Guides · Abroad
Working abroad as a Kenyan nurse
Kenyan nursing qualifications do travel — through a defined, slow, expensive process. Here is what the UK and the USA actually ask for, in the order they ask for it.
There is a real global shortage of nurses, and Kenyan-trained nurses are recruited into it. But no country simply accepts a Kenyan qualification: each one re-tests you. Understanding the sequence before you start saves both money and false hope.
One thing is true everywhere: you need to be registered with the Nursing Council of Kenya with a current licence. Foreign regulators verify your status directly with the NCK in Nairobi. Your Kenyan registration is the foundation of the whole thing — see Becoming a registered nurse.
United Kingdom — the NMC route
To practise in the UK you must be on the register of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
1. Prove your English
IELTS or OET, at the level the NMC sets. This is a hard gate, and the required scores are higher than many people assume.
2. Qualification assessment
The NMC evaluates your Kenyan training and NCK registration against UK standards.
3. The CBT
A computer-based test of nursing knowledge, taken before you travel.
4. The OSCE
A practical clinical exam, taken in the UK — so it normally happens after an employer has sponsored your visa. Real scenarios, examined in person.
5. Your PIN
Pass the OSCE and you are registered, and issued a PIN. Only then can you practise as a registered nurse.
The usual sequence is: English test and CBT in Kenya, a job offer with sponsorship, then travel, then the OSCE. Be cautious of any agent who reverses that order or asks for large fees up front.
United States — CGFNS and the NCLEX
The USA has no single national nursing regulator. Each state has its own board, and you apply to the state you intend to work in.
1. Credential evaluation
Usually through CGFNS, which authenticates your qualification, verifies your licence with the NCK directly, and checks your training against US content requirements.
2. VisaScreen
A federal immigration requirement for healthcare workers — proof that your education, licence and English are comparable to a US graduate’s.
3. Apply to a State Board
Each state board sets its own rules and decides your eligibility for licensure.
4. Authorisation to Test
Once approved, the board issues an ATT, which lets you book the exam.
5. The NCLEX-RN
A computer-adaptive exam, and the definitive requirement. It can be sat at international test centres, so you do not necessarily need to be in the USA first.
Being realistic about it
- It takes time. Think in terms of a year or more from starting to practising, not weeks.
- It costs money. English tests, credential evaluation, exam fees, visas — each stage has its own fee, and they are paid in foreign currency.
- Your Kenyan registration must be current throughout. A lapsed licence stalls the whole process.
- Requirements change. Both countries adjust their rules; always check the regulator’s own site, not an agent’s summary.
- Be careful with agents. Verify anyone charging you against the regulator’s published process. The steps above are public information — nobody needs to sell them to you.
We teach to the Kenyan standard and to NCK requirements. That is what makes your qualification portable in the first place — but the overseas process itself is between you and that country’s regulator, and we do not place graduates abroad or partner with recruitment agents.
Where this comes from
We publish our sources so you can check us.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (UK) — registering if you trained outside the UK: nmc.org.uk
- CGFNS International — credential evaluation and VisaScreen: cgfns.org
- Nursing Council of Kenya — registration and licensing (verified by foreign regulators): nckenya.org
Last reviewed 11 August 2026. Rules change — if you are reading this well after that date, confirm with the authority named before you act on it.
This is a guide, not the rule book. Kenya’s qualification rules change, and the regulator always wins. Every page here names its sources and the date we last checked them — verify anything that decides your money or your career directly with the authority named, or ask us and we will check it with you.
Still not sure where you fit?
Send one short form with your grade and we will tell you exactly what you qualify for — on the phone, with a person.