Work in the NHS from Overseas
Trained as a nurse, doctor, pharmacist, allied health professional, midwife or dentist outside the UK? This is a plain, honest guide to registering with your profession’s UK regulator and building an NHS career — organised by profession and by country, with the NHS pay and demand data behind it.
To work in a regulated clinical role in the NHS you must join the UK register held by your profession’s regulator, then usually obtain a Skilled Worker (Health and Care) visa. Nurses and midwives register with the NMC, doctors with the GMC, pharmacists with the GPhC, allied health professionals with the HCPC, and dentists with the GDC. Each route typically involves an English-language check, a knowledge and/or practical assessment, and a registration fee. Sources: the UK healthcare regulators, NHS Employers (nhsemployers.org) and gov.uk. Information current as of July 2026; last reviewed 2026-07-03.
This is information, not recruitment. GeraClinic is not a recruitment agency. We do not place, sponsor or charge healthcare professionals, and we do not actively recruit from countries on the WHO 2023 Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List. These pages help individuals who independently choose to explore UK registration; you apply directly to the regulator and to employers yourself.
Pathways by profession
Pick your profession for the full step-by-step route — the exams involved, indicative fees and timelines, and what you would earn. Country links below each card give corridor-specific information for permitted (non-red-list) source countries.
Nurses
The Nursing and Midwifery Council route: English evidence, the computer-based test (CBT), a qualification review and the practical OSCE, then an NMC PIN. NHS nurses normally start on Agenda for Change Band 5.
Read the full pathway →Doctors
The General Medical Council routes to a UK licence to practise. Most international medical graduates take PLAB 1 and 2, evidence their English, then apply for registration and a Skilled Worker (Health and Care) visa.
Read the full pathway →Pharmacists
The General Pharmaceutical Council route for overseas pharmacists: the OSPAP conversion qualification, a foundation training year, the registration assessment, and the NHS / community salary picture.
Read the full pathway →Allied health professionals
Physiotherapists, radiographers, paramedics, occupational therapists, dietitians, speech and language therapists and biomedical scientists register with the Health and Care Professions Council. The international application and evidence requirements explained.
Read the full pathway →Midwives
The separate NMC midwifery Test of Competence, how it differs from the nursing route, the English requirement and OSCE, and the NHS pay bands that apply once you are on the register.
Read the full pathway →By country
Dentists
The General Dental Council route for overseas-qualified dentists: the Overseas Registration Exam (ORE) Parts 1 and 2, registration, and NHS / private practice earnings.
Read the full pathway →By country
General practitioners
The route onto the GMC GP Register for internationally-trained family doctors — the portfolio (CEGPR) route, the GP shortage picture, and NHS GP salaries.
Read the full pathway →What it costs and what you’ll earn
The money questions, answered with real figures sourced from the GMC, NMC, NHS Employers and GOV.UK.
Free tools to plan your move
Check your visa eligibility, estimate your NHS pay and your up-front relocation cost, and get a personalised registration checklist — free, sourced from GOV.UK and NHS Employers.
Health & Care Worker Visa Checker
Check your eligibility in a few questions.
Immigration Salary List Checker
Check whether your role qualifies for sponsorship.
Registration Readiness Checker
A personalised checklist for your regulator.
NHS Pay Calculator
Estimate your Agenda for Change band and take-home pay.
Relocation Cost Estimator
Estimate the up-front cost of moving to the UK.
Relocating to the UK — arrival guide
eVisa, GP registration, National Insurance, council tax and banking, by permitted source country.
NHS CV & Interview Guide
Write an NHS-style CV and prepare for values-based interview questions.
The NHS demand behind the pathways
Where the NHS is short-staffed and what roles pay — free indices built from published NHS and government sources. Context, not a recruitment inducement.
NHS Staff Vacancy Index
Where the NHS staffing gaps are, by staff group and region.
NHS Shortage Specialties
The medical and clinical specialties where the NHS is short-staffed.
NHS Pay Scales 2026/27
Agenda for Change bands and the doctors’ pay scales, with indicative salaries.
All NHS Data Indices
The full set of 17 NHS and CQC data indices — waits, access, workforce and quality.
Frequently asked questions
Can I work in the NHS if I trained overseas?+
Yes, if you join the UK register held by your profession’s regulator and meet its English-language and assessment requirements. Nurses and midwives register with the NMC, doctors with the GMC, pharmacists with the GPhC, allied health professionals with the HCPC, and dentists with the GDC. You apply directly, of your own accord, to the regulator and to licensed employers — most NHS clinical roles also require a Skilled Worker (Health and Care) visa.
Is GeraClinic a healthcare recruitment agency?+
No. GeraClinic and Gera do not recruit, place or sponsor healthcare workers, do not match you to specific NHS vacancies, and never charge a professional a placement fee. These pages are free, general pathway information for people exploring UK registration on their own.
Do you cover every country?+
We publish country-specific pathway pages only for source countries that are not on the WHO 2023 Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List and not on the UK red list — for example India, the Philippines, Egypt, the UAE, and EEA / Ireland. If your country is on the safeguards list, the general regulator pathway still applies and you may always apply to a UK employer directly, on your own account; we do not build targeted recruitment funnels for those corridors.
How much does it cost, and what will I earn?+
Costs and pay differ by profession. Our free, sourced answer pages cover PLAB costs, NHS Band 5/6/7 salaries, the Health and Care Worker visa cost, and what nurses and doctors earn — with figures from the GMC, NMC, NHS Employers and GOV.UK. Always confirm current fees and pay with the named source, as they change.
Is any of this immigration or legal advice?+
No. Everything here is general information summarising publicly available guidance from the UK regulators, NHS Employers and gov.uk. Fees, tests and visa rules change and differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Always confirm current requirements with the relevant regulator and, for visa questions, a qualified immigration adviser before making decisions.
Important — please read
This page is general information, not immigration, legal or careers advice, and does not create any professional relationship. GeraClinic is not a recruitment agency and does not actively recruit healthcare workers from countries on the WHO 2023 Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List. Regulator requirements, exam formats, fees and visa rules change over time and differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Always confirm the current position directly with the relevant UK regulator (NMC, GMC, GPhC, HCPC or GDC), NHS Employers and gov.uk before making decisions.