Nurses: English without a test for Ahpra and the NMC, Qatar's NCLEX limit, Bahrain's GCC exemption
Ahpra accepts nursing and two years of secondary education taught and assessed in English in its recognised countries instead of a test, and the NMC a year of registered practice in the last two years in a majority-English-speaking country; Qatar's DHP lets an NCLEX-RN pass replace its exam only within five years, and Bahrain's NHRA exempts GCC nationals with a GCC licence from its exam.
Checked 23 Oct 2026 · Ahpra ↗
- Who it affects
- Nurses in the UK, Australia, Qatar and Bahrain
The four rules
| Australia (Ahpra) | At least two years of secondary education taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country, and the qualifications for the profession taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom (NMC) | At least one year of registered practice as a nurse or midwife in a country where English is a majority spoken language, within the two years before the NMC considers the completed application, while registered with that country's regulator and having completed an English language assessment as part of that registration; unregistered roles do not count |
| Qatar (DHP) | Prometric qualifying examination; NCLEX-RN passed within the last five years exempts |
| Bahrain (NHRA) | Applies to some nurses; exempt are master's degree holders, GCC nationals with a GCC licence, and anyone with five years' clinical experience |
What it means for you
Ahpra's combined education pathway and the NMC's recent-practice route now count as English evidence when the facts fit; a Qatar NCLEX-RN pass counts only for five years; GCC nationals with a GCC licence skip Bahrain's exam.
Australia (NMBA / Ahpra)
We read the English language skills registration standard in full. It has four pathways: combined education, school education, advanced education and the test. The combined education pathway now counts on your plan: a nursing qualification taught and assessed in English in one of Ahpra's 30 recognised countries, plus at least two years of secondary school in English in a recognised country, and no test is needed. A nurse trained in the UK or Ireland who also went to school there stops seeing the test step. The school education pathway (ten years of schooling in English) and the advanced education pathway (six years of education in English including a degree, finished within two years) cannot be read from a profile, so they are described but not applied. South Africa left the recognised list on 18 March 2026.
United Kingdom (NMC)
A year of registered practice in the last two years in a majority-English-speaking country, with English assessed when you registered there, counts as English evidence. The plan reads it as a full registration in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or the United States plus your word that you practised there for a year.
Qatar (DHP)
An NCLEX-RN pass replaces the Prometric exam only when it is less than five years old. The check now asks for the month you passed; an undated pass is still counted.
Bahrain (NHRA)
GCC nationals who hold a valid licence from a GCC regulator are exempt from the Bahrain Licensure Examination. The plan reads it from your passport and the licence you say you hold.
What to do next
Tell us where you trained, your English and the countries you want, and we show which steps you have left in each, with every fee and how long it takes.
Sources
- Ahpra: Registration standard: English language skills (approved 14 November 2024; the four pathways and the recognised countries) ↗
- NMC: Recent practice in English (a year of registered practice in a majority-English-speaking country as evidence) ↗
- DHP (Qatar): Guidelines for Nurses ↗
- NHRA: Healthcare professional licensing standards, nurses, v1.0 (17 March 2017) ↗
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