Evidence of qualifications - France
This page is to explain what evidence of qualifications doctors who qualified in France need to supply to support their application.
Medical regulatory authority in France
Conseil National de L'Ordre de Médecins
180 Boulevard Haussmann
75008 Paris
France
Tel: +33 153 893 200
Fax: +33 153 893 344
Below is information about:
Full registration with a licence to practise
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To apply for full registration with a licence to practise if you have previously held provisional registration you will need to send to us:
Diplôme de fin de deuxième cycle des études médicales awarded by your French university.
OR
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If you have previously held provisional registration and completed your internship in the UK you will need to send to us:
A Certificate of Experience form completed by an authorised officer of your UK medical school or deanery. We will send you a blank Certificate of Experience that you will need to pass to your medical school or deanery to be completed.
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If you have never held provisional registration, the documents you will need to send to us depend on the date you started your basic medical training. Please see the table below.
| Important dates |
Documents required |
Documents must be issued by: |
| You began your basic medical training on 20 December 1976 or later |
- Diplôme de fin de deuxième cycle des études médicales
|
French university |
| You began your basic medical training before 20 December 1976 |
- Diplôme de fin de deuxième cycle des études médicales
AND EITHER
|
French university |
- A document confirming that the training leading to the award of your French primary medical qualification meets the standards detailed in Article 24 of Directive 2005/36/EC
OR
|
Conseil National de L'Ordre de Médecins |
- A document confirming that you have effectively and lawfully been engaged in actual medical practice for at least three consecutive years during the five years preceding the award of the certificate (as detailed in Article 23.1 of Directive 2005/36/EC)
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Conseil National de L'Ordre de Médecins, or the competent authority of the EEA Member State or Switzerland where you are now working |
In addition to the above
If the title of your French degree is not as described as above you will also need to send to us a document from the Conseil National de L'Ordre de Médecins which confirms that your qualification is treated by France as equivalent to the Diplôme de fin de deuxième cycle des études médicales as detailed in Article 23.6 of Directive 2005/36/EC.
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Applying for entry onto the Specialist Register
To be entered onto the Specialist Register you must hold full registration.
Direct entry
Your specialty must be listed in Annex V of the Directive 2005/36/EC by the country that awarded it and have a corresponding entry for the United Kingdom. If you are eligible for direct entry onto the Specialist Register, as set out below, and you do not already hold full registration, you should apply for full registration with a licence to practise and entry onto the Specialist Register at the same time.
The documents you will need to send to us for entry onto the Specialist Register depend on the date on which you started your specialist training:
| Important dates |
Documents required |
Documents must be issued by: |
| You began your specialist training on 20 December 1976 or later |
- A Certificat d'études spécialisées de médecine (CES - certificate of specialist studies in medicine)
OR
|
French University |
- An Attestation de médecine spécialiste qualifié (certificate of qualified specialist)
OR
|
Conseil de l’Ordre des médecins |
- A Diplôme d'études spécialisées/Diplôme d'études spécialisées complémentaires qualifiant de médecine (DESC - diploma of complementary specialised studies)
|
French University |
| You began your specialist training before 20 December 1976 |
- One of the specialist certificates listed above
AND EITHER
|
French university OR Conseil de l’Ordre des médecins |
- A document confirming that the training leading to the award of your specialist certificate meets the standards detailed in Articles 25, 26 and 27 as appropriate of Directive 2005/36/EC
OR
|
Conseil National de L'Ordre de Médecins |
- If your specialist training does not meet those standards we will need a document confirming that you have been practising in the specialty in which your specialist certificate was awarded for at least three consecutive years during the five years preceding the award of the certificate (as detailed in Article 23.1 of Directive 2005/36/EC)
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Conseil National de L'Ordre de Médecins, or the competent authority of the EEA Member State or Switzerland where you are now working |
In addition to the above
If the title of your French specialist certificate is not as described above or the specialty in which it is awarded is not the same as that specialty listed in Annex V of Directive 2005/36/EC, you will also need to send to us a document from the Conseil National de L'Ordre de Médecins confirming that the specialty is treated in law by France as a certificate of medical specialisation in the relevant specialty as detailed in Article 23.6 of Directive 2005/36/EC.
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Certification
If you do not fulfil the above criteria you should complete an application for full registration first and tell us what specialist qualifications you do have. We will assess your application for full registration and review your specialist qualifications.
If you are not eligible for direct entry onto the Specialist Register we will refer you to our Specialist and GP Certification Team once your full registration has been granted.
The team will tell you whether you are eligible to apply for entry onto the Specialist Register through specialty equivalence and advise you on what to do next.
See more guidance on specialty equivalence.
Applying for entry onto the GP Register
To be entered onto the GP Register you must also hold full registration.
Direct entry
If you are eligible for direct entry onto the GP Register, as set out below, and you do not already hold full registration, you should apply for full registration with a licence to practise and entry onto the GP Register at the same time.
The documents you will need to send to us for entry onto the GP Register depend on the date on which you started your GP training:
| Important dates |
Documents required |
Documents must be issued by: |
| You began your GP training on 31 December 1994 or later |
- Diplôme d'études spécialisées de médicine générale (qualification in general medicine)
|
French university |
| You began your GP training before 31 December 1994 |
- Diplôme d'études spécialisées de médicine générale (qualification in general medicine)
AND EITHER
|
French university |
- A document confirming that the training leading to the award of your GP certificate meets the standards detailed in Article 28 of Directive 2005/36/EC
OR
|
Conseil National de L'Ordre de Médecins |
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If you are eligible for entry onto the GP register, on the basis of acquired rights specific to general practitioners, you will need to send to us:
- A certificate of acquired rights for general medical practice. The certificate must state that it was awarded to you in accordance with Article 30(1) of Directive 2005/36/EC.
|
Conseil National de L'Ordre de Médecins |
Certification
If you do not fulfil the above criteria you should complete an application for full registration first and tell us what general practice qualifications you do have. We will assess your application for full registration and review your general practice qualifications.
If you are not eligible for direct entry onto the GP Register we will refer you to our Specialist and GP Certification Team once your full registration has been granted.
The team will tell you whether you are eligible to apply for entry onto the GP Register through specialty equivalence and advise you on what to do next.
See more guidance on GP equivalence.