Singapore is a small island city-state in Southeast Asia. The country confirmed its first imported COVID-19 case on January 23, 2020. Singapore’s early COVID-19 response earned praise from the World Health Organization (WHO), which highlighted the country’s efforts to find cases, follow up with contacts, stop transmission, and apply an all-of-government approach.
During the early stage of the outbreak, Singapore strengthened surveillance, expanded border screening, and carried out contact tracing and other epidemiological investigations. This article focuses on the current registration and enrollment steps for foreign-trained nurses and midwives who want to work in Singapore.
According to the Ministry of Health’s 2024 Health Manpower data, Singapore had 50,389 nurses and registered midwives: 42,131 Registered Nurses (RNs), 8,210 Enrolled Nurses (ENs), and 48 registered midwives. RNs and ENs have different competencies and scopes of practice. ENs work under the professional supervision or delegation of an RN. Below are the steps for foreign-trained nurses and midwives who want to work in Singapore.
How to Become a Nurse in Singapore
Step 1. (Foreign Trained Nurses and Midwives) Obtain an Offer of Employment with Eligible Healthcare Institutions
The Singapore Nursing Board (SNB) will only consider an application for registration or enrollment from a foreign-trained nurse or midwife who has an offer of employment from an eligible healthcare institution with inpatient services in Singapore. For the current requirements, refer to the SNB page for foreign-trained nurses and midwives.
The human resources (HR) department of the hospital or institution offering employment must inquire with the SNB about its eligibility to employ foreign-trained nurses or midwives. Once the institution is approved, its HR department can submit the application for registration or enrollment on the applicant’s behalf through the online application system.
Step 2. Prepare Required Documents for Eligibility for Application for Enrollment/Registration
To be eligible to apply for registration or enrollment as a foreign-trained nurse or midwife in Singapore, the SNB requires the following:
- Completion of a pre-registration or pre-enrollment nursing or midwifery program that the SNB assesses as equivalent to an accredited pre-registration or pre-enrollment program in Singapore
- Nursing or midwifery registration from the country where you were trained
- A current practicing license as a nurse or midwife
- Relevant clinical nursing or midwifery practice in your home country within the past five years
All documents submitted to the SNB for an application for registration or enrollment will be kept as documentary proof and will not be returned. The SNB will not provide copies of submitted documents.
Step 3. Submit All Documents via the Online Application
The employer’s HR department must submit the required application documents. The current SNB checklist includes:
- A cover letter from the employing institution stating its intention to employ the applicant, the position offered, and the applicant’s principal place of practice
- Pages 11 to 13 of the SNB Application Form, covering the declaration section, completed and signed
- A passport photograph
- A National Registration Identity Card (NRIC), front and back, or a passport
- A work pass, if applicable
- An affidavit or marriage certificate, if applicable. A marriage certificate is required only when the supporting documents include both a maiden name and a married name. If there are more than two versions of the applicant’s name, an affidavit is required instead.
- A transcript of nursing education from the training school, college, or university, including a detailed breakdown of theory and clinical practice in hours or weeks
- Training certificates or graduation certificates
- A registration certificate
- A current nursing license or practicing certificate
- Evidence of past employment
- A service-gap letter written by the applicant if there has been a service gap of more than one year from the date of registration to the present, if applicable
The employer’s HR department must sight the applicant’s original documents and ensure that the submitted copies are true copies of the originals. Documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a certified official English translation. If the employer’s HR department cannot physically sight the original documents, the copies must be officially certified as true copies of the originals by a Notary Public or lawyer. The certification and notarization must be in English.
The applicant must also request verification of registration from the nursing registration authority in the country of first registration and from the nursing registration authority in every country where the applicant has practiced nursing or midwifery, if applicable. These verifications must be sent directly to the SNB. The applicant’s educational or training institution must also send verification of the transcript directly to the SNB.
Step 4. Pay the Required SNB Fees
Several SNB fees apply before a foreign-trained nurse or midwife can work in Singapore. The application fee for registration or enrollment must be paid when the online application is submitted. The registration or enrollment fee and the application fee for a Practising Certificate must be paid after approval. For the current fee breakdown, refer to the SNB Fees page.
Step 5. Accomplish and Finish the Application Process
The registration or enrollment process includes the requirement to sit for an SNB licensure examination, undergo a competency assessment, and/or be placed on provisional registration or enrollment. Foreign-trained nurses and midwives should follow the instructions provided by the employing institution and the SNB for the applicable examination and assessment steps.
Step 6. Wait for the Result of Your Application
The SNB will assess the application and inform the applicant of the outcome through the employing healthcare institution. The SNB does not provide the outcome of registration applications directly to individual applicants. Applicants should follow up with the HR department of the institution that offered them employment.
We hope that this article on the steps to become a nurse in Singapore was helpful. For more information about studying abroad, check out the Available Programs for International Students.
