Background: Renewal of healthcare registration or license to practise is becomingly increasingly common, worldwide. Evidence regarding the experience of nursing and midwifery revalidation in the United Kingdom is limited. Preparation of students for the process has not yet been considered in the literature. Objectives: To explore registrants' experiences of undertaking or supporting colleagues through revalidation. To consider preparation of pre-registration students for this future professional requirement. Design: A descriptive exploratory study comprising an on-line survey. Setting: A university in the southwest of England and associated clinical placements. Participants: Nursing and Midwifery Council registrants, comprising 40 university staff and 40 clinicians; 36 pre-registration nursing and midwifery students. Methods: Participation in an anonymous on-line survey was invited via university databases. Descriptive statistical analysis of quantitative data used a combination of software and manual methods. Qualitative data were manually coded and categorised into themes through inductive reasoning. Findings: Most experiences of revalidation were positive. Reflective discussions resulted in mutual learning, particularly if partners were chosen by the registrant. External scrutiny was welcomed. Some registrants questioned involvement of line managers and alignment with performance review, seeking to avoid a ‘tick-box exercise’ and conflicts of interest. University staff felt better prepared and more positive than clinicians. Pre-registration curriculum activities preparing students included writing reflections, maintaining portfolios, practice assessment and discussions about the revalidation process. Midwifery students seemed better prepared than nursing peers. Key themes of ‘Professional values’, ‘Preparation’, ‘Process’ and ‘Purpose’ and a range of positive influences and potential hazards informed development of a conceptual model. Conclusions: The purpose and process of revalidation is enhanced if confirmation is undertaken by a registered nurse or midwife of the individual's choice. Preparation of students for future revalidation is facilitated by role-modelling of positive attitudes and explicitly linking relevant pre-registration curriculum activities to this process and purpose.