Overseas Nurses Programme (ONP)

From September 2005, all applicants who apply to the NMC for registration and following assessment will be required to undertake an Overseas Nursing Programme (ONP) to achieve registration. This standard is to ensure consistency and transparency in preparing applicants for registration in the UK.

Application to the Overseas Nurses Programme (ONP) requires a satisfactory English language test (IELT) overall band score of 6.5 on the academic version. Applicants will be required to produce evidence that this score has been achieved, prior to making an application to an approved educational institution offering the programme.

All applicants who apply for registration as a nurse and who meet NMC minimum requirements will be required to undertake all or part of the Overseas Nurses Programme (ONP). The ONP sets out common entry standards, a compulsory 20-day period of protected learning for all nurses trained outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and, where appropriate, a period of supervised practice. There will first be a thorough assessment of the skills and experience of each applicant. Every applicant will have to pass the specified international English language test before they can apply to go onto the ONP.

Applicants whose education and practice skills need more training or education to bring them up to UK standards will, on top of the 20 days, have to do a specified period of supervised practice in a practice setting approved for the purpose. This will be for at least three months and, at most, nine months.

The NMC Overseas Nurses Programme includes competencies that must be met for entry to the register; these are comparable with the competencies required of UK entrants to the register. Where applicants have education and practice experience that closely maps against UK requirements for entry to the register, they will be recognised as having met the competencies and only required to undertake the 20 days of protected learning.

For more information please contact our consultants on

Freecall: 1800 633 128 (Aus) or Freecall: 0800 935 935 (NZ)

Or visit the NMC website: www.nmc-uk.org