tell us your profession, where you trained, your experience and the countries you are considering. A short form and clear scans of your main documents are enough at this stage. If you have family or timing constraints, tell us now so the plan fits your life.
- 2
Document review
We look at your certificates, transcripts and registration against each regulator's published rules. We note the length and content of your training, your clinical experience and how recent it is, and any name or date mismatches that could slow verification later. Where a rule is unclear, we say so rather than guess.
- 3
Route comparison
We compare the realistic routes for your profession in each country you named. For each one we set out the exams or compensation measures, the language level, the main documents and the official fees and processing times. You see the trade-offs side by side before you commit money to any of them.
- 4
Your written roadmap
You receive the route we recommend, what you must pass, what to gather and a realistic timeline and budget. The roadmap lists the steps in order, with the slow ones first. It also names the official pages to check, because fees and rules change.
- 5
Walkthrough call
We go through the plan with you and answer your questions. If you decide to go ahead, we agree the next steps and which parts, if any, you would like our help to carry out. You are free to follow the roadmap on your own.
FAQ
Questions our guides answer
Short answers to what people ask us most. See all questions or contact us.
OET is not one of the tests the GDC names. Its guidance names IELTS Academic, with 7 overall and at least 6.5 in each skill. A recent pass in a language test used for registration by a regulator in a country where English is the first language can be accepted with supporting evidence from that regulator.
115 in total: 15 numeracy questions in Part A and 100 multiple-choice clinical questions in Part B. You have 30 minutes for Part A and 2 hours 30 minutes for Part B, so 3 hours overall, including any breaks.
The Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board test is the GMC's assessment for doctors who qualified outside the UK, the EEA and Switzerland. It has two parts: PLAB 1, a 180-question written exam, and PLAB 2, a 16-station OSCE in Manchester. It checks you can work at the level of a doctor starting the second year of the UK Foundation Programme.
GOV.UK says £324 per person for a visa of up to three years, or £628 per person for more than three years, whether you apply inside or outside the UK. There is no Immigration Health Surcharge for you or your dependants.
Registration is $200 and testing at an international Pearson VUE center adds a $150 scheduling fee plus any VAT, so $350 in total. NCLEX says the registration fee rises to $350 from February 1, 2027, which makes the total $500 abroad. Board, evaluation and English test fees are extra.
It is the German state knowledge test for health professionals trained outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland whose training differs substantially from German training. For doctors it is an oral-practical exam with a patient presentation under section 37 ÄApprO, in German, covering internal medicine and surgery plus related subjects.
EPIC is ECFMG's primary source verification service. ECFMG, a division of Intealth, checks your medical credentials directly with the institutions that issued them and sends verification reports to organisations such as the GMC. You use it through a MyIntealth account.
It is the step NMBI asks you to complete when your training differs from Irish standards in ways that can be made up by showing competence in Ireland. It is either an aptitude test run by RCSI or a period of adaptation and assessment in an approved facility. Only after completing it can your qualification be recognised and your registration go ahead.