Official-body pillar · NMBA / Ahpra
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia / Ahpra
The NMBA sets the registration standards and Ahpra processes the applications. The mandatory Self-check works out which assessment pathway or stream applies to you.
Source reviewedEdited by Alex KReviewed as of
The role
What this body does
Australia-wide nursing regulator and registration administrator
Jurisdiction boundary
Where this role applies
Australia-wide professional registration
The role stops at that scope. Licensing, registration, immigration, work authorisation, and eligibility decisions belong to other bodies.
Applicability
Who needs this body, pathway by pathway
- Every NMBI registrant thinking about nursing practice in Australia, before contacting Ahpra, an employer or a migration agent. For Separate NMBA and Home Affairs tracks in Registered Nurse: Ireland to Australia.
- All NMBI-registered nurses, whether trained in Ireland or trained elsewhere and later registered by NMBI, before any application or booking. For Complete the Ahpra Self-check first in Registered Nurse: Ireland to Australia.
- Nurses whose Self-check outcome names Pathway 1, or who want to check their Irish qualification and practice record against its conditions beforehand. For Check Pathway 1 for Irish nurses in Registered Nurse: Ireland to Australia.
- Nurses whose original qualification comes from outside an approved comparable jurisdiction and whose Self-check outcome names Pathway 2. For Check Pathway 2 if trained elsewhere in Registered Nurse: Ireland to Australia.
- Nurses whose Self-check outcome names an assessment stream instead of a streamlined pathway. For Follow the stream Ahpra assigns in Registered Nurse: Ireland to Australia.
- All applicants, on every pathway and stream. For Meet the NMBA registration standards in Registered Nurse: Ireland to Australia.
- Applicants whose Self-check steps are complete and whose portal now shows they may apply. For Apply to the NMBA and do orientation in Registered Nurse: Ireland to Australia.
- Every internationally qualified nurse considering registration and work in Australia. For Keep professional registration and immigration separate in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway.
- Every internationally qualified registered nurse starting the NMBA/Ahpra process. For Complete the mandatory Ahpra Self-check in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway.
- Applicants whose Self-check and evidence satisfy every Pathway 1 condition. For Follow streamlined Pathway 1 if Self-check identifies it in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway.
- Applicants whose later comparable-jurisdiction registration and practice history satisfies every Pathway 2 element. For Follow streamlined Pathway 2 if Self-check identifies it in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway.
- Applicants whose Self-check result assigns Stream A. For Complete Stream A assessment if assigned in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway.
- Applicants whose Self-check assigns Stream B and who have not received an accepted examination exemption. For Complete the Stream B portfolio and examinations if assigned in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway.
- Applicants whose Self-check or qualification assessment assigns Stream C. For Obtain qualification upgrading if Stream C is assigned in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway.
- Every applicant, with exact evidence determined by facts and the current standards. For Meet English, recency, criminal-history and document standards in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway.
- Applicants who have completed the assessment and examination stages assigned to them. For Submit the registration application and complete orientation in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway.
- Every NMC-registered nurse considering practice in Australia, before contacting either authority. For Understand that registration and immigration are separate processes in Registered Nurse: United Kingdom to Australia.
- All internationally qualified registered nurses, including those registered with the NMC, before any application or assessment booking. For Complete the mandatory Ahpra Self-check in Registered Nurse: United Kingdom to Australia.
- Nurses whose Self-check outcome indicates Pathway 1, or who are checking their evidence against its conditions before completing the Self-check. For Check whether Pathway 1 applies to you in Registered Nurse: United Kingdom to Australia.
- Nurses whose initial qualification was gained outside an approved comparable jurisdiction and whose Self-check outcome indicates Pathway 2. For Check whether Pathway 2 applies to you in Registered Nurse: United Kingdom to Australia.
- Nurses whose Self-check outcome assigns an assessment stream instead of a streamlined pathway. For Follow your assigned assessment stream if no streamlined pathway applies in Registered Nurse: United Kingdom to Australia.
- All applicants, on every pathway and stream. For Meet the core registration standards in Registered Nurse: United Kingdom to Australia.
- Applicants who have completed the steps their Self-check outcome required and are ready to apply. For Apply for registration and complete orientation in Registered Nurse: United Kingdom to Australia.
Connected pathway pages
Connected process steps
- Separate NMBA and Home Affairs tracks in Registered Nurse: Ireland to Australia: Start with the correct frame, so that no plan rests on an assumed transfer of Irish registration or on a combined registration-and-visa process. Scope: Australia (national NMBA registration; Commonwealth immigration law). Applies to applicants registered with NMBI in Ireland.. Verified .
