This is built for you
Start with step one below and work through the path. It covers NNAS, provincial licensing, fees, English tests, and getting hired.
For internationally educated nurses
Canadian Nurse Codex
Your path to nursing in Canada, one clear step at a time.
What are you looking for?
Jump straight there — no need to read the whole guide.
Who this site is for
Plenty here still applies
You don't need NNAS, but a lot of this is still for you. Jump straight to salaries by province, recruitment incentives worth up to $50,000, non-bedside nursing careers, and interview preparation.
Start with the big picture
Start with the career comparison to see how CCA, PSW, LPN, RPN, RN, and NP differ in scope, education, and pay before you commit to a path.
What is NNAS?
NNAS stands for the National Nursing Assessment Service. It is a single organization that reviews your nursing education and work history and produces a report comparing your credentials to Canadian standards.
The point of NNAS is that you submit your documents once, to one place, instead of separately to every province you might apply to. NNAS does not license you and does not decide whether you can work as a nurse in Canada. It only produces the report. Your province's regulatory college makes the actual licensing decision.
Not every province requires it. Five provinces use their own credential assessment instead, so check your province before you start.
Key fact
NNAS is a step, not a destination. Getting your NNAS report does not make you licensed. It is one document your province will ask for as part of their own application process.
You need NNAS if you completed your nursing education outside Canada and are applying to a province that requires it. If you trained in Canada, you do not need NNAS at all.
Visit the official NNAS website ↗Check your province
Requirements and fees differ by province. Pick where you plan to work.
Where did you train?
Pick where you trained for your verification body, documents, English-test position, and NNAS shortcuts.
Eight country guides are live — more detail is added as it's verified.
The registration path
Four steps take you from “where do I even begin?” to a licence application.
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Check Your Province
Find out whether your province requires an NNAS report, and what it costs.
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Before You Apply
Gather your documents, understand the fees, and know the English-test rules.
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While You Wait
Make the waiting period count — steps you can take while your report is processed.
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After Your Report
Your report is ready — here's how to move forward with your provincial regulator, including the licensing exam for your designation (RNs write NCLEX-RN, LPNs write CPNRE, RPNs write RPNCE).
The board
A wall of notes from nurses walking this path. Add yours.