NCLEX for international nurses: how to apply, step by step

Internationally educated nurses can take the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN. Here is the step order, from board application to test center, with honest notes on where rules vary.

The process in order

Each state is responsible for licensing nurses within that state, and variations exist among the states. The general order below follows the nclex.com registration page: the board first, then Pearson. Some boards may sequence individual steps differently, so follow your board's instructions where they differ.

Step 1: choose the board you want to be licensed by

Submit an application for licensure or registration to the nursing regulatory body (NRB) where you want to be licensed. According to nclex.com, this step is required to obtain eligibility to take the NCLEX. If you need testing accommodations, you request them with the NRB, not with Pearson.

NCSBN also offers a Nurse Licensure Guidance Tool for IENs. You enter where you want to live and practice, and it gives state-specific details and application links for becoming licensed as an RN or LPN/VN. It is a good first stop before you spend money on anything.

Step 2: credentials evaluation

Boards require an evaluation of whether your nursing program is comparable to a board-approved RN or LPN/VN prelicensure program. Most boards use a credentials evaluation agency for this, although a board can also do its own investigation. The agency reviews transcripts and other material, and a large part of its work is detecting fraud.

NCSBN describes the practices good agencies follow. These are best practices, not a universal rule, and your board's own instructions come first.

1. Documents from the source: Agencies typically want transcripts, diplomas and licenses in their original language, sent directly from the issuing institution rather than from you.
2. Certified translation: Documents not in English are typically accompanied by an official translation from a certified translator.
3. The report: It states whether your education is comparable to a first-level (RN) or second-level (LPN/VN) nurse, and it covers a licensure check in your country of education.
4. Advisory only: The report is advisory. The decision to license or not is the board's.

A credentials evaluation is about your education and the program behind it. Telling the board about your home-country license is a separate step (covered below), which the board verifies.

Step 3: English proficiency

The uniform requirement is passing an English proficiency exam that includes reading, speaking, writing and listening. The exception is applicants from countries where English is the native language, whose nursing program was taught in English and used English textbooks.

NCSBN's manual also says that under the Code of Federal Regulations, graduates of schools in Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the U.S. are exempt from the federal English language requirement. Boards can set their own rules, so do not assume an exemption applies until your board confirms it. NCSBN's resource list names IELTS and TOEFL as examples of English proficiency exams, but which exam and score your board accepts is the board's call.

Step 4: register with Pearson and receive your ATT

Once your NRB application is in, register with Pearson. Payment and scheduling both happen there. The cost depends on where you take the exam, and there are extra fees for changes to your registration. Fees change, so read the fee and payment details on nclex.com rather than relying on any article.

After the NRB declares you eligible and your Pearson registration is complete, you receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) email at the address you registered with. You need that email to schedule. Each ATT is valid for a period the NRB sets. The average is 90 days, and you must test within your validity dates.

Step 5: choose a test center and schedule

You schedule through Pearson Candidate Services, online or by phone. For international appointments, changes can only be made by calling Pearson Candidate Services. Pick a center and date with your ATT window in mind, and leave yourself room if you need to change.

What boards typically ask beyond education and English

NCSBN's uniform licensure requirements add public-protection questions that apply to every applicant, domestic or international. These are NCSBN's uniform requirements for boards, and individual boards vary, so read your board's version before you apply.

Self-disclosure of your home-country license

If you hold or have held a nursing license in your country of origin, you disclose its status. The board then verifies your licensure status or authorization to practice there. The credentials evaluation report usually covers this too, including any discipline noted on the license.

Criminal background and other disclosures

The uniform requirements ask applicants to disclose the following, and the board assesses each on a case-by-case basis.

1. Criminal history: All misdemeanors, felonies and plea agreements, even if adjudication was withheld.
2. Fingerprint checks: State and federal fingerprint checks.
3. Substance use disorder: Any substance use disorder in the last five years. The board may require an evaluation to verify you can practice safely.
4. Other licenses: Any action taken or started against a professional or occupational license, registration or certification.

So what disqualifies you from taking the NCLEX? There is no single list in these sources. Boards weigh disclosures case by case, and a disclosure is not an automatic denial. If something in your history worries you, ask your board before you pay for evaluations or exam fees. NCSBN's manual also notes that there is no standardized method for an international criminal background check, so boards may use different routes, and some fees can pass to the applicant.

Which state is easiest? Why that is the wrong question

None of the sources rank states, and we will not name an "easiest" one. Boards set their own rules within NCSBN's uniform framework, and the right board for you is usually the one where you plan to work and live. A better question is which board's requirements you can meet, in what order, and at what cost.

What actually varies between boards

Compare boards on practical points, and check each on the board's own website.

