Regulating doctors, ensuring good medical practice

Evidence of qualifications - Italy

This page is to explain what evidence of qualifications doctors who qualified in Italy need to supply to support their application.

Medical regulatory authority in Italy

Ministero della Salute
Dipartimento della Qualità
Direzione generale della riscorse umane e delle professioni sanitarie
Ufficio VII
Piazzale dell'Industria 20
0144 Rome
Italy
Tel: +39 0659941
Fax: +39 065 994 2536

Below is information about:

Provisional registration with a licence to practise

You will need to send to us:

A Diploma di Laurea in medicina e chirurgia (graduate in medicine and surgery) awarded by an Italian University.

Full registration with a licence to practise

If you have previously held provisional registration you will need to send to us:

A Diploma di abilitazione all'esercizio della medicina e chirurgia (diploma conferring the right to practise medicine and surgery) awarded by either the State Examining Commission of Italy or your Italian University.

OR

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.

If you have not previously 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
  • A Diploma di Laurea in medicina e chirurgia (graduate in medicine and surgery) or a Diploma di Laurea specialistica in medicina e chirurgia

AND

Italian University
  • A Diploma di abilitazione all'esercizio della medicina e chirurgia (diploma conferring the right to practise medicine and surgery)

 

The State Examining Commission of Italy or an Italian University
You began your basic medical training before 20 December 1976
  • A Diploma di Laurea in medicina e chirurgia (graduate in medicine and surgery) or a Diploma di Laurea specialistica in medicina e chirurgia 

AND

Italian University
  • A Diploma di abilitazione all'esercizio della medicina e chirurgia (diploma conferring the right to practise medicine and surgery) 

AND EITHER

The State Examining Commission of Italy or an Italian University
  • A document which confirms that the training leading to the award of your Italian primary medical qualification meets the standards detailed in Article 24 of Directive 2005/36/EC
Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health)

OR

  • A document which confirms 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)
Ministero della Salute, or the competent authority of the EEA Member State or Switzerland where you are now working

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 Diploma di medico specialista, rilasciati dal rettore di una universita (diploma of specialised doctor)
A rector of an Italian university
You began your specialist training before 20 December 1976
  • A Diploma di medico specialista, rilasciati dal rettore di una universita (diploma of