Foreign trained nurses who meet the underlisted criteria can apply for registration or enrolment with the Nursing Council of Hong Kong:
1. have attained the minimum age of 21 years for registration or have attained the minimum age of 20 years for enrolment
2. Of good character.
3. possess a valid certificate to practise nursing issued by such certifying body as may be recognized by the Nursing Council of Hong Kong (“the Council”) from time to time as constituting sufficient evidence of his/her competency to practise nursing at the time of his/her application.
4. Completed at least 3 years nursing training for registration and 2 years nursing training for enrolment.
Application procedure:
- The applicant, in the first instance, should download, complete, and submit the applicable registration/ enrolment form. The completed form should be sent to Nursing Council of Hong Kong by post as the Council does not accept electronic applications at the moment. The application forms can be accessed here: Department of Health – Healthcare Professionals – forms (dh.gov.hk)
- The applicant should request the training institute(s) to send us his/her transcript(s) stating clearly the course code, full name and grade/result of each attended subject together with a separate record of detailed breakdowns in theoretical and clinical training hours of each subject. Since some of the required information may not be shown on the transcript(s) of the individual applicant, in order not to delay the application, please also ask the training institute(s) to complete and return to the Council direct the “Verification of Training Details” on pages 6 to 9 of the application form in an official and sealed envelope of the training institute.
- The applicant should also send the “Verification of Original Registration” on page 10 of the application form to the registration authority, which issued his/her original registration/enrolment certificate outside Hong Kong, for completion and returning to the Council direct. Please note that the completed “Verification of Original Registration” must be returned by the registration authority to the Council and in an official and sealed envelope of the issuing authority when it reaches the Council.
- Please note that the applicant’s training institute/registration authority outside Hong Kong may take three to four months’ time on average to complete the “Verification of Training Details/Original Registration” and return them to the Council. The Council will assess the application only when all the required information and documents are provided. Please note that clarification/supporting documents may be required if the provided information is unclear or inadequate. The applicant should take this into account if he/she intends to take up employment as a registered / an enrolled nurse in Hong Kong, particularly within a short period of time.
- Please note that if the bearer’s name on the documentary proofs appears differently, the applicant may be required to approach a statutory body to make a statutory declaration verifying different names appear on the documentary proofs submitted for his/her application are all referring to the same person. The original/notarized copy of the statutory declaration should be sent to the Council for assessment upon request.
- Applications for Part I (General) registration and Part I (General) enrolment are two separate applications. Applicants applying for both registration/enrolment should submit a full set of individual application forms and documentary proofs (including those submitted by the training institute(s) and local registration authority) for each registration/enrolment.
- While applications are processed all year around, only those duly completed applications with all the required documents received by the Council by the end of October each year will be assessed and the applicants concerned will be notified whether they are eligible to sit for the Licensing Examination to be held next year.
- After assessment of the applicant’s qualifications, the Nursing Council will issue a letter outlining the next phase of the registration which is to undertake the examination. The Licensing Examination for registration and enrolment consists of the written and practical parts. There will be no exemption for any part of the Licensing Examination. The applicant must pass the written part before he/she will be allowed to take the practical part, and must pass both parts of the Licensing Examination before he/she can register/enroll with the Council.
- The applicant is required to make his/her first attempt of the Licensing Examination within two years from the date the Council issues its initial approval for sitting the Licensing Examination to him/her. Applications for deferment beyond the two-year limit will normally not be entertained.
- If the applicant fails to pass any part of the Licensing Examination, he/she is required to re-sit the failed part only. Nevertheless, the applicant has to re-sit the failed part within one year from the date of his/her last attempt, except with the special permission of the Council and subject to such conditions as to training or instruction as the Council may impose.
- If the applicant fails to pass the practical part of the Licensing Examination within three years from the date he/she passes the written part, he/she needs to re-sit both the written and practical parts.
- If the applicant fails to pass the Licensing Examination on three occasions, he/she will not be entitled to re-sit the Licensing Examination again without the special permission of the Council. Such applications for special permission should be sent to the Council within two weeks of the date of the result notification letter. Applications received after the two-week period will normally not be entertained. Submission of a fresh application does not mean an applicant will be given further chances to re-sit the Licensing Examination.
- An applicant who successfully completes both practical and theoretical examinations will be allowed to apply for a practising certificate which is renewable every three years.