Registering if you qualified outside the UK

If you’ve ever been registered with:

• Social Work England
• Scottish Social Services Council
• Northern Ireland Social Care Council

Email us at internationallyqualified@socialcare.wales before you apply to let us know you want to apply with us. You won’t need to have your qualification assessed for a second time.

To apply to register, you’ll need to provide evidence of:

• Language proficiency - You need to show that you can speak, read, and write fluently in English or Welsh. There are four ways you can demonstrate this, which are explained in the Qualification Equivalency Application Form.

• Social work qualification - You need to have completed and been awarded your social work qualification, which must include:

- at least 1,200 hours of college-based teaching

- at least 1,400 hours of supervised and assessed social work practice. At least 560 hours of which must involve statutory social work practice.

This is a list of overseas social work qualifications that we’ve assessed and consider to be the same standard as approved UK qualifications. The information in this list is advisory and is subject to updates and revision.

If you think your qualification appears on the list, you’ll need to provide all the documents listed in the document section below. We'll then assess your qualification against those in the list and check your qualification against our existing records to make sure they match.

Some qualifications on this list require us to also assess additional social work training and experience before we can accept them. You should provide details about any additional qualifications or experience you have in your application to register. Some applicants will also need to complete an aptitude test or complete a period of adaptation where they have supervised practice or training to assess whether they meet the standards required for registration.

We may need to ask your education provider for more information to make sure the information you’ve provided is accurate and meets the required standards.

If your qualification isn’t on this list, we’ll need to do a full assessment.

We’ll assess whether your qualification meets:

• the Welsh Degree Framework for social work and

• the UK Subject Benchmark Statements for social work.

If we find any gaps, we may ask you to provide additional information and evidence about your post-qualifying experience or qualifications. In some cases, we may ask you to complete a compensation measure to address these gaps.

As part of our assessment process, we may share relevant information with third parties, such as UK ENIC, to verify qualifications or other details. We may also use software to help us to detect plagiarism or use of artificial intelligence in the evidence you provide during your application.

For more information about how your data is handled, see our Privacy Policy.

If you haven’t practised as a social worker in over three years, you might need to provide us with extra evidence that you’re fit to practise if you want to return to work as a social worker. You can find more information about this process on our returning to social work practice page.

We’ll carry out the assessment of your qualification first and then we’ll let you know the next steps for your return to practice assessment.

If you decide to work outside of Wales, you’ll need to contact the regulatory body for that country.

In the UK these are:

Social Work England

Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC)

Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).

Email us at internationallyqualified@socialcare.wales to let us know you'd like to apply so that we can send you the relevant forms.

If this is your first time registering in the UK, you’ll need to complete the qualification equivalency assessment form and course information form. Make sure you complete every section of the forms. If we receive an incomplete application, we’ll return it to you.

After you’ve completed the qualification equivalency assessment form and course information form, you’ll need to create an SCWonline account. This is where you’ll need to complete an online application to register. Please upload your completed qualification equivalency assessment form and course information form to your online application.

In addition to the qualification equivalency assessment form and course information form, you also need to provide:

• evidence of name change if you have ever changed all or part of your name

• a verified colour copy of a form of photographic identification

• confirmation that you intend to practise in Wales (we may request further evidence when we process your application)

• evidence of your ability to speak, read and write fluently in English or Welsh

• verified colour copies of your qualification certificate and course transcript

• confirmation of formal translation if applicable.

Make sure you read our endorsement guidance.

If you’re already working in Wales, the online application form asks you to select a person from an approved list to verify your identity documents and endorse your application.

If you’re not already working in Wales, you’ll need to enter your endorser’s details manually. You’ll need to print the application form and take it to your endorser to check, sign and date. Then scan and upload this signed version to your SCWonline account.

You’ll need to pay a fee when you apply to register. Find out more on our fees page.

You’ll need to pay any third-party fees you incur for verifying your evidence. For example, if a course provider or awarding body charges you to confirm certificates or transcripts.

Since 1 October 2022, we've:

• received 564 applications from individuals who qualified outside of the UK
• registered 276 individuals who qualified outside the UK. Please note these individuals may have applied before October 2022.

There are 383 people who qualified outside the UK on the Register.

If you have a question, you can email: internationallyqualified@socialcare.wales.