What a doctor trained abroad needs to register in the United Kingdom
Read from the regulator's own documents. Each step shows what it costs, who usually pays, and the date we last checked it. Enter your details and we tell you which of these you already meet.
GMC registration via PLAB
Full registration with a licence to practise after passing PLAB 1 and PLAB 2 within two years of applying, with an acceptable degree, an internship or two years' practice, English evidence and certificates of good standing.
- 1Acceptable overseas primary medical qualification (checked against the GMC's criteria and the World Directory of Medical Schools)
- 2Confirm your medical school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (search.wdoms.org)
- 3Internship of 12 months in a public hospital with three months of medicine and three of surgery, or two years of continuous supervised practice after graduation~52 weeks · Source ↗
- 4English: IELTS Academic 7.5 overall with 7.0 in each part, or OET Medicine grade B in each part, in one sitting (One Skill Retake accepted); valid two years~8 weeks · ~£250 · you pay · Source ↗
- 5Pass PLAB 1 (180 questions, three hours; GBP 283 from 1 April 2026)~12 weeks · ~£283 · you pay · Source ↗
- 6Pass PLAB 2 in Manchester within two years of PLAB 1 (GBP 1,036 from 1 April 2026)~16 weeks · ~£1,036 · you pay · Source ↗
- 7Certificate of good standing from every regulator you have been registered with in the last five years (valid three months)~4 weeks · Source ↗
- 8Overseas Employment Certificate from the Department of Migrant Workers, through a DMW-licensed recruitment agency or an employer the DMW allows to hire directly (Filipino workers)who pays varies · Source ↗
GMC registration via acceptable postgraduate qualification
PLAB is waived if you hold a postgraduate qualification on the GMC's lists (MRCP(UK), MRCS, MRCOG, MRCPCH, FRCA, FRCR, MRCPsych, MRCEM and others), awarded within three years of your application being approved.
- 1Acceptable overseas primary medical qualification (checked against the GMC's criteria and the World Directory of Medical Schools)
- 2Confirm your medical school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (search.wdoms.org)
- 3Hold a GMC-acceptable postgraduate qualification, awarded within three years of approval (otherwise evidence of recent medical experience)
- 4English: IELTS Academic 7.5 overall with 7.0 in each part, or OET Medicine grade B in each part, in one sitting (One Skill Retake accepted); valid two years~8 weeks · ~£250 · you pay · Source ↗
- 5Certificate of good standing from every regulator you have been registered with in the last five years (valid three months)~4 weeks · Source ↗
- 6Overseas Employment Certificate from the Department of Migrant Workers, through a DMW-licensed recruitment agency or an employer the DMW allows to hire directly (Filipino workers)who pays varies · Source ↗
Rules checked 22 Oct 2026 · outcomeOS describes each regulator's published rules; it does not advise on your individual case. · Privacy · Terms