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🇦🇺 Australia · Nurses from the Philippines

How to work as a nurse in Australia from the Philippines

A nurse from the Philippines registers with Ahpra in 7 steps over about 18 months, with AUD 5,115 + US$350 in published fees, and one thing is different from the Philippines: the Department of Migrant Workers' Overseas Employment Certificate.

Checked 23 Oct 2026 · Ahpra ↗

What is different from the Philippines

If your passport is from the Philippines

What do I need from the Department of Migrant Workers?

A DMW (formerly POEA) clearance and an Overseas Employment Certificate, valid 60 days from issue and used once.

Direct hiring is prohibited except by the diplomatic corps, international organisations and senior government officials, and by others the administration allows, including employers of professionals and skilled workers on verified contracts above POEA standards (no more than five first-time hires) and relatives who are permanent residents of the host country.

Your steps, in order

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia · ~18 months · 7 steps
  1. 1
    Current registration as a nurse in your country of training or practice
    Source ↗
  2. 2
    Bachelor-level nursing qualification (Stream A or B); a diploma is routed to Stream C, an upgrade to an Australian Bachelor (AQF 7)
    Source ↗
  3. 3
    English (tests from 23 April 2026): IELTS 7 overall with 6.5 writing and 7 elsewhere; OET 350 (360 in reading and speaking); PTE 63; TOEFL 91. Two sittings within 12 months may be combined; results are valid two years
    you pay · Source ↗
  4. 4
    Complete the Self-check, pay the IQNM assessment fee and finish Orientation Part 1
    ~AUD 640 · you pay · Source ↗
  5. 5
    Stream B: pass the NCLEX-RN (the OBA multiple-choice exam) at a Pearson VUE centre: USD 200 to register plus USD 150 at any centre outside the US, Australia's included; registration rises to USD 350 on 1 February 2027. Stream A skips the exams
    ~AUD 525 · you pay · Source ↗
  6. 6
    Stream B: pass the OSCE in Adelaide (plus travel); Stream A skips the exams
    ~AUD 4,000 · you pay · Source ↗
  7. 7
    Overseas Employment Certificate from the Department of Migrant Workers, through a DMW-licensed recruitment agency or an employer the DMW allows to hire directly (Filipino workers)
    who pays varies · Source ↗

The published fees leave out the English test and the visa or work permit.

What to do next

Tell us about your training, your registration and your experience, and we show which of Ahpra's steps you have left, with each fee and how long it takes.

Sources

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