DC International applicants or those from non-Canadian DC programs

For the purposes of registration and licensure, an international Applicant is an individual who is a graduate of a naturopathic educational program located outside of Canada and who has not held a license in a Canadian province. 

NOTES: You may be a Canadian citizen but still an International Applicant if your education was completed outside of Canada.

If you are a citizen of a country other than Canada, but completed your naturopathic education at an accredited Canadian Naturopathic program, see the information on 

New Graduates of Canadian Naturopathic Institutions for application (link)

A. NSCNR invites new graduates of non-Canadian located Naturopathic programs to apply for licensure where the Pre-Registration Requirements have been met.

AND

B. NSCNR invites Experienced Naturopaths licensed in another jurisdiction outside of Canada to apply for licensure where the Pre-Registration Requirements have been met.

Pre-Registration Requirements

Please note: Proof of successful completion of an accredited naturopathic program must be forwarded directly to the NSCNR.

Please note: Confirmation of successful completion of the entry-to-practice NPLEX examinations must be forwarded directly to the NSCNR.

* Substantively equivalent credentials may be considered by the Registrar and Registration and Licensing Committee on an individual basis. It is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate objective substantial equivalency.

** An applicant who meets all of the requirements for registration in the Naturopath practicing register except for communication of results for the entry-to-practice examinations approved by the Board, may be issued a conditional Provisional Naturopath licence pending the passing of the examinations for a maximum period of 90 days.

Application Process

A. ONLINE APPLICATION AND UPLOADED DOCUMENTATION

To become a Registrant of the Nova Scotia Chiropractic and Naturopathic Regulator, please Register Here to create a user profile and complete the online application.

The following documents must be uploaded with your application:

  1. Current Canadian First Aid Certification – Minimum Requirement: Basic Life Support (CPR C) which meets the NSCNR Standard of Practice: Emergency First Aid (link). 
  2. Proof of Completion of a Vulnerable Sector Check within 60 days of application date.  Vulnerable sector check must be obtained via local law enforcement (Police or RCMP, etc.).  A letter of licensing requirement can be found here: VULNERABLE SECTOR AUTHORIZATION .
  3. Current dated Government issued Photo ID. If you are a non-Canadian citizen, a certified true copy of the supporting document must be mailed to the NSCNR. 
  4. 1 passport style photo
  5. Proof of ability to work in Canada, if you are not a Canadian Citizen. A certified true copy of the supporting document must be mailed to the NSCNR. 

B. EXTERNAL DOCUMENTATION to be sent directly to NSCNR 

For All Applicants

  1. Completion of a Canadian Criminal Records Check.  This may be obtained via CSI  https://csiscreening.com/csi-services-personnels/
  •  CSI will forward results directly to NSCNR.
  • Note:  If you have lived/worked outside of Canada in the past 2 years, anINTERNATIONAL Background check must also be completed in addition to a Canadian Criminal Record Check.(link international) 
  1. Educational transcript must be sent directly to the NSCNR from the educational institution.
  2. Confirmation of successful completion of the entry-to-practice NPLEX examinations must be sent directly from NPLEX to the NSCNR.

For Experienced Naturopaths

  1. letter(s) standing must be provided to NSCNR from any regulatory organization in all jurisdictions where a license has been held. These must be mailed or emailed directly from the office of the regulator to the NSCNR and must be dated within 30 days.

For reference, the NSCNR criteria for good standing are defined as:

  1. is not subject to any complaints or disciplinary proceedings.
  2. has no conditions or restrictions on or pending on their license or registration; and
  3. has been assessed by the authority to have the capacity, competence and character to safely and ethically practice Regulation.

>> Please note that applications will be closed if all required documentation has not been received by the Registrar within 60 days of initial application date. If an applicant requires an extension beyond 60 days, this must be requested in writing to the Registrar of the NSCNR for consideration of circumstances.

C. FEES

A one-time application fee of $200.00 is required, payable by credit card online during the application submission.

Jurisprudence Examination Requirement

Upon receipt of the notarized application form and when all required documentation has been successfully accepted, an applicant will be required to complete a Jurisprudence Examination prior to licensure.

 A Jurisprudence exam fee of $150.00 is required and can be paid online upon invitation.

For more details on the Jurisprudence exam please click HERE.

Registration and Licensure Decisions

Applicants will be notified in writing of their registration decision within 5 business days of completing the Jurisprudence exam. 

A registration decision may reflect two possible outcomes:

  1. Registration is granted – the applicant has met the requirements for registration and is eligible to become a practicing registrant of the NSCNR. The applicant’s registration may be subject to terms, conditions, or restrictions as permitted by law and/or NSCNR Regulations.
  • If successful, confirmation of required Professional Liability/Malpractice Insurance will be required prior to issuing the license. If Reserved Practice Permits are sought, confirmation of coverage for those acts will also be required. Please refer to the Standards of Practice here for amounts of coverage required.
  • If successful, payment of applicable licensing fees are required prior to issuing the license. (These are prorated based on the month in which you are licensed by NSCNR).
  1. Registration is not granted* – the applicant does not currently meet the requirements for registration and is not eligible to become a practicing registrant of the NSCNR at this time. The applicant may be eligible to become registered at a later time, after fulfilling certain requirements or addressing gaps in their training and/or skills.

*An applicant who is unsuccessful may appeal this decision as per the Regulated Health Professions Act: Regulated Health Professions Act: overview – Government of Nova Scotia.

Reserved Practice Permits

In Nova Scotia, to qualify for a Reserved Practice Permit an applicant must first hold an active, good-standing Naturopathic practicing license issued by the Nova Scotia Chiropractic and Naturopathic Regulator (NSCNR). Once licensed you may submit a permit application by logging into your registrant profile and selecting the appropriate permit type. 

Please refer to the Reserved Practice Permits tab above for additional information.

  • Reserved Practice Permits for ND Registrants are required in the following practice areas:
    • Injection Therapies
    • Intravenous Therapy
    • Ozone and Oxidative Therapies
    • ND Acupuncture
    • ND Manipulation
  • Please refer to the specific training and competency requirements of each Reserved Practice Permit in the corresponding Standard of Practice. Reserved Practice Permits for Injection Therapies, Intravenous Therapy and Ozone and Oxidative Therapies require documentation of successful completion of the Canadian Prescribing and Therapeutics Examination.
  • Disciplinary issues, conditions of licensure, or lapses in registration may disqualify you from obtaining or renewing a Reserved Practice Permit until resolved.  A suspension of license automatically suspends all Reserved Practice Permits.