How many nurses trained in South Africa are in the UK and Ireland?

2,836 people on the UK's nursing and midwifery register trained in South Africa on 31 March 2026 (NMC register data, file dated 28 July 2026), and 109 nurses and midwives practising in Ireland at the end of 2025 got their first nursing qualification there (Department of Health, Ireland, JQ06, updated 3 September 2026). In the six months to 31 March 2026, 8 nurses, midwives or nursing associates trained in South Africa joined the UK register for the first time, down from 35 a year earlier.

Trained in South AfricaNMC · March 2026

UK register · trained in South Africa · 31 March 2026: 2,836 people

2,965a year earlier

8joined in the 6 months to March 2026

109practising in Ireland, end of 2025

394Health and Care Worker visas to South African nationals, 2025

Source: NMC, register data tables, March 2026 (UK) (XLSX, file dated 28 July 2026, downloaded on 5 November 2026), sheets "Training Country ALL" and "Training Country Joiners". The register includes nurses, midwives and nursing associates. Data: NMC register data tables (© NMC), reproduced as factual information with a link to the original file; this is not an NMC publication.

Statistics, not advice. These are official counts for past dates. Registration is decided by the NMC (UK) and the NMBI (Ireland), visas by the Home Office, and the rules on international recruitment can change: check the official pages before you apply or pay.

What these numbers are, and what they are not

UK register: people on the NMC register (nurses, midwives and nursing associates) whose training country is South Africa. It counts where people trained, not their nationality: a nurse from South Africa who trained in the UK counts as UK-trained. Being on the register does not mean working in the UK.
Ireland: nurses (and midwives) registered with the NMBI who said they practise in Ireland, by the country of their first nursing qualification, at the end of each year.
Health and Care Worker visas: visas applied for from outside the UK, counted by nationality, for every job on this route, plus family members. The Home Office file does not say how many went to nurses, and it leaves out people who switched visa inside the UK.
Red list: it applies to employers in England (code of practice for England). The code says: “The rules on active recruitment and direct applications are based on the country where an individual is residing when they apply for a health or social care job, rather than the nationality of the individual or their original country of training.”
The three counts measure different things and do not add up.

UK: people on the NMC register trained in South Africa

People on the NMC register trained in South Africa
Date	On the register
31 March 2023	2,902
31 March 2024	2,935
31 March 2025	2,965
30 September 2025	2,903
31 March 2026	2,836

In the six months to 31 March 2026, 8 nurses, midwives or nursing associates trained in South Africa joined the UK register for the first time, down from 35 a year earlier.

People joining the NMC register for the first time, trained in South Africa
Period	Joined the register for the first time
6 months to 30 September 2024	87
6 months to 31 March 2025	35
6 months to 30 September 2025	17
6 months to 31 March 2026	8

Ireland: nurses who first qualified in South Africa

Nurses practising in Ireland with a first qualification from South Africa
Year	First qualified in South Africa	All trained abroad
End of 2021	105	29,834
End of 2022	108	33,270
End of 2023	111	37,609
End of 2024	109	41,341
End of 2025	109	41,951

Source: Department of Health (Ireland), JQ06 – Stock of nurses by country of first qualification (CSV, dataset updated 3 September 2026, downloaded on 5 November 2026). Compiled from the annual registrations with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI); includes midwives; values under 25 are not published. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Health and Care Worker visas issued to South African nationals

In 2025 the Home Office issued 394 Health and Care Worker visas to South African nationals (176 main applicants and 218 family members) and refused 100. The refusal rate is refused ÷ (issued + refused), as in the Home Office grant rate.

Health and Care Worker visas, South African nationals
Year of decision	Issued: main applicants	Issued: family members	Issued: total	Refused	Refusal rate
2020 (Q4 only)	3	3	6	0	0.0%
2021	221	202	423	4	0.9%
2022	853	599	1,452	105	6.7%
2023	1,040	1,051	2,091	233	10.0%
2024	423	601	1,024	172	14.4%
2025	176	218	394	100	20.2%
2026 (Q1–Q2, provisional)	44	52	96	31	24.4%

Source: Home Office, Entry clearance visa applications and outcomes detailed datasets, year ending June 2026 (XLSX, published 27 August 2026, downloaded on 15 October 2026; next update 26 November 2026), sheet Data_Vis_D02, visa type "Health and Care Worker", by nationality and year of decision. Figures from 2026 are provisional. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Is South Africa on the red list?

South Africa is not on the red or amber list of the code of practice for England (green: active recruitment permitted). South Africa is not on the WHO health workforce support and safeguards list 2023. (Code of practice for England updated 27 March 2025, read on 5 November 2026; the final WHO 2026 list is not published yet.)

Source: GOV.UK, Code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel in England (updated 27 March 2025, read on 5 November 2026), Annex A and Annex B. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Red list countries for nurses: the WHO 2023 list, the UK code and the 2026 update

What NMC registration costs

Registering with the NMC as a nurse or midwife trained outside the UK costs £1,226 in fees and tests: £167 qualification evaluation, £83 computer-based test (CBT), £794 OSCE and £182 registration fee. Fees, resits and the amount in rupees, pesos and rand.

Source: NMC: How much is it going to cost? (trained outside the UK) (fees from 1 October 2026, read on 5 November 2026).

Questions people ask

How many nurses who trained in South Africa are in the UK?

2,836 people on the NMC register trained in South Africa on 31 March 2026 (nurses, midwives and nursing associates), compared with 2,965 a year earlier and 2,902 three years earlier. This counts training country, not nationality.

Can a nurse trained in South Africa work in the UK?

To work as a registered nurse or midwife in the UK you must be on the NMC register: applicants trained outside the UK go through a qualification evaluation and may need to take the Test of Competence (CBT and OSCE); fees and tests cost £1,226 in total. You also need the right to work in the UK, for example a visa: in 2025 the Home Office issued 394 Health and Care Worker visas to South African nationals (any job on the route, by nationality).

How much does NMC registration cost for nurses trained abroad?

£1,226 in fees and tests from 1 October 2026: £167 qualification evaluation, £83 CBT, £794 OSCE and £182 registration fee, more if you resit a test (NMC).

Other countries of training

Nurses trained in India Nurses trained in the Philippines Nurses trained in Nigeria Nurses trained in Ghana Nurses trained in Zimbabwe Nurses trained in Nepal Nurses trained in Kenya Nurses trained in Pakistan Nurses trained in Zambia Nurses trained in Sri Lanka Nurses trained in Jamaica UK: nurses trained abroad by country Ireland: nurses by country of training Red list countries for nurses NMC fees for overseas nurses: £1,226

Nurses trained abroad: all countries · UK visa refusal rates by nationality · UK Skilled Worker salary threshold