How to Become a Nurse in Singapore (Guide for Foreign Nurses)

Blog | Oct. 15, 2021 by 1NURSE

(Last published - October. 15, 2021. Recently updated in October 2023)

An Overview of Nursing in Singapore:

1.The Demographics and Type of Nurses

2. The Career Pathway

3. Salary Range

4. Working Conditions

5. Applying for work and Certification

6. The Licensure Examination

7. The Hospitals in Singapore

Section A: The Demographics and the Type of Nurses

Below are the statistics of Singaporean nurses based on four types of nurses, namely registered nurses, enrolled nurses, registered midwives, and advanced practical nurses.

It is to be noted that the number of registered nurses in employment is increasing very marginally and the shortage of nurses is evident. The table below shows the nurse-to-population ratio for the last three years.

Source: https://www.moh.gov.sg/resources-statistics/singapore-health-facts/health-manpower

Section B: The Career Pathway

According to Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH), nurses are classified as "Registered Nurse"(RN) and "Enrolled Nurse"(EN).

Registered nurses can specialize their nursing skills in different practices, and can further their career as an Advance Practice Nurse (APN) which includes Nurse Clinician, Nurse Educator, and Nurse Manager.

To be classified as a registered nurse, the person must have attained at least one of the following qualifications from MOH - recognized institutions as per the table below. To enrol in the courses to get these qualifications, applicants need O-Levels, A-Levels, or diploma and degree qualifications.
Refer to the table below for education requirements at a glance.

Enrolled nurses are those who assist the Registered Nurses to provide holistic nursing care for patients and can progress to be a Senior Enrolled Nurse to take on higher nursing responsibilities. They may also become a registered nurse by obtaining the relevant qualifications stipulated for registered nurses.In short, this is a alternative career pathway.

For enrolled nurses, the minimum entry requirement for course qualification is an N-Level certificate. They must also have acquired a “Nitec” diploma or its equivalent in nursing.

Advanced practice nurses (APN) are a subset of registered nurses in Singapore.

The role is a Registered Nurse (RN) who has acquired expert knowledge base, complex decision making skills and clinical competencies for extended practice. They are trained in the diagnosis and management of common medical conditions, including chronic illnesses.

APNs provide a broad range of healthcare services. They work collaboratively with doctors and other healthcare professionals to provide complex nursing care to patients. They use advanced assessment and clinical skills to anticipate and manage complex situations, administering therapies for managing of actual and potential health issues.

They also participate in the development of evidence-based practice, integrating theoretical and practice-based knowledge to influence the development of nursing, health practice, and policy at local and national levels.

APNs can sub-specialize into different disciplines. They are currently certified in these four specialities: acute, medical or surgical care, community and mental health.
a) Acute care APNs practice in intensive care units and emergency departments;
b) Medical or surgical APNs can function in general and specialized clinical settings such as oncology, gerontology, cardiology, and neurology;
c) Community APNs care for patients with common acute conditions & chronic conditions at the polyclinics( outpatient clinics) and the community;
d) Mental health APNs can function in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings. In 2019, there are 267 APNs of which 251 work in the public sector.
Source: https://www.moh.gov.sg/hpp/nurses/career-practices/CareerNPracticesDetails/nursing-training-and-education

Section C: Salary Range

In 2020, Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) announced an S$150 million scheme to benefit nurses and support care staff in community care. Multiple pay enhancements and public relations campaigns (such as the #ICHOOSETOBEANURSE campaign) are signs of the importance the country is placing on nursing.

In a Channel News Asia (CNA) commentary in February 2020, MOH is quoted as clarifying that “average gross monthly salary, after adding in allowances and bonuses, for entry-level registered nurses ranges from S$3,300 to S$5,200 depending on their qualifications”. However, according to a PayScale report of 2023, the average base salary for a staff nurse in Singapore is S$34,748 per year.

So how about enrolled nurses ?

And are there variations among nurses within the island nation?

Singapore government hospitals are managed by different management groups known as “ clusters” such as the National University Health System (NUHS), SingHealth, National Healthcare Group (NHG), and NTUC Health Co-Operative ( which operates outpatient clinics) etc.

