There isn’t one AHPRA process. Which one applies to you depends on where you qualified and where you’ve worked.
Ask ten nurses how AHPRA registration works and most will describe the same long road: assessment, exams, travel to Australia, and a wait of a year or more.
That is true for some nurses. For others it is an expensive detour, because since April 2025 there are shorter routes that don’t involve NMBA examinations at all.
Which route is yours comes down to four things: where you qualified, where you are registered now, how many hours you have worked as a registered nurse, and when you worked them. Getting that right at the start saves more time and money than anything else in the process.
Start with the Self-check
AHPRA’s online Self-check asks about your qualification, registration history and practice experience, then places you in a stream. That stream decides whether you are on one of the streamlined pathways or the standard assessment.
One thing to know before you rely on the result: AHPRA only confirms eligibility after it has assessed your documents in full. Have your paperwork in order first.
Route 1: Qualified and registered in a comparable jurisdiction (Pathway 1)
In April 2025 the NMBA introduced a registration standard for internationally qualified registered nurses, following the Kruk review of how Australia regulates overseas health practitioners. It created two new pathways. The first is for nurses who trained and registered in a comparable jurisdiction.
Comparable jurisdictions: the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada (British Columbia and Ontario only), Singapore and Spain.
To use this pathway you need:
- a nursing qualification from one of those jurisdictions that led to registration there
- at least 1,800 hours of practice as a registered nurse since 1 January 2017, which is roughly a year of full-time work
- current registration, and every other NMBA registration standard, including English language, criminal history, recency of practice and professional indemnity
If you are eligible, you are registered without NMBA examinations or a qualification upgrade. The NMBA says the process can be completed in one to six months, against nine to twelve for the standard assessment.
The date most nurses misread. For Pathway 1, the 1 January 2017 date applies to your practice hours, not your graduation year. If you qualified in 2012 and have worked in the UK since 2018, you should still be assessed against this route.
There is also a two-part orientation, and Part 2 must be completed within six months of becoming registered.
A note on UK nurses. UK-registered nurses are usually the clearest fit, because UK qualifications map closely to Australian standards. We recently supported a UK-registered nurse with three years of post-qualification experience. With her portfolio and references prepared properly, her registration was issued without any exam. One caution: the standard looks for general registration as an adult nurse. Nurses registered only in mental health, children’s or learning disabilities nursing are unlikely to qualify.
Route 2: Qualified elsewhere, registered first in a comparable jurisdiction (Pathway 2)
This is the route most nurses from India, the Philippines, Nepal and the Gulf haven’t heard of. Pathway 2 is for nurses whose qualification is not from a comparable jurisdiction, but who have since passed that jurisdiction’s own examination process for internationally qualified nurses, gained general registration there and worked in it.
Since 1 January 2017, you need to have:
- completed your nursing qualification
- passed the examination process that led to general registration as a registered nurse in a comparable jurisdiction
- practised for at least 1,800 hours in one of those jurisdictions
Unlike Pathway 1, the qualification date matters here. According to AHPRA’s fact sheet, if you qualified before 1 January 2017 you are not eligible under this pathway, even if everything else fits.
It is also a real commitment, because you would be registering and working in another country first. It makes most sense for nurses who are already planning that move, or already there.
Route 3: The New Zealand route (TTMRA)
New Zealand is not on the comparable-jurisdiction list for a simple reason: experienced nurses registered with the Nursing Council of New Zealand can already move to Australia under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition arrangement. That means mutual recognition instead of a fresh assessment.
For some nurses, registering in New Zealand first is faster than applying to AHPRA directly. It is a two-stage process rather than a shortcut, so it only suits certain profiles, but when it fits, it fits well.
Route 4: The standard assessment pathway (Stream B)
If neither streamlined pathway applies, you go through the NMBA’s outcome-based assessment. That is the case for most nurses trained and working in India, the Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the Gulf states. The steps are:
- Self-check and qualification assessment
- English language evidence, unless you are exempt
- Portfolio and orientation
- A computer-based multiple-choice exam
- A practical clinical exam (OSCE), sat in person in Australia — currently held in Adelaide and Melbourne
It takes longer and costs more, with exam fees and travel to Australia. It is also a complete and reliable route to full registration. How well you prepare is what decides whether you sit each exam once or several times.