1. Evaluation agency: Which credentials evaluation agencies the board accepts, or whether it does its own review.
2. English exam: Which exams and scores it accepts, and which exemptions it recognizes.
3. ATT validity: How long your Authorization to Test lasts once issued.
4. Application order: What the board wants submitted before it declares you eligible.
5. Social Security number handling: Covered next.

Social Security number rules: one example of variation

The NCSBN manual describes a catch-22. Some jurisdictions have legislation requiring a Social Security number (SSN) before a license is issued, yet the manual says a U.S. nursing license is needed to obtain a visa, and a visa is needed to obtain an SSN. SSNs are never issued outside the U.S.

Boards have found different workarounds. Some states interpret an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) as acceptable for initial licensure. Some give you a letter to take to the Social Security office, some use an affidavit or request for exception, and New York assigns a random nine-digit number as the identifier. The manual also lists a group of more than two dozen states and jurisdictions that accept only a U.S. SSN on an application. That list comes from the 2023 edition and may have changed, so verify directly with the board.

Visa and work-authorization questions are outside this guide. Take those to official immigration sources.

Where you can test outside the U.S.

International test center locations

As of October 24, 2026, the NCSBN testing locations page lists these international locations: Australia, Brazil, France, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. The list can change, and the live page governs.

The 2023 NCSBN manual lists a slightly different set. It includes Canada, England and Germany, and it says Canada was considered international for candidates seeking U.S. licensure. If you are in a country not on the current list, check the live page before you plan travel.

Domestic vs. international centers

For candidates seeking U.S. licensure, domestic means the United States and its territories: American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. International means test centers outside those. The page also covers candidates seeking Canadian or Australian licensure, who have different definitions, so make sure you read the row for U.S. licensure.

ID on test day

We are not stating identification rules here because they are the kind of detail that changes. Read the identification requirements on nclex.com before you register, so the documents you plan to bring work for the center you pick.

RN or PN: does the path differ?

The path is the same shape for both. The uniform requirements apply to RN and LPN/VN candidates alike: graduation from a program comparable to a board-approved RN or LPN/VN prelicensure program, the English proficiency requirement, and the self-disclosure items. The only differences are the program level your evaluation addresses (first-level or second-level nurse) and which exam you sit.

The NCLEX-PN is used for U.S. licensure only. The 2023 manual says both the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN are offered at its listed international locations. The current testing page does not split locations by exam, so confirm availability when you schedule.

Expect some extra scrutiny of practical nursing credentials. NCSBN's manual says some countries have practical nursing programs with limited oversight, which makes credentials harder to evaluate, and it names Jamaica, Haiti and the Philippines as examples. That is about program regulation, not about you as a nurse. The practical response is to ask your school early what approval and accreditation documentation it can send, and to give your evaluation agency complete records. When you are ready to learn what the PN exam covers, start with our NCLEX-PN test plan guide.

Is the NCLEX-RN changing in 2026?

Every step above is about registration and licensure, not exam content. The sources for this guide do not describe test plan changes, so we will not guess at dates or percentages. For what the exam tests and how it is organized, read the 2026 NCLEX-RN® test plan, explained, and check NCSBN's published test plan documents.

Common mistakes and a practical checklist

Questions to ask your board before you pay anyone

Credential fraud and diploma mills are a big reason evaluation exists, so use only the agencies your board names. Before you pay for an evaluation, an English exam or an exam fee, ask the board these questions.

1. Agencies: Which credentials evaluation agencies do you accept, and what documents must come directly from my school?
2. English: Which English proficiency exams and scores do you accept, and does my education qualify for an exemption?
3. Social Security number: What do you accept if I do not have an SSN yet?
4. ATT: How long is my Authorization to Test valid once issued?
5. Accommodations: How do I request testing accommodations through your office?

On the "free NCLEX" question: the nclex.com registration page says the cost depends on where you test and lists a refund policy and a Qualified Veterans Reimbursement Program. It does not describe a waiver for international nurses.

Studying while the paperwork is pending

Evaluations and board reviews can take a while, and waiting is a real source of stress. You can use the time to learn how the exam is built, which does not depend on your ATT date. Start with the test plan structure, then build a weekly routine around the areas you find hardest. Our PreceptIQ study guides cover the test plan category by category for both RN and PN.

Starting early also keeps you from compressing study into an ATT window you do not control. Aim to know your board's validity period before you book.

PreceptIQ, an NCLEX® coach that studies your mistakes, is coming to iPhone and Android. It is not in the App Store or Google Play yet, and it is a study aid, not a guarantee.

Common questions

NCLEX®, NCLEX-RN® and NCLEX-PN® are registered trademarks of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN®). PreceptIQ is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NCSBN.