Healthcare
How to become a Midwife
Midwives support women and families through pregnancy, labour and the early postnatal period, providing antenatal checks, delivering babies and recognising when medical referral is needed.
Qualifications
- A midwifery degree, or a shortened course for registered nurses in some countries
- Supervised clinical practice including attending births
- Language proficiency test for internationally trained midwives
Licences & registration
| United Kingdom | Registration with the NMC as a midwife. |
|---|---|
| United States | Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM) are RNs with a graduate degree and AMCB certification; licensing rules for other midwife types vary by state. |
| Canada | Registration with the provincial midwifery college; midwifery is regulated in most provinces. |
| Australia | Registration as a midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Board via AHPRA. |
| United Arab Emirates | Licence from the relevant health authority (DHA, DOH or MOHAP). |
| European Union | Midwifery is a sectoral profession under Directive 2005/36/EC, so EU-trained midwives receive automatic recognition. |
Key skills
- Antenatal and postnatal care
- Emergency recognition and response
- Empathy and calm communication
- Clinical decision-making
- Teamwork with obstetric staff
Experience
Entry roles are open to newly registered midwives; community, caseload or consultant midwife roles usually require several years’ experience.
Indicative pay
- UK: £32,000 (starter) to £48,000 (experienced) a year — National Careers Service
- US: median $134,040 a year; 10th–90th percentile $93,620–$188,320 (SOC 29-1161) — BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates
- Canada: varies by province — see Job Bank wage data.
- Australia: see Your Career (Australian Government) occupation profiles.
- UAE & EU: varies widely by employer and country; check current listings.
Pay figures retrieved 2026-10-29 from the cited official sources; they are averages/estimates, not offers.
Working in this job abroad: visa notes
United Kingdom
Eligible health professionals usually apply through the Health and Care Worker visa (a Skilled Worker route) with a job offer from an approved sponsor such as the NHS. You must normally hold, or be in the process of obtaining, registration with the relevant UK regulator.
Official sources: GOV.UK – Skilled Worker visa · GOV.UK – Skilled Worker eligible occupations · GOV.UK – Check if you need a UK visa
United States
Most internationally trained health workers immigrate through employer-sponsored green cards (EB-2/EB-3) or, for roles needing a degree, the H-1B. Many healthcare occupations also require a healthcare worker certificate (e.g. CGFNS VisaScreen) and a US state licence.
Official sources: USCIS – H-1B specialty occupations · USCIS – Employment-based green cards · USCIS – H-2B temporary non-agricultural workers
Canada
You normally need a credential assessment and registration with the provincial or territorial regulator before practising. Express Entry has run category-based draws for healthcare occupations; provincial nominee programs and employer-supported work permits are also used.
Official sources: Canada.ca – Work in Canada · Canada.ca – Express Entry
Australia
You need a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority and, for most regulated health roles, registration with the national board via AHPRA. Common routes are the Skills in Demand (482) visa or permanent skilled visas such as subclass 189/190.
Official sources: Home Affairs – Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) · Home Affairs – Skilled occupation list · Home Affairs – Skills assessment
United Arab Emirates
You need a professional licence from the health authority for the emirate (DHA in Dubai, DOH in Abu Dhabi, or MOHAP for the other emirates), usually including qualification verification and an exam, plus an employer-sponsored work permit and residence visa.
Official sources: u.ae – Jobs and work in the UAE · MOHRE – Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation · u.ae – Golden Visa
European Union
Regulated health professions require recognition of your qualification in the country where you will work; EU-trained doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists and pharmacists may benefit from automatic recognition under Directive 2005/36/EC. Non-EU nationals also need a national work permit or EU Blue Card, and local-language proficiency is usually required.
Official sources: EU Immigration Portal · EU Regulated Professions Database · Make it in Germany (example national portal)
Useful official links
This guide is general information, reviewed October 2026. Immigration rules and licensing change often — always confirm with the official sources above. Not legal advice.