- Complete the Ahpra Self-check first in Registered Nurse: Ireland to Australia: Get Ahpra's routing decision before spending money or time on any assessment. Scope: Australia (national). Applies to all internationally qualified registered nurse applicants, including NMBI registrants.. Verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Completing the Self-check Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Steps after Self-check Source verified .
- Check Pathway 1 for Irish nurses in Registered Nurse: Ireland to Australia: Understand what Pathway 1 requires so you can read your Self-check outcome in context and line up the evidence if it applies. Scope: Australia (national). Pathway conditions refer to the NMBA-approved comparable jurisdictions, which include the Republic of Ireland.. Verified .
- Check Pathway 2 if trained elsewhere in Registered Nurse: Ireland to Australia: Understand the Pathway 2 chain of conditions, which matters for the many NMBI registrants who first qualified in India, the Philippines or another country outside the approved list. Scope: Australia (national). Relevant to applicants whose initial qualification was gained outside an approved comparable jurisdiction and who later registered with NMBI.. Verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and Ahpra: Registration standard: General registration for internationally qualified registered nurses Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland: Qualified Outside the EU: applying for registration in one or more divisions of the Register Source verified .
- Follow the stream Ahpra assigns in Registered Nurse: Ireland to Australia: Complete the right assessments in the right order, as the portal directs, instead of guessing from other people's experience. Scope: Australia (national). Applies to applicants routed to Stream A, B or C.. Verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Completing the Self-check Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Steps after Self-check Source verified .
- Meet the NMBA registration standards in Registered Nurse: Ireland to Australia: Assemble evidence for each standard early, in the form the regulator accepts, so the application is not held up later. Scope: Australia (national). Standards apply uniformly across states and territories under the one NMBA registration.. Verified .
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency: International criminal history checks Source verified .
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency: Accepted English language tests Source verified .
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency: Translating documents Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: English language skills registration standard (nurses and midwives) Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Registration standard: Recency of practice Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Qualification and registration requirements Source verified .
- Apply to the NMBA and do orientation in Registered Nurse: Ireland to Australia: Turn completed pathway or stream outcomes into a decided registration. Scope: Australia (national). A granted registration covers all states and territories.. Verified .
- Keep professional registration and immigration separate in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway: Sort out national registration first, and treat permission to work as its own decision. Scope: Australia-wide professional registration and separate federal immigration. Verified .
- Complete the mandatory Ahpra Self-check in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway: Let the official tool route you from your full history instead of guessing your branch. Scope: Australia-wide internationally qualified nurse routing. Verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Fees for nurses and midwives Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and Ahpra: Registration standard: General registration for internationally qualified registered nurses Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Completing the Self-check Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Steps after Self-check Source verified .
- Follow streamlined Pathway 1 if Self-check identifies it in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway: Use Pathway 1 only if your comparable-jurisdiction chain is complete. Scope: Australia-wide streamlined Pathway 1. Verified .
- Follow streamlined Pathway 2 if Self-check identifies it in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway: Claim Pathway 2 only with the full chain: the exam, general registration in the comparable jurisdiction, then the practice hours after that registration. Scope: Australia-wide streamlined Pathway 2. Verified .
- Complete Stream A assessment if assigned in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway: Work through Stream A as its own branch; the streamlined pathways have different rules. Scope: Australia-wide Stream A assessment. Verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Fees for nurses and midwives Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Steps after Self-check Source verified .
- Complete the Stream B portfolio and examinations if assigned in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway: Follow the evidence and examination branch for a relevant but non-equivalent qualification. Scope: Australia-wide Stream B assessment and examinations. Verified .
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing and Pearson VUE: Fees and Payment Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Fees for nurses and midwives Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Multiple-choice question exam Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Objective Structured Clinical Exam Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Portfolio Source verified .
- Obtain qualification upgrading if Stream C is assigned in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway: Follow the sourced post-Self-check branch without guessing an education path, price or duration. Scope: Australia-wide Stream C qualification upgrading. Verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Steps after Self-check Source verified .
- Meet English, recency, criminal-history and document standards in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway: Clear the standards every branch shares before the final registration decision. Scope: Australia-wide professional registration standards. Verified .
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency: International criminal history checks Source verified .
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency: Accepted English language tests Source verified .
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency: Translating documents Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Registration standard: Recency of practice Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Qualification and registration requirements Source verified .
- Submit the registration application and complete orientation in Philippines to Australia registered nurse pathway: Take the file from assessment to the national registration decision, then finish orientation. Scope: Australia-wide professional registration. Verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Applying for registration Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Fees for nurses and midwives Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Orientation to health care in Australia Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Registration application stages Source verified .
