Can an Indian nurse work in the UK without the OSCE?

Not as a registered nurse. Nurses trained outside the UK and EU must pass both parts of the NMC Test of Competence, the CBT and the OSCE, before they can join the NMC register. Many international recruits arrive in the UK and work in a supervised role until they pass the OSCE, so check exactly what your employer offers.

Can I take the NMC CBT in India?

Yes. The CBT is run by Pearson VUE, which has test centres in most countries, including India. You need authorisation from the NMC before you can book it. The OSCE is only available in the UK.

What IELTS score does a nurse need for the UK?

For the NMC you need IELTS Academic 7 in listening, reading and speaking, and 6.5 in writing. If you take OET, you need grade B in listening, reading and speaking, and C+ in writing. You can combine two sittings taken within 12 months of each other. See the NMC accepted tests page.

How much does the Health and Care Worker visa cost?

GOV.UK lists the application fee as £324 per person for a visa of up to 3 years and £628 for more than 3 years, whether you apply from inside or outside the UK. You do not pay the Immigration Health Surcharge on this visa. Check the current figures on GOV.UK before you pay.

Should I pay a recruitment agency to get a UK nursing job?

No. The Code of Practice for international recruitment says employers should not use agencies that charge fees to candidates, and charging work-finding fees is illegal for agencies based in Great Britain. If an agent asks you for money for a job offer or a Certificate of Sponsorship, walk away.

How do I know if a UK hospital can sponsor my visa?

Search the employer's name on the Hiredge Sponsor Checker. It reads the Home Office Register of Licensed Sponsors, which we check every working day. For NHS trusts, the NHS sponsor list is the quickest place to start.

I am already in the UK on a Graduate visa. Can I switch to a nursing visa?

If you trained as a nurse and hold a Graduate visa, you may be able to switch to the Health and Care Worker visa from inside the UK once you have a sponsored job offer. Use the Graduate Visa Switch Planner to work out your timeline before your current permission ends.

How to Move to the UK as a Nurse from India in 2026 (Step by Step)

The Short Answer

To move to the UK as a nurse from India, you pass an English test (IELTS or OET), apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), pass the computer-based test (CBT), and get a job offer from a UK employer that holds a sponsor licence. Your employer then issues a Certificate of Sponsorship, you apply for the Health and Care Worker visa, and you sit the practical OSCE exam in the UK to complete your registration.

The rest of this guide walks through each step, what it costs, and how to avoid the agents and fake job offers that catch out too many Indian nurses every year.

Why UK Employers Recruit Nurses from India

The NHS and private hospital groups recruit internationally trained nurses every year, and India is one of the largest source countries. The UK and India have a government-to-government agreement on health worker recruitment, and India is a "green" country under the UK's Code of Practice for international recruitment. That means UK employers can actively recruit Indian nurses.

The route is well established, but it has a lot of moving parts. Getting the order right saves you months and money.

Step 1: Check You Are Eligible for NMC Registration

The NMC is the UK regulator for nurses and midwives. You must be on the NMC register to work as a registered nurse in the UK.

Indian nurses with a recognised nursing qualification (for example a BSc Nursing or GNM) and registration with their State Nursing Council are generally able to apply. The NMC assesses each application on its own merits, so check the current rules on the NMC website before you start.

What the NMC will look at:

Your nursing qualification and where you trained

Your registration with your State Nursing Council

Your English language test results

Health and character declarations

Step 2: Pass IELTS or OET

You must prove your English to the NMC, even if you trained in English. The NMC accepts two main tests:

IELTS Academic: 7 in listening, reading and speaking, and 6.5 in writing

OET: grade B in listening, reading and speaking, and C+ in writing

Many nurses prefer OET because it uses real healthcare scenarios. If you miss a score, you can combine results from two sittings of the same test taken within 12 months of each other, as long as you meet the NMC's minimum scores in every part. Full rules are on the NMC accepted tests page.

Both tests are available in India. Book early, as popular test dates fill up quickly.

Step 3: Apply to the NMC and Pass the CBT

Once you have your English results, you submit your eligibility and qualification application to the NMC online. When the NMC confirms you need to take the Test of Competence, it sends you an authorisation to book the first part, the computer-based test (CBT).

The CBT is run by Pearson VUE, which has test centres across India, so you do not need to travel to the UK for it. It covers numeracy and clinical knowledge. The NMC publishes preparation materials that are worth working through in full.

Step 4: Get a Job Offer from a Licensed Sponsor

This is the step that makes or breaks your move. Your visa depends on a job offer from a UK employer that is on the Home Office Register of Licensed Sponsors. Only a licensed sponsor can issue the Certificate of Sponsorship you need.

