Returning to Ireland and working in healthcare

If you have worked abroad in the medical field and are returning to Ireland, there are a range of professional opportunities available.

This page covers information about registration and qualification recognition for nurses, midwives, doctors, and other professions, so you can smoothly transition into work when you are back.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) regulates the nursing and midwifery professions in Ireland and has a Register of Nurses and Midwives.

If you would like to work as a nurse or midwife when you are back in Ireland, there are two processes you need to complete:

• Recognition of qualifications. This involves comparing your qualifications with Irish educational standards and requirements
• Registration

To complete both processes, you need to set up an account on MyNMBI.

Recognition of qualifications

You need to upload several documents as part of the recognition of qualifications process:

• A certified copy of your passport
• A certified copy of your qualification
• Other relevant training
• A certificate of your current professional status (sometimes called a ‘certificate of good standing’) for every location where you are currently, or were previously, registered
• Official translations for any documents that are not in English

You also need to download an employment form and a qualification form from the application portal.

You should send the employment form to employers to complete.

You should send the qualification to your college or university to complete, and they should also provide transcripts. After you have received the completed forms, upload them into your application.

Registration

For registration, you need to provide evidence you are competent in the English language. There are 3 ways you can show this. You may have:

• Completed nursing or midwifery training in an NMBI-recognised majority English speaking country
• Registered and practised in an NMBI recognised majority English speaking country for 3 years within the last 5 years
• Completed the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (Academic) or Occupational English Test (OET) to the minimum scores accepted by NMBI

Help with the processes

NMBI has a Recognition and Registration Guide (pdf) that explains the steps to complete both of the above processes in more detail.

Doctors practising medicine in Ireland must be registered with the Medical Council and must renew their registration every year.

Step 1: Check the eligibility chart

To help you decide which category you should submit your application under, you can use the Medical Council’s eligibility chart.

It will also guide you in step 4 when gathering the supporting documentation.

Step 2: Create an Online Doctors Portal account

You submit your application and the supporting documentation through the Online Doctors Portal.

The Medical Council explains the steps for creating an account.

It also has short videos to explain how to use the Online Doctors Portal if you need help.

Step 3: Submit the online application

To apply, you need to provide:

• Details and dates of your medical education, training, and professional experience
• Your passport number
• A debit or credit card for the fees payment

Use the document checklist (pdf) provided by the Medical Council to make sure you provide all the materials needed.

Step 4: Submit supporting documentation

Next you need to submit supporting registration documentation.

The Medical Council provides a full list of the required documentation for each category. Remember to use the list corresponding to the category that applies to you based on your responses to the eligibility chart.

Step 5: Application assessment

You will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application, and it is added to the queue for assessment by the Medical Council.

When your application is under assessment, you get another notification email.

You can check your application status through your Online Doctors Portal account.

Support with your registration

If you are unsure about your application pathway or have questions regarding your application, email registration@mcirl.ie.

The Medical Council also has a frequently asked questions page.

Psychologists

To work in the public health sector in Ireland as a psychologist, you need to have your qualifications recognised by the Department of Health.

There are 3 specialist areas within psychology in the Irish public health system that have a recognition process:

• Clinical
• Counselling
• Educational

The application forms and guides for all 3 specialist areas are available from the Department of Health.

What if I want to work in private practice?

Currently, psychologists can work in the private sector in Ireland without formal recognition of their non-Irish professional qualifications. However, CORU is expected to take over registration for the areas of clinical, counselling, and educational psychology in October 2025.

Other medical areas

CORU regulates many other medical professions in Ireland. You can check to see if your profession is regulated by CORU.

If your area of work requires registration, you need to go through a two-step process of registering as a Health and Social Care Professional with CORU. Make sure you have read the guidance notes provided by CORU before beginning your application.

Step 1: Qualification recognition

You will need you to provide the following certified documents as part of your application for recognition of your qualifications:

• Certificate of relevant qualification
• Full academic transcripts
• Syllabus or module handbook of the course or training you took
• Confirmation from the regulating agency in the country where you earned your qualification (also called a ‘Competent Authority’) that your qualification would allow you to register and practise in that country
• Descriptions of your previous working history, internships, placements, relevant research completed, and any Continuous Professional Development (CPD) certifications

The application fee for recognition of your international qualifications is currently €410.

You can start your application for qualification recognition on CORU’s registration system.

CORU has guidance notes (pdf) to help you through the process of getting your professional qualification recognised.

Step 2: Join the register

When CORU has received the required documentation to progress your application for qualification recognition, you will receive an email to begin your registration application.

You can start your application for registration on the CORU website.

You can search for jobs in the Irish public health service through the Health Service Executive’s Job Search tool.

CORU

Tel: (01) 293 3160 (10:00am to 4:00pm, Monday to Friday)
Homepage: https://www.coru.ie/
Email: recognition@coru.ie