Filipino Nurse Going Abroad: Timeline and Costs to Plan For

Filipino Nurse Going Abroad: Timeline and Costs to Plan For

Going overseas as a nurse takes longer and costs more than many candidates expect. The steps below are the ones you'll plan around for each main destination. Exam fees, visa fees and exchange rates change often, so get current amounts from each official source before you budget, and check whether your employer will pay or reimburse them.

Before any destination

• Pass the NLE and get your PRC license
• Build hospital experience: many employers abroad require at least a year or two
• Get your documents in order: transcript, license, certificate of good standing, employment certificates, passport
• Use only licensed recruitment agencies: check the agency's license with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), and ask the DMW what fees an agency may legally charge for your destination before you pay anything
• Pre-departure requirements: DMW registration and the pre-departure orientation seminar before you leave

Saudi Arabia and the UAE (usually the fastest)

Steps, in order

1. Primary source verification of your documents (commonly through DataFlow)
2. The destination's licensing exam (Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, or DOH Abu Dhabi, DHA or MOHAP in the UAE)
3. Job offer and contract
4. Medical exam, visa processing and DMW requirements
5. Deployment

Cost items

• Verification and licensing exam fees
• Medical exam
• Visa and document fees
• Travel to your deployment country

Employers in the Gulf often cover or reimburse many of these costs. Read your contract carefully before you sign.

United States (usually the longest)

Steps, in order

1. Credentials evaluation (commonly through CGFNS)
2. English test, if required for your VisaScreen
3. NCLEX-RN
4. State board license
5. VisaScreen certificate
6. Immigrant visa petition (usually EB-3) and the wait for your priority date
7. Visa interview and deployment

The biggest variable is the immigrant visa wait. Check the US State Department's monthly Visa Bulletin for the current dates for the Philippines.

Cost items

• Credentials evaluation and VisaScreen fees
• NCLEX registration fee
• State board application fees
• Review materials
• Visa fees, medical exam, travel and your first months of living costs

Many US employers and staffing agencies sponsor the visa and cover some costs, often in exchange for a work commitment. Read the contract terms, including any repayment clause if you leave early.

United Kingdom

Steps, in order

1. English test (IELTS or OET at the NMC's required scores)
2. NMC application and the computer-based test (CBT)
3. Job offer from an NHS trust or private employer
4. Health and Care Worker visa
5. The practical exam (OSCE), usually taken after you arrive
6. NMC registration

Cost items

• English test and CBT fees
• OSCE fee and preparation
• NMC application fee
• Visa fee, health surcharge (check whether your visa route is exempt) and travel

Many NHS trusts cover a large share of these costs for international recruits.

Australia

Steps, in order

1. English test
2. Application to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia through Ahpra
3. The outcomes-based assessment for internationally qualified nurses (a written exam and a clinical exam taken in Australia)
4. Registration
5. Employer-sponsored or skilled migration visa

Cost items

• English test
• Ahpra application and assessment fees
• The outcomes-based assessment exams, and travel and accommodation for the clinical exam in Australia
• Visa application fees, medical exam and travel

Australia is usually the most expensive route upfront because the clinical exam is taken in Australia.

Canada

Steps, in order

1. NNAS application (National Nursing Assessment Service)
2. English test
3. Assessment by your chosen provincial regulator (some provinces require a competency assessment)
4. Provincial registration
5. Work permit or permanent residence application

Cost items

• NNAS and provincial regulator fees
• English test
• Competency assessment, if required
• Immigration fees, medical exam and travel

Planning tips

If money is tight

The Middle East is usually the lowest upfront cost and the fastest start, and savings from a first contract often fund a later move.

If permanent residence is the goal

The US, UK, Canada and Australia offer routes to permanent residence, but cost more and take longer.

If staying close to family matters

The Middle East and Singapore are closer, with cheaper trips home.

Budget in pesos, but track the currency

Most fees are charged in foreign currency, so your peso cost moves with the exchange rate. Keep a buffer.

A common path

1. A few years of hospital experience in the Philippines
2. A Middle East contract to build savings and experience
3. Savings fund a move to the US, UK, Canada or Australia
4. Permanent residence abroad

Each step funds the next.

The NLE comes first

Every route starts with a Philippine nursing license. The August 2026 NLE results came out on September 18, 2026 with a 76.69% passing rate. The next NLE is expected in 2027, but PRC hasn't published its 2027 schedule yet.

Where Super Tutor fits

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