NHS trusts on the register include:

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Barts Health NHS Trust

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Private hospital groups on the register include:

Spire Healthcare

Nuffield Health

Every one of these appears on the Home Office register as an A-rated sponsor on the Skilled Worker route at the time of writing. Licences can change, so always check the employer again before you accept an offer. You can browse every NHS sponsor on the NHS Sponsor Checker.

Where to find sponsored nursing jobs:

NHS Jobs (jobs.nhs.uk), the official NHS recruitment site

Hiredge visa sponsorship jobs, where every employer is checked against the Home Office register

Hiredge job alerts with the visa sponsorship filter turned on, so new roles from licensed sponsors arrive in your inbox

Step 5: Check That the Employer or Agency Is Genuine

Fake nursing job offers are a real and growing problem. Scammers use the names of real NHS trusts, send convincing offer letters, and then ask for money for a "CoS fee", "visa processing" or "registration support". Before you share documents or pay anything, run these checks:

Search the employer on the Sponsor Checker. If the organisation that will employ you is not on the Home Office register, it cannot sponsor your visa. For hospitals, start with the NHS sponsor list.

Make sure the name matches exactly. The employer on your Certificate of Sponsorship must be the licensed organisation itself, not a similar-sounding company.

Never pay for a job offer or a Certificate of Sponsorship. The UK Code of Practice for international recruitment says employers should not use agencies that charge candidates fees, and it is illegal for agencies based in Great Britain to charge you a work-finding fee.

Check the agency is on the ethical recruiters list. NHS Employers publishes a list of recruitment agencies that follow the Code of Practice. If an agency is not on it, ask why.

Contact the trust directly. Use the phone number or email on the trust's own website, not the one in the offer letter, and ask the international recruitment team to confirm your offer.

Remember that an agency does not sponsor you. The employer does. A genuine agency will always be able to tell you which licensed employer your offer is from.

Step 6: Apply for the Health and Care Worker Visa

Once your employer gives you a Certificate of Sponsorship reference number, you can apply for the Health and Care Worker visa. This is a version of the Skilled Worker visa for eligible health and care staff, and it is cheaper.

What GOV.UK says you need:

A job offer from an approved UK employer and a Certificate of Sponsorship

A salary that meets the minimum for your role. For nurses, this is set by the national pay scales table, by NHS pay band and the area of the UK you will work in

Proof of English. GOV.UK says nurses who passed an English assessment accepted by their regulator usually do not need to prove it again

At least £1,270 in savings held for 28 days in a row, unless your employer confirms on your Certificate of Sponsorship that it will cover your costs for your first month

You can apply up to 3 months before your start date. GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks once you have applied, proved your identity and provided your documents.

Step 7: Pass the OSCE in the UK

The OSCE is the second part of the Test of Competence. It is a practical exam where you move through a set of clinical stations, and it is only held at approved test centres in the UK. Most employers who recruit internationally book or support your OSCE and give you time to prepare after you arrive.

Focus your preparation on UK clinical practice, documentation and the communication stations. These are where many internationally trained nurses lose marks, because the expected style is different from practice in India. Once you pass, you complete your NMC registration and can work fully as a registered nurse.

How Much It Costs

These are the official fees at the time of writing. Check each source before you pay, as fees change.

NMC fees (from the NMC costs page, updated 1 October 2026):

Qualification evaluation fee: £167

CBT, first sitting: £83

OSCE, first sitting: £794

Registration fee: £182

Total: £1,226, plus any resits

Visa costs (from GOV.UK):

Application fee: £324 per person for up to 3 years, or £628 for more than 3 years

No Immigration Health Surcharge on the Health and Care Worker visa

You will also pay for your IELTS or OET test, flights and your first weeks of living costs. Many NHS trusts cover some of these, such as the OSCE fee, visa fee or flights, so ask each employer what their package includes before you accept.

How Long It Takes

There is no fixed timeline, because it depends on how quickly you pass each test and find a sponsored job. These are the time limits that GOV.UK and the NMC do set:

English test results must be no more than two years old when the NMC assesses your full application

You can apply for the visa up to 3 months before your start date

Visa decisions usually take about 3 weeks after your identity check

The fastest way to lose time is to wait until the end to look for a job. Start applying to licensed sponsors once your NMC application is moving.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Paying an agent for a job or a CoS. Genuine UK employers do not sell sponsorship.

Not checking the employer is a licensed sponsor. Check every offer on the Sponsor Checker before you resign from your job in India.

Applying for care worker roles instead of nursing roles. New overseas recruitment into care worker roles has closed. Make sure your offer is for a registered nurse post.

Letting test results expire. Plan your NMC application so your IELTS or OET results are still valid when it is assessed.

Underpreparing for the OSCE. Use the official NMC materials and practise the communication stations, not just clinical skills.

Not reading the contract. Check for repayment clauses if you leave early, and ask what support is included for accommodation and the OSCE.