CNM Malta: Registration, Exams and Fees

• Register of Nurses, Part I: first-level registered nurses.
• Register of Nurses, Part II: second-level registered nurses, who must practise under the supervision of a first-level nurse or, where none is present, the direction of a doctor.
• Special parts of the Register of Nurses, for nurses trained in special areas such as mental health, learning disability and sick children's nursing.
• Temporary first-level register: the category for non-EU-trained nurses and midwives, granted for 24 months.
• Register of Midwives, with a separate register of up to two years for midwives who are not citizens of Malta or an EU state.
• Temporary registration for the occasional provision of services by nurses and midwives registered elsewhere.

• A nursing or midwifery qualification from a university, college or school, which the council assesses against the Act and the EU minimum training standards.
• IELTS Academic with an average score of at least 6, or OET with grade B in speaking and at least C+ in writing, reading and listening.
• A language certificate that is valid and not past its expiry date when you submit the application.
• A primary source verification certificate from a reputable company, required from all non-EU-trained applicants since 1 January 2025.
• All documents the CNM's non-EU application lists, submitted with the application; a certificate of good standing is normally sent directly to the council by the issuing body.
• Payment of the €192.50 application fee.
• Attendance at a non-EU nurses' bridging course with one of the providers the CNM lists.
• Good conduct, which the Act makes a condition of practising as a nurse.

Check your route with the route finder

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   1. Download the CNM's non-EU application and requirements

   The CNM publishes an application form and list of requirements specifically for applicants trained outside the EU who want to register as nurses. Apply under the temporary first-level nurse category. Using the form meant for EU-trained or Maltese-trained nurses will slow your application.
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   2. Pass IELTS or OET

   The CNM will not accept an application without IELTS Academic at an average of at least 6, or OET with B in speaking and at least C+ in the other three parts. The certificate must still be valid when you apply. Check the CNM's current requirement before booking, as English scores are the most common reason a file cannot be accepted.
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   3. Order primary source verification

   From 1 January 2025 every non-EU-trained applicant must include a primary source verification certificate from a reputable company. The verifier contacts your university, nursing council and employers directly, which can take weeks or months depending on how quickly they respond, so start this before anything else.
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   4. Submit the complete application and fee

   Send everything with the application and pay the €192.50 fee. The only document normally sent separately is the certificate of good standing, which the issuing body sends to the council. If the CNM asks for more documents, you have 3 months to provide them; after that the fee is lost and you must start a new application.
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   5. Attend the non-EU nurses' bridging course

   All non-EU-trained applicants must attend a bridging course to complete registration. The CNM lists MCAST, the University of Malta, IDEA Academy and APEX (Uniplural Group) as current providers. Course dates, fees and entry rules are set by each provider, so contact them directly.
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   6. Receive 24-month temporary registration

   If the council approves your application, you are registered as a temporary first-level nurse for 24 months. Keep your registration certificate safe, because the expiry date on it drives your renewal. Your employer will also need your registration for the work permit and for your job.
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   7. Keep your details up to date

   All registered nurses must tell the Registrar within one week of any change of address or personal details, preferably through the CNM's online portal or by email. Missing this can cause problems at renewal.
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   8. Renew one month before expiry

   Apply for renewal one month before the expiry date, by email, with an up-to-date request, a copy of your registration certificate, your last 3 payslips, your ID card or residence permit, a recent police conduct certificate (or GP 47 for government employees), a reference letter from your direct supervisor covering the last two years and your employment record. You must show you practised in Malta for the whole registration period.
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   9. Appeal if you disagree with a decision

   Under the Health Care Professions Act, you can appeal to the Appeals Committee within 20 calendar days of the date of the council's correspondence. The CNM gives the committee secretary's contact details on its registration pages.

• IELTS Academic or OET

  The CNM's English requirement: IELTS Academic with an average of at least 6, or OET with B in speaking and at least C+ in writing, reading and listening. The tests are sat with the providers, not with the council.

• Non-EU nurses' bridging course

  A compulsory course for all non-EU-trained applicants, offered by the providers the CNM lists: MCAST (an undergraduate certificate in nursing bridging course), the University of Malta, IDEA Academy and APEX (Uniplural Group). The council does not publish the course content or length on its registration page; each provider does.

• Professional and linguistic proficiency test

  The Act allows the CNM to require applicants from third countries whose qualifications have not been recognised in an EU state to sit and pass a professional and linguistic proficiency test. The council's current non-EU page sets out the bridging course route; ask the CNM if a test applies to your case.

• IELTS Academic: an average (overall) score of at least 6.
• OET: grade B in speaking and at least C+ in writing, reading and listening.
• Applications without the required certificate cannot be accepted for registration.
• The certificate must be valid and not past its expiry date when the application is submitted.
• The CNM's published non-EU requirements do not ask for Maltese.
• First-time single permit applicants also complete Identità's pre-departure course, whose live online interview checks English.

Estimate your total cost

• Primary source verification: depends on how quickly your university, council and employers respond; order it first.
• Missing documents: the CNM gives you 3 months from the application date to send anything it requests.
• Bridging course: dates and length are set by each provider.
• Registration: temporary first-level registration lasts 24 months.
• Renewal: apply one month before the expiry date on your certificate.
• Appeal: within 20 calendar days of the council's correspondence.

1. 1Council for Nurses and Midwives: Registration
2. 2Council for Nurses and Midwives: Registration for non-EU qualified
3. 3Council for Nurses and Midwives: FAQs for non-EU-trained applicants
4. 4Council for Nurses and Midwives: Temporary registration
5. 5Health Care Professions Act, Chapter 464 of the Laws of Malta
6. 6Identità: Pre-departure course for first-time single permit applicants