ND Applicants who are International Graduates or Practitioners

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

AND

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

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 does not hold a current license in a Canadian province. Practitioners licensed or practicing in any location outside of Canada are also International Applicants.

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

NOTE: If you are a citizen of a country other than Canada, but recently completed your naturopathic education at an accredited Canadian Naturopathic program you are not an international applicant. Please see the information under the tab New Graduates of Canadian Naturopathic Institutions for application

Pre-Registration Requirements

  • Proof of completion from a naturopathic educational program* accredited by the CNME or one approved as equivalent by the NSCNR.
  • Successful Completion** of the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations, Parts I and II (NPLEX) *

*Substantively equivalent credentials may be considered by the Registrar and Registration and Licensing decision maker on an individual basis. It is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate objective substantial equivalence via an acceptable review process.

*An applicant who meets all requirements for registration in the Naturopath Practicing Register, except for receipt of the final results of the entry-to-practice examinations approved by the Board, may be issued a conditional Provisional Naturopath Licence, subject to the requirement that proof of successful completion of the examinations is received by the NSCNR within 90 days of issuance.

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: Emergency First Aid/CPR C/ AED which meets the NSCNR Standard of Practice: Emergency First Aid.
  2. Proof of Completion – 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 downloaded here: VULNERABLE SECTOR AUTHORIZATION LETTER
    • This may include a Criminal Record Check to comply with the requirement below and can be uploaded together.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 1 passport style photo
  6. Disclosure if you intend to practice Acupuncture or Homeopathy as part of your Naturopathic Practice.

B. EXTERNAL DOCUMENTATION to be sent directly to NSCNR

For All Applicants: 

  1. Completion of a Canadian Criminal Records Check if not completed above. 
    • This may be obtained via CSI or other sources https://csiscreening.com/csi-services-personnels/ CSI will forward results directly to NSCNR.
    • Please Note:  If you have lived/worked outside of Canada in the past 2 years, an INTERNATIONAL Background check must also be completed in addition to a Canadian Criminal Record Check.
  2. Educational transcripts must be sent directly to the NSCNR from the educational institution; and
  3. Confirmation of successful completion of the entry-to-practice NPLEX examinations noted above directly from the examining board.

For Experienced Naturopathic Practitioners:

  • Letter(s) of Standing must be provided to NSCNR from the 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 currently 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 to their license or registration; and
  3. has been assessed by the authority to have the capacity, competence and character to safely and ethically practice in a regulated jurisdiction.

>> 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.

D. JURSIPRUDENCE EXAMINATION

Upon receipt of a completed application form and once all required documentation has been accepted, the applicant will be required to successfully complete the 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.

IA 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).

2. 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

Applicants will be notified in writing within 5 business days of completing the Jurisprudence exam. If successful, payment of applicable licensing fees are required (prorated based on the month in which you are joining NSCC).

Reserved Practice Permits

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

  • Reserved Practice Permits are required in the following practice areas:
    • Injection Therapies +/- IV authorization
    • Ozone and Oxidative Therapies
    • ND Manipulation
  • Please refer to the specific training and competency requirements of each Reserved Practice Permit in the corresponding Standard of Practice.
  • 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.