How do I become a midwife in the UK?
By Gemma Raw
Currently, there are around 25,000 registered midwives working in the UK who provide care and support to expectant parents before, during and after the arrival of their baby.
As a protected title, anyone wanting to work as a midwife in the UK must first register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). To qualify for registration, you must have successfully completed an NMC-approved education programme on midwifery and meet the NMC requirements on character and health. So, what does all this mean for international midwives looking to make the move to the UK? What qualifications must you have and what steps must you take?
Why become a midwife in the UK?
Before we explore the steps to becoming a midwife in the UK, it’s a good idea for you to know what the opportunities for employment are like and the type of setting you could be working in.
Vacancy rates vary across the UK but the latest NHS data shows that there are around 8,000 full-time midwife vacancies. This is good news for suitably qualified and experienced international midwives.
If you’re wondering how much you can expect to earn per year as a midwife, the average pay is £37,107 but how much you earn all depends on your level of experience, which is grouped into Bands. The entry level for a midwife is usually Band 5 and can go all the way up to Band 8a-c (a Midwife Consultant). Along the way, there are clear paths for career progression and plenty of opportunities for you to progress your continual professional development (CPD) – training and knowledge.
How do you become a midwife in the UK?
As we mentioned above, if you are moving from another country to become a UK midwife, you must register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) who welcome international applicants.
As you would expect, you must meet certain criteria to register with the NMC. You must have successfully completed NMC approved midwifery training and meet its good health and character requirements.
What steps will you need to take?
To make it easier to welcome international midwives, the NMC launched a new step-by-step registration process in October 2019, as follows:
Make sure you are familiar with the forms and the process before you begin
Prepare your evidence (Identity, qualifications, health, character and confirmation of professional indemnity cover)
Complete your eligibility and qualification application
Take the competency test and English language test (more on this in a moment)
Complete your registration (after you have passed the competency test)
Submit your application for evaluation (you’ll usually have an answer from the NMC within 30 days)
How do you prove your competency as a midwife?
Your competency to work as a midwife in the UK will be determined by several factors. The first thing to consider is where you currently practice and did your training. If you are arriving from an EU country, EU General and Midwifery qualifications will be recognised up until the end of 2022. If your qualifications meet the NMC’s requirements for automatic recognition, you will not need to take a test.
If you do not hold a UK or European qualification, you will need to take the NMC’s competency test. The competency test is nothing to fear. It’s simply there to assess your skills and knowledge as a midwife. The test is split into two parts; a multiple-choice computer based test (CBT) and a practical test (OSCE). Both tests must be completed within two years of each other, and you can sit them in whatever order you prefer. Once passed, your Test of Competence remains valid for five years.
Actually, the NMC has a useful guide you can download to help you understand what is expected of you within the test.
What level of English will you need?
As we mentioned above, English language testing is an essential requirement for successfully registering with the NMC. Before you can register, you’ll have to show one of the following:
That you have achieved the required score on one of the NMC approved English Language tests
A pre-registration midwife qualification taught and examined in English
A recent practice of at least 12 months in a majority English-speaking country
What should you do once you’ve registered?
Whether you’ve already registered with the NMC or not, it’s a good idea to start talking to our international recruitment team as soon as possible. We can support you with your registration, finding a great midwife job and guide and support you through the entire relocation process. We’ll even find you somewhere to live, arrange flights, meet you at the airport and help you settle in.
Our job is to make it as easy and quick as possible for you to relocate to the UK.
Dreaming of moving to the UK but unsure on the requirements for overseas workers? We're here to help. Get in touch with our international team today.
