Australia guide · Nursing
How to study nursing in Australia from Nepal
After +2, you study a 3-year Bachelor of Nursing; with a bachelor's already, a 2-year master's that leads to registration. Either must be approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board, or it won't make you a registered nurse. Many master's courses don't qualify. Tuition is about AUD 28,000 to 45,000 a year, and registration needs IELTS 7.
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Published · 6 min read
Nursing in Australia at a glance
- After +2
- Bachelor of Nursing, 3 years
- With a bachelor's
- Master's that leads to registration, about 2 years
- Already a nurse in Nepal
- The board's outcomes-based assessment, or an approved course
- English to register
- IELTS Academic 7 (6.5 allowed in writing)
- Tuition
- About AUD 28,000 to 45,000 a year (Rs 29.7 to 47.7 lakh)
At Rs 105.97 per AUD (Nepal Rastra Bank, 18 October 2026). Registration rules from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).
Three routes into nursing in Australia
Which route you take depends on what you've already studied. The test for every route is the same: does it end in registration with the NMBA? Without registration you can't work as a nurse.
| Where you are now | Route | Time | Leads to registration? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finished +2 | Bachelor of Nursing | 3 years | Yes, if the course is NMBA-approved |
| Bachelor's in another field | Master's of nursing that leads to registration (often called entry to practice or graduate entry) | About 2 years | Yes, if NMBA-approved |
| BSc or PCL Nursing and registered in Nepal | NMBA outcomes-based assessment: a self-check, a computer exam, then a practical exam (OSCE) in Australia | Often 9 to 18 months | Yes, if you pass both exams |
| Registered nurse wanting to specialise | Post-registration Master of Nursing | 1 to 2 years | No. It's for nurses who are already registered in Australia |
The trap is the last row. A course called Master of Nursing often doesn't lead to registration. Queensland University of Technology, for example, says plainly that its Master of Nursing doesn't, and points students to a separate entry-to-practice course. Nepali nurses still enrol in courses like this thinking they'll come out registered.
How to check a course leads to registration
- Find it on Ahpra's list of approved programs of study. If the course isn't listed for nursing, it doesn't lead to registration.
- Read the course page for the words "leads to registration" or "entry to practice". If it says the course is for registered nurses, it's not the one.
- Ask the university in writing whether graduates can apply to the NMBA for general registration. Keep the email.
- Check the clinical placement hours. Approved courses include supervised placements in hospitals and aged care. A course with none can't lead to registration.
We check this for every nursing course before we send an application. If a course doesn't lead to registration, we say so before you pay a deposit.
What you need to get in, and to register
Getting into the course and getting registered afterwards are two separate tests. Plan for both from the start.
| Requirement | To get into the course | To register as a nurse |
|---|---|---|
| Academic | +2, usually science, with good marks; a bachelor's for the master's route | An NMBA-approved qualification |
| English | Set by each university, often close to the registration level | IELTS Academic 7 overall, 7 in listening, reading and speaking, 6.5 in writing, or the NMBA's PTE, OET or TOEFL scores |
| Checks before placements | Police check, immunisations, first aid and, in some states, a working with children check | A clean criminal history |
| Visa | Student visa (subclass 500), with IELTS 6.0 or equal for most courses | Not applicable |
Aim for IELTS 7 from the start, even if your university accepts less. You'll need it to register when you finish, and three years of nursing study won't help if your English score falls short at the end.
What nursing in Australia costs
| Item | Amount | In rupees |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition, a year | AUD 28,000 to 45,000 | Rs 29.7 to 47.7 lakh |
| Tuition, 3-year degree | AUD 84,000 to 135,000 | Rs 89 lakh to Rs 1.43 crore |
| Living costs to show for the visa, a year | AUD 29,710 | Rs 31.5 lakh |
| Health cover (OSHC), a year | AUD 650 to 800 | Rs 69,000 to 85,000 |
| Placement costs: uniform, checks, travel | A few hundred dollars a year | Varies |
| First year, all in | About Rs 66 to 84 lakh |
Placements are unpaid and can be weeks long, sometimes far from campus. During placement weeks your part-time hours drop, so plan your money around them. Our full cost guide has living costs by city.
Work while you study, and after
You can work 48 hours a fortnight in term. Many nursing students work in aged care or as assistants in nursing once their course allows it, which is useful experience and pays at least the minimum wage of AUD 26.44 an hour.
After graduation and registration, new nurses usually apply for hospital graduate programmes, which are competitive. A coursework degree gives a 485 Temporary Graduate visa of 2 years. Registered nurse has long been on Australia's skilled occupation lists, but permanent residence still depends on points, state nomination and the rules in the year you apply. Our Australia page covers the 485 and what comes after.
When nursing in Australia isn't the right plan
- You're choosing nursing only for PR. Three years of clinical study, placements and IELTS 7 are hard to finish without real interest in the work.
- Your English is far from IELTS 7 and you don't have a year to close the gap.
- Your family can't cover the full degree. Nursing scholarships are small, and placements limit part-time income.
- You're a nurse in Nepal and haven't run the NMBA self-check. You may not need a degree at all.
Comparing countries for nursing? Our nursing field guide puts Australia next to the UK and Finland.
