Saudi Arabia - Process of Working As A Nurse in Saudi Arabia

September 6, 2022 / Advice & Tips / by CCM Australia

So you’ve done your research, talked to your family and friends & have decided to take your career to Saudi Arabia.What’s the process? The ultimate question…. All international nursing, whether it be Europe, America or the Middle East, takes time. This is due to overseas nurse licensing & work visa/permit applications.Saudi Arabia is our most popular location with Aussies and Kiwi nurses travelling there for work every month! To work in Saudi Arabia there are 4 main steps. The entire process can take minimum of 4 – 6 months so it’s good to plan ahead. Don’t worry, we will help you through it all!

Applying for Employment

The benefit of Nursing in Saudi Arabia is that you can secure employment before you have to apply for nursing registration and work visa permits. To apply you’ll need an updated CV and completed application forms. You’ll then be asked to complete an interview via an online platform such as WhatsApp, Zoom or Skype. If you’re successful, you’ll receive an official job offer letter and we can help you complete the necessary paperwork!

Apply for Nursing Registration

The registration board for Saudi Arabia is the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS). The registration process can be quite complex, so at CCM, we do this for you!

There are 4 main steps for nurse registration:

• Dataflow
  Dataflow is a company hired by SCFHS to verify your qualifications. You’ll just need to send us scanned copies of these documents. We then send them to dataflow for verification. The process takes approximately 6 weeks. The documents you’ll need to provide are:

  • Bachelor Degree
  • Academic Transcript
  • Current Nurse License
  • Statement of Service
  • Passport Copy
    
    
• Mumaris Plus

Mumaris plus is the SCFHS online portal for nurse registration. Once Dataflow has verified all your documents, we will upload the required information to the Mumaris plus portal for you. The SCFHS will then assess and determine if you meet their criteria to be a Registered Nurse in their country. If you do, you’ll receive an eligibility number. You need this number to progress to the next step.

1. Prometric Exam

You’ll find that most overseas registration boards require you to take an exam. For Ireland it’s the RCSI exam, for the UK it’s the OSCE exam, for Saudi it’s the Prometric Exam. Our best advice for the exam – don’t stress! The Prometric Exam is multiple choice & based on the different specialties of nursing. You have 3 hours to complete it. Most nurses have it done within an hour. You only need 45% to pass and you have 3 attempts to complete it. We haven’t had any nurses fail this exam and you won’t be the first!

1. Professional Classification

Once you’ve passed the Prometric Exam, the results are automatically sent to the SCFHS. After approximately 2 weeks, they’ll issue you with your “Professional Classification”. With this, you can travel to Saudi where you complete the final stage through the hospital, as they will be your work sponsor. You’ll then be fully licensed!

Work Visa/Permits

The process takes approximately 8 – 12 weeks* and is done in conjunction with your nursing registration. There is some paperwork required including: Nursing degree authentication, Police check & Medical. Don’t worry, we have a dedicated team to help you with all the required paperwork & apply for this visa on your behalf.

*processing time frames vary, this is just a guide

Travel

Once you have your nurse registration and work visa/permit you’re ready to hop on the plane! All of our Recruitment Consultants have lived and worked in Saudi Arabia and remember how daunting that first step on the plane can be. We are dedicated to compiling resource materials about the culture, work and life in Saudi Arabia so that you can be better prepared for when you arrive. We’re all happy to answer any questions you have, the challenge is getting us to stop talking about it! Once we go down memory lane, we may never stop!