The Singapore Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU) makes agreements for the salary ranges of nurses in different healthcare clusters and institutions.The salary ranges referred to below are based on HSEU's agreements with NUHS, SingHealth, NHG, and NTUC Health Co-Operative.

The latest agreement with NHG, NUHS and Singhealth is effective 1st April 2022 until 3st March 2025. The agreement with NTUC Health Co-Operative is effective January 1, 2020 till December 31, 2022. The new agreement for 2023 is yet to be declared.
Presented below are the salary ranges as per the different clusters.

The salary range for NTUC Health Co-Operative nurses:

NTUC Health Co-Operative uses a job grade system. The grades as per Appendix 3A and 3B of "NTUC Health Co-operative Employees' Agreement 2020" The salary ranges for NTUC Health Co-Operative nurses are below:

Source: https://cde.org.sg/wps/portal/hseu/home/resources/ourcollectiveagreements

Section D: Working Conditions

Based on HSEU's agreements with NUHS, SingHealth, and NHG, the maximum working hours per week for nurses is 42 hours for regular shift, 40 hours for a rotating shift, and 38 hours for permanent night shift.

The detailed breakdowns of maximum working hours per week for the different healthcare clusters are below:

NUHS:

Regular shift: 42 hours (excluding meal breaks) per week
Permanent night shift: 38 hours per week
Rotating shifts: 40 hours per week (averaged over a 2 or 3-week cycle)

SingHealth:

Regular shift: 42 (excluding meal breaks) hours per week
Permanent night shift: 38 hours per week
Rotating shifts: 40 hours per week (averaged over a 2 or 3week roster)

NHG:

Regular shift: 42 hours (excluding meal breaks) per week
Permanent night shift: 38 hours per week
Rotating shifts: 40 hours per week (averaged over a 2 or 3 week roster)

Section E: Applying for Work and Certification

Under the Nurses and Midwives Act (Chapter 209), a person must be registered/enrolled with the Singapore Nursing Board (SNB) and possess a valid Practising Certificate (PC) in order to practice nursing/midwifery in Singapore.
A simple flowchart showing the essential steps:

Eligibility
Foreign trained Nurses who wish to work in Singapore must be registered/enrolled with SNB.

You must have an offer of employment with an eligible healthcare hospital/institution in Singapore before SNB can consider your application for registration or enrolment.

The Human Resource (HR) department of the hospital/institution offering you employment must enquire with SNB via email on their eligibility to employ foreign qualified nurses. Once approved, HRs can then submit application for registration/enrolment on your behalf via online application.

For foreign trained nurses, to be eligible for application for registration/enrolment, you must have the following:

Completion of a pre-registration / pre-enrolment nursing programme, which is equivalent to an accredited pre-registration / pre-enrolment nursing programme in Singapore (as assessed by SNB);
nursing/midwifery registration from the country where you are trained; as well as iii. current practising license as a nurse or midwife;
relevant clinical nursing practice in home country within the past 5 years.

Other documents required are:

Your passport photograph
Marriage certificate (if applicable)
Transcript of nursing education to include detailed breakdown of credit hours • Any training certificates, graduation certificates, or letter of completion of study • Your Ministry of Health registration certificate
References/Testimonials from previous employer(s).

One thing to note is that references or work testimonials from previous employer(s) must state the period of work, area of practice and work performance and must be written by Nursing Director/Head of Nursing.

It is important to note that those documents, if not in English, have to be accompanied with certified translated copies. certified by Justice of Peace, Notary Public from their country of origin. Documents must be certified as "true copies" of the original and bear the stamp "Certified as true copy of the original".

These must be initialled on every page of the document by the authorized officer (Justice of Peace, Notary Public or your employer, unless otherwise stated).The certified documents must include the name of authorized officer (full name), signature, date of certification and healthcare institution stamp and the notarization must be made in English.

Certified true copies will only be accepted in hard copy by mail or in person (Fax or Email will not be accepted).

All documents submitted to SNB for application for registration/enrolment will be kept by SNB as documentary proof and are not returnable. SNB states that it does not work with employment agents and agents are to work directly with the healthcare institutions’ human resource department.