- Understand that registration and immigration are separate processes in Registered Nurse: United Kingdom to Australia: Set an accurate starting frame so plans are not built on the assumption of a registration transfer or a combined registration-and-visa process. Scope: Australia (national NMBA registration; Commonwealth immigration law). Applies to United Kingdom-registered applicants.. Verified .
- Complete the mandatory Ahpra Self-check in Registered Nurse: United Kingdom to Australia: Obtain the official routing decision that governs every later step of the registration process. Scope: Australia (national). Applies to all internationally qualified registered nurse applicants.. Verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Completing the Self-check Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Steps after Self-check Source verified .
- Check whether Pathway 1 applies to you in Registered Nurse: United Kingdom to Australia: Understand the Pathway 1 conditions so you can read your Self-check outcome in context and gather the right evidence if it applies. Scope: Australia (national). Pathway conditions reference approved comparable jurisdictions, which include the United Kingdom under the standard in effect.. Verified .
- Check whether Pathway 2 applies to you in Registered Nurse: United Kingdom to Australia: Understand the Pathway 2 conditions, which are relevant to some NMC registrants who originally trained outside the UK. Scope: Australia (national). Relevant to applicants whose initial qualification was gained outside an approved comparable jurisdiction.. Verified .
- Follow your assigned assessment stream if no streamlined pathway applies in Registered Nurse: United Kingdom to Australia: Complete the correct assessments in the correct order, as directed by the portal, rather than by assumption. Scope: Australia (national). Applies to applicants routed to Stream A, B or C.. Verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Steps after Self-check Source verified .
- Meet the core registration standards in Registered Nurse: United Kingdom to Australia: Assemble evidence for the standards early, in forms the regulator accepts, so the later application is not delayed. Scope: Australia (national). Standards apply uniformly across states and territories under the one NMBA registration.. Verified .
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency: International criminal history checks Source verified .
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency: Accepted English language tests Source verified .
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency: Translating documents Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Registration standard: Recency of practice Source verified .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Qualification and registration requirements Source verified .
- Apply for registration and complete orientation in Registered Nurse: United Kingdom to Australia: Convert completed pathway or stream outcomes into a decided registration application. Scope: Australia (national). A granted registration covers all states and territories.. Verified .
Connected official evidence
Fees, timing, and other official information
Official fee facts
- AUD 193 — Annual registration fee outside the stated New South Wales rebate; effective .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Fees for nurses and midwives Source verified .
- AUD 410 — Conditional IQNM assessment and Orientation Part 1 fee (conditional or optional); effective .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Fees for nurses and midwives Source verified .
- AUD 4,000 — Conditional Stream B OSCE fee per sitting (conditional or optional); effective .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Fees for nurses and midwives Source verified .
- AUD 332 — General registration application fee; effective .
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Fees for nurses and midwives Source verified .
Published timing information
No confirmed duration is shown for this body. Check the official source directly; no end-to-end estimate is inferred.
Other official information
- 450 hours within the previous five years — Current general recency-of-practice hours subject to listed alternatives; effective .
- At least 1,800 hours — Minimum Pathway 1 RN practice in an approved comparable jurisdiction; effective .
- At least 1,800 hours — Minimum Pathway 2 RN practice after comparable-jurisdiction registration; effective .
- 2017-01-01 — Earliest date from which Pathway 1 comparable-jurisdiction RN practice is counted; effective .
- 2017-01-01 — Earliest qualifying education date for Pathway 2; effective .
Connected-step cautions
Common mistakes in connected steps
- Assuming that an Irish registration converts into Australian registration on arrival
- Reading an Ahpra decision as a visa outcome, or a visa grant as permission to practise
- Leaving an Irish post before either authority has decided
- Skipping the Self-check because a colleague from the same Irish hospital received a particular outcome
- Entering approximate NMBI registration dates that later conflict with the Certificate of Current Professional Status
- Paying for assessments before the outcome is issued
- Assuming every NMBI registrant automatically qualifies for Pathway 1
- Counting practice before 1 January 2017, or practice in a jurisdiction that is not approved
- Relying on a qualification gained in one country and registration gained in another without checking how the standard treats that combination
- Assuming that NMBI registration itself counts as a qualifying regulatory examination
- Counting hours worked before 1 January 2017, or outside the approved jurisdictions
- Choosing between Pathway 1 and Pathway 2 yourself instead of following the Self-check outcome
- Booking examinations or paying assessment fees before the portal confirms which ones apply
- Treating another applicant's stream, costs or timeline as a forecast for your own
- Quoting a total cost or duration for a stream when neither is published as a single figure
- Sitting an English test that is not on Ahpra's accepted list, or letting results expire before applying
- Ordering criminal history checks for the wrong countries or through providers Ahpra has not specified
- Submitting untranslated or partially translated documents
- Requesting NMBI or NMC evidence so early that it lapses before assessment
- Leaving a previous UK or other registration out of the application
- Treating Orientation Part 1 and Part 2 as optional extras
- Choosing a visa route as though it determines the NMBA assessment stream.
