Nursing is one of the specialisations Jordanian students most often take abroad, usually because the Tawjihi average fell short of a local place or because a foreign programme looked quicker or cheaper. Both reasons are fine. The problem is that a nursing degree has to clear three separate bodies before its holder can work on a ward in Jordan, and the first of them judges the file against the day the student enrolled.
What the Ministry requires
A 70% Tawjihi average, before enrolment
The Ministry of Higher Education sets the minimum secondary average for nursing at 70%, or 980 out of 1,400 for certificates that carry no percentage. The same band covers allied medical sciences, rehabilitation sciences, nutrition and food science, cosmetology and clinical psychology. The average has to meet the Jordanian minimum before the student joins the foreign university. A foreign admission letter at 65% does not change that.
A recognised university, and every institution attended
The university must be on the Ministry’s recognised universities list. If the student transfers, every institution in the chain has to be recognised, however few credit hours it contributed.
Eight months a year, in person
For students who enrolled from 1 October 2023, a bachelor’s degree needs at least eight months of in-person study for each year of the programme. The time may be split, but each stay in the country of study must be at least two months or a full semester. Nursing is a clinical degree, so most serious programmes meet this easily. The ones to question are those sold as blended, with theory online from Amman and placements packed into short visits.
The language of the programme
In countries where English is not the national language, the Ministry accepts the local language as the language of study. An English-taught programme there is accepted only if local and foreign students take it together, and the graduate must bring proof of the local language. A programme run for foreign students only is not accepted. This rule matters for the English-taught nursing tracks sold across Europe and Asia.
| Ministry condition | What it means for nursing |
|---|---|
| Tawjihi minimum | 70% (980/1,400), met before enrolment |
| Recognised institution | Every university attended, at every stage |
| In-person study (enrolled from 1 Oct 2023) | 8 months per year of study; stays of at least two months or a semester |
| Equivalency fee, bachelor’s | 50 JD for Jordanians, applied for online at rceapp.mohe.gov.jo |
After equivalency: three steps to practise
1. Register with the Nurses and Midwives Association
The Jordan Nurses and Midwives Association (نقابة الممرضين والممرضات والقابلات القانونيات) registers new graduates in person, at its main office or a branch. Graduates of non-Jordanian universities bring the Ministry’s certified equivalency together with the certified university certificate, the certified Tawjihi transcript, a recent certificate of no criminal record, an ID copy and two photographs. The published fee for graduates is 93 JD.
2. Pass the Nursing Council’s licensure exam
The Jordanian Nursing Council (المجلس التمريضي الأردني) sets the practice exam. Its 2026 instructions require foreign graduates to attach the Ministry’s equivalency and proof of Association registration to the online application, so the order of steps matters. The exam is 100 multiple-choice questions in two hours, held twice a year, with a pass mark of 50%. The fee is 50 JD for a first attempt and 30 JD for each resit. The Council also publishes the exam blueprint, and it is worth reading well before graduation.
3. Obtain the Ministry of Health licence
The Council passes exam results to the Ministry of Health, which issues practising licences for health professions. The Ministry’s document list and fee for a registered nurse’s licence are not set out here, so confirm them with the Ministry’s licensing directorate rather than relying on anyone’s summary, ours included.
Before you pay a nursing deposit
- Confirm the Tawjihi average is at or above 70%.
- Find the university, and any partner or pathway college, on the Ministry’s recognised list. Take a dated screenshot.
- Get the required on-campus months per year in writing, and check where the clinical placements take place.
- If the country is not English-speaking, ask whether the programme is shared with local students, and plan for proof of the local language by graduation.
- Read the Nursing Council’s current exam instructions and blueprint, and check the programme covers them.
GESCO runs these checks before recommending a nursing programme. We will tell you when a programme’s delivery or language is likely to cause trouble at equivalency, even if the university itself is sound.
Conditions and figures on this page come from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Jordanian Nursing Council’s 2026 exam instructions and the Jordan Nurses and Midwives Association’s registration page, all checked on 23 September 2026. Verify each with the body concerned before making a decision.
The full set of Ministry conditions, including the equivalency application itself, is set out in will your degree be recognised in Jordan.