As of 2021, the fee for application is SGD60 for Foreign-trained nurses. Upon confirmation of registration, there is a registration fee which costs SGD55. For the latest fee requirement it’s best to check with the SNB.

The application process would take about four weeks, depending on situation. Once SNB approves you, you would be required to either:

Sit for an examination – Licensure Examination ( see below) to test for competency • An interview,
Or placed on provisional registration/enrollment.

If you are successful for the examination or any of the other two outcomes, you will be eligible to apply for a practice certificate (PC) and a work pass with help from the employer. You will be notified via an email sent directly to you or via your employing human resources (HR) personnel.
https://www.healthprofessionals.gov.sg/snb/registration-enrolment/application-for-registration-enrolment/foreign-trained-nurses-midwives

Section F: The Licensure Examination

Licensure Examinations are part of the process of application for registration/enrolment with SNB. Foreign trained nurses/midwives are required to sit for the SNB Registered Nurse (RN), Enrolled Nurse (EN) or Registered Midwife (RMW) Licensure Examinations. The examination is designed to evaluate their competency to practise nursing/midwifery in Singapore.

SNB will provide a notification letter to candidates of Licensure Examination of their examination date and venue. A stipulated fee for Licensure Examination is applicable. The examinations each consists of 100 multiple choice questions and lasts 240 minutes. Each examination is graded on a scale of 0-100 and the passing score is 72 points or higher.

The SNB Registered Nurse (RN) Licensure Examination (LE) aims to assess the candidates’ competencies and skills based on SNB’s Core Competencies and Generic Skills for Registered Nurse. This is required to assure that foreign qualified nurses can perform safely and effectively as a Registered Nurse (RN) in Singapore. Core Competencies Domains and Categories are Legal and Ethical Nursing Practice, Professional Nursing Practice, Collaborative Practice and Teamwork and Continuing Professional Education (CPE) & Development.

The SNB Enrolled Nurse (EN) Licensure Examination (LE) aims to assess the candidates’ competencies and skills based on SNB’s Core Competencies and Generic Skills for Enrolled Nurse. This is required to assure that foreign qualified nurses can perform safely and effectively as a Enrolled Nurse (EN) in Singapore. Topics covered by this exam include the management of care, professional development, and the professional, legal, and ethical requirements of nursing.
The SNB Registered Midwife (RMW) Licensure Examination (LE) aims to assess the candidates’ competencies and skills based on SNB’s Core Competencies and Generic Skills for Registered Midwife. This is required to assure that foreign qualified nurses can perform safely and effectively as a Registered Midwife (RMW) in Singapore. Competencies Domains and Categories are Legal and Ethical Midwifery Practice, Professional Midwifery Practice, Collaborative Practice and Teamwork and Continuing Professional Education (CPE) & Development.

The SNB Advanced Practice Nurses (SNB-APN) exam was designed to measure the competency of healthcare workers in Singapore. Test topics include professional, legal, and ethical nursing practice; management of care; leadership and management; and professional development.

Below are two sample questions similar to the ones on a Licensure Examination:

You are teaching a class to encourage smokers to quit. You ask each person to write down how many packs they smoke per day and for how many years. The first person has smoked 2 packs per day for 12 years. How many pack-years would that amount to?
A. 6
B. 4
C. 24
D. 12
Preventative factors are those that protect the individual from a disorder. Which of the following would be considered a social preventative factor?
A. healthy nutritional status
B. good self -esteem
C. low stress occupation
D. higher level of education

Section G: The Hospitals in Singapore

There are various ways of classifying the hospitals.
If we consider the functions of the hospitals there are essentially three main categories, namely:
1. General Hospitals
These provide acute tertiary healthcare, having comprehensive medical facilities, specialists and allied support services.

2. Specialist Hospitals and Institutions
These provide specialist treatment and healthcare, including specialist medical centres focusing on the treatment of specific conditions.

3. Community Hospitals and Institutions

These are step-down hospitals catering to rehabilitation programs, preventive medicine and geriatric care. Some may be semi-public hospitals run by charities or religious groups and are partially funded by the government.
Below is the list of major hospitals segregated as per the clusters.

PUBLIC HOSPITALS