The registration renewal process has begun for more than 220,000 nurses and midwives across Australia.

The ACT kicked off the staged renewal process with registrations due on April 1.

A spokesperson for the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) said it was too early to know how many had met the registration deadline but those that had missed it were now in the "late period" and had until April 30 to lodge their applications.

"If they do not lodge an application by this date, their registration will lapse and, under the national law, their namemust be removed from the national register and they will not be able to practise unless they complete a new application for registration," she said.

Nurses and midwives across Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory, Tasmania and New South Wales have until May 31 to renew while the deadline for Queensland is June 30.

This is the first year of national registration and renewal timing has been staged in a bid to establish a nationally consistent registration renewal date of May 31 from next year.

Despite the staged renewals of such a large sector, the spokesperson said the process was expected to go "smoothly".

"We know nurses and midwives are professionals who know it is their job to renew their registration on time," she said.

"We know the job of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency is to make that process as straightforward as possible."

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia has embraced Twitter to promote registration renewals.

"We’re making our debut into social media to help keep in touch with our professions," Board chair Anne Copeland said.

AHPRA has also ramped up its communications with an email campaign, letters to practitioners, flyers and employer information.

Nurses and midwives are encouraged to check their registration details at the online national register - www.ahpra.gov.au.