What IELTS score do you need as a nurse in the UAE?

The listed countries are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the USA. A nurse licensed in Germany or France, for example, would need one of the English results to use the exemption unless their university studies were in English.

A second route to the exam exemption is a pass in the NCLEX (USA, Canada, Australia). Exam equivalency proofs must be valid when you apply; if a document states no validity it is accepted for five years from issue, and the exemptions do not apply if you have a gap of practice of more than two years.

Nurses who are not exempt sit the Authorities' licensure examination. The PQR says all of these examinations are conducted in English, with no translator allowed at the oral examination, and you get three attempts across the Authorities plus one final attempt with a different Authority.

A Registered Nurse needs a bachelor's degree in nursing of at least three years' full-time study; the PQR lists no experience requirement for that title. Applicants must hold a valid licence in their home country or country of last employment, where applicable, and a valid Basic Life Support certificate.

The PQR is the shared baseline. Each Authority can add its own equivalency requirements, so check the licensing portal of the emirate where you will work.

Regulators change these rules, sometimes at short notice. Confirm the current scores on the DOH PQR page before you book a test.