- Automatically assigning every Philippines-trained nurse to Stream B.
- Treating Self-check as a registration approval.
- Using practice in a comparable jurisdiction without the qualifying same-jurisdiction education and registration chain.
- Treating NCLEX-RN passage without general registration and qualifying practice as sufficient.
- Treating Stream A as automatic registration.
- Gathering registration evidence for the portfolio when the qualification assessment never asked for it.
- Equating an NCLEX result with streamlined Pathway 2 eligibility.
- Budgeting the unknown upgrade cost as zero because no number is published.
- Assuming Philippine education automatically meets the English pathway.
- Using an unapproved criminal-history supplier or untranslated non-English document.
- Treating an in-principle outcome as permission to practise before identity and registration are complete.
- Assuming NMC registration converts automatically into Australian registration
- Treating an Ahpra registration decision as a visa outcome, or a visa grant as permission to practise
- Resigning from a UK post before either process has produced a decision
- Skipping the Self-check because a colleague with a similar background received a particular outcome
- Entering approximate qualification or registration dates that later conflict with documentary evidence
- Booking assessments or paying fees before the outcome is issued
- Assuming every NMC-registered nurse automatically qualifies for Pathway 1
- Counting practice hours worked before 1 January 2017 or in jurisdictions that are not approved comparable jurisdictions
- Assuming any NMC test or overseas registration route counts as a qualifying regulatory examination
- Counting practice hours worked before the registration gained through the examination
- Booking examinations or paying assessment fees before the portal confirms which apply to you
- Using another applicant's stream, costs or timeline as a guide to your own
- Estimating total cost or duration for a stream when neither is fixed or published as a single figure
- Requesting NMC good-standing evidence so early that it lapses before assessment
- Omitting registration held with other regulators from the application
- Overlooking Orientation Part 1 and Part 2 or leaving them until they block progress
Questions about this official body
- What decides which Australian assessment pathway or stream I get?
- The mandatory Self-check works that out. The NMBA sets the registration standards and Ahpra administers the applications.
Evidence record
Official source ledger
Each entry records who published the source, what it covers, and when it was last checked.
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
International criminal history checks
- Scope
- Australia-wide professional registration
- Last verified
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
Accepted English language tests
- Scope
- Australia-wide professional registration
- Last verified
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
Translating documents
- Scope
- Australia-wide professional registration
- Last verified
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing and Pearson VUE
Fees and Payment
- Scope
- United States and Canada NCLEX administration
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Applying for registration
- Scope
- Australia-wide professional registration
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
English language skills registration standard (nurses and midwives)
- Scope
- Australia-wide registration standard
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Fees for nurses and midwives
- Scope
- Australia-wide professional registration; schedule effective 2025-09-18
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and Ahpra
Registration standard: General registration for internationally qualified registered nurses
- Scope
- Australia-wide professional registration; standard effective 2025-04-23
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Immigration and employment in Australia
- Scope
- Australia-wide professional registration
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Multiple-choice question exam
- Scope
- Australia-wide internationally qualified nurse assessment
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Orientation to health care in Australia
- Scope
- Australia-wide professional registration
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Objective Structured Clinical Exam
- Scope
- Australia-wide internationally qualified nurse assessment
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Portfolio
- Scope
- Australia-wide internationally qualified nurse assessment
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Registration standard: Recency of practice
- Scope
- Australia-wide professional registration
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Qualification and registration requirements
- Scope
- Australia-wide professional registration
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Registration application stages
- Scope
- Australia-wide professional registration
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Completing the Self-check
- Scope
- Australia-wide internationally qualified nurse routing
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia
Steps after Self-check
- Scope
- Australia-wide internationally qualified nurse routing
- Last verified
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland
Qualified Outside the EU: applying for registration in one or more divisions of the Register
- Scope
- Ireland professional registration
- Last verified
The NMBA sets the registration standards and Ahpra processes the applications. The mandatory Self-check works out which assessment pathway or stream applies to you.