Home › Nurse pay › Cost to register from overseas

What does it cost to register as a nurse in Australia from overseas?

Estimate the real cost of the internationally-qualified-nurse (IQNM) journey: application, the OBA cognitive exam and OSCE, your English test, and registration. Every fee is from its official source; figures we couldn't confirm to the cent are flagged as estimates. Then see what you'll actually earn once you're registered.

~$6,062Standard (OBA) pathway, first-attempt passes, sitting the OET. The default the breakdown below starts on.

~$1,522Streamlined pathway. No NCLEX-RN or OSCE; the English test and Ahpra fees still apply.

Your situation

Your pathway Standard (OBA) Sit the NCLEX-RN cognitive exam + the OSCE Streamlined For nurses registered & practising in a comparable country (UK, Ireland, USA, Canada [BC/Ontario], New Zealand, Singapore, Spain) with 1,800+ hours since 1 Jan 2017. Skips the NCLEX & OSCE only; you still need an English test and still pay the Ahpra fees. Check the current list on the NMBA standard.

OSCE / exam attempts

Resits cost the full exam fee again; the OSCE is the big one.

English test · the scores you need English test – OET (Nursing) ~$587 English test – IELTS Academic ~$490 English test – PTE Academic ~$490 (est.) English test – exempt / already met

Optional extras Certified (NAATI) translations, if needed ~$90 (est.) Relocation (flights + first weeks) ~$3,000 (est.)

Estimated cost breakdown

Show in

Item	Cost (AUD)
NMBA Self-checkofficialFree; tells you which assessment stages apply. · NMBA Self-check ↗	Free
IQNM assessment & orientation feeofficialNon-refundable IQNM assessment fee (assessment + Orientation Part 1), paid before you can proceed. Confirmed on the official NMBA Self-check page. · NMBA Self-check ↗	$410
Cognitive exam – NCLEX-RNestimateUS$350 total (US$200 exam + US$150 international scheduling), paid in USD to Pearson VUE/NCSBN; must pass before the OSCE. AUD converts with the exchange rate. Per attempt. · NMBA RN examination ↗	$540
OSCE (clinical exam)officialAt an approved Australian site (Adelaide / Melbourne). Per sitting. · NMBA RN examination ↗	$4,000
Application for general registrationofficialOne-off application fee once you're eligible to register. · NMBA fee schedule ↗	$332
Registration fee (first year)officialAnnual NMBA registration once approved ($189 in NSW). · NMBA fee schedule ↗	$193
English test – OET (Nursing)officialOccupational English Test, per sitting. · OET ↗	$587

Estimated total$6,062

This is an estimate: some lines (flagged “estimate”) need confirming on the official site, and your real cost depends on resits, your English-test choice and personal circumstances.

That's the cost. Here's what you'll earn.

Once you're registered, model your actual Australian take-home pay (base, shift & weekend penalties, tax, HECS and packaging) and see how it compares across states.

Nurse take-home pay calculator → Compare nurse pay by state The IQNM OBA pathway, step by step

Free · straight to your inbox Get the cost breakdown + nurse pay updates We'll email you a copy of this breakdown and let you know when registration fees or nurse pay rates change. No spam.

Sources & how this is calculated

Each fee below links to its official source. Lines marked official are confirmed; lines marked estimate we couldn't confirm to the exact cent and should be verified on the official site. Last reviewed: June 2026.

General information, not advice. This is an estimate of published registration fees and the standard pathway for an internationally-qualified nurse; it is not migration, visa, legal, financial or career advice. Fees change; always confirm the current amounts on the official Ahpra / NMBA / exam-provider sites before you rely on them. For visa or migration questions, see a registered migration agent (MARA). Registering with Ahpra/NMBA and the right to work in Australia (a visa, via the Department of Home Affairs) are separate processes; this page covers registration only. Costs exclude things that vary widely by person: visa fees, agency fees, accommodation, and any exam-prep courses.

Last updated: 6 September 2026