English language requirements
Most applicants prove their English in one of two ways.
By test. Results are generally accepted if they were obtained in the two years before you lodge your application. Two flexibilities are worth knowing about. Results from two sittings within a 12-month period can be used in defined circumstances, provided both sittings meet the requirements, and results from different test providers cannot be combined. The writing requirement was also reduced from the equivalent of 7 to 6.5 under the revised standard, which has rescued a lot of applications.
By education. If you completed at least five years of continuous, full-time education taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country, including your nursing qualification, you may not need to sit a test. The NMBA publishes the list of recognised countries and territories — it includes Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and New Zealand. Most nurses trained in India, the Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the Gulf are not covered.
This exemption is based on where you studied, not where you have worked. Practising in an English-speaking country does not earn it on its own.
Score tables and the recognised-country list are updated from time to time, so check AHPRA’s accepted English language tests page before you book anything.
After registration
AHPRA registration is a licence to practise, not a visa. Most nurses go on to an ANMAC skills assessment and a skilled migration visa (subclass 189, 190 or 491) with permanent residency in mind.
Plan both together from the start. Otherwise you can end up with registration in hand and then find the migration side needs documents you should have collected two years earlier. If you want to see roughly where your profile sits on the points test, our Australia PR points calculator works through the current bands factor by factor.
Working with 360Medicare
- A free eligibility check against every route. We don’t assume you belong on the exam pathway.
- Current rules. This area changed a lot in 2025 and keeps changing. Advice based on last year’s process costs real money.
- End-to-end handling. Self-check, portfolio, documents, submission and follow-up with AHPRA and the NMBA.
- Exam preparation when you need it. Structured preparation through our Academy for nurses on the standard pathway.
- Registration and migration together. Registration, skills assessment and PR planned as one sequence.
- Healthcare only, since 2019. Nurses, doctors and allied health professionals, with teams across the UAE, India, the UK and Germany.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to sit NMBA exams to register with AHPRA?
Not necessarily. Nurses who qualify under Pathway 1 or Pathway 2 of the streamlined standard can be registered without NMBA examinations. Nurses who don’t qualify go through the outcome-based assessment, which includes a multiple-choice exam and a practical clinical exam.
Which countries count as comparable jurisdictions?
The United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada (British Columbia and Ontario only), Singapore and Spain.
I’m an Indian-qualified nurse. Which route applies to me?
India is not on the comparable-jurisdiction list, so the standard assessment usually applies. Pathway 2 is a possible alternative if you qualified on or after 1 January 2017 and go on to pass a comparable jurisdiction’s examination process, register there and work 1,800 hours. It is worth knowing about early, because it can shape where you choose to work first.
How many hours do I need for the streamlined pathways?
At least 1,800 hours of registered-nurse practice in a comparable jurisdiction since 1 January 2017. That is roughly a year of full-time work.
Does my graduation year rule me out?
Under Pathway 1, no. The 2017 date applies to your practice hours. Under Pathway 2, yes: your nursing qualification must have been completed on or after 1 January 2017. Get your hours and dates assessed properly before assuming you are ineligible.
Can I avoid IELTS or OET?
Possibly. If you completed five years of continuous education taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country, including your nursing qualification, you may not need a test.
Can I combine two English test attempts?
In defined circumstances, yes. Two sittings within a 12-month period can be used if both meet the requirements. Results from different test providers cannot be combined.
How long does AHPRA registration take?
The standard assessment has typically taken 9 to 12 months, and longer if exams need to be re-sat. The NMBA says eligible streamlined applicants may complete registration in 1 to 6 months. Document quality is the biggest variable you control.
Do I need a job offer before applying?
No. Registration comes first, then employment and migration.
What happens after registration?
Most nurses go on to an ANMAC skills assessment and a skilled migration visa (subclass 189, 190 or 491) toward permanent residency.
Get a free AHPRA eligibility check with 360Medicare →
Checked against NMBA and AHPRA published material in September 2026. Rules and score tables change, so confirm current requirements on ahpra.gov.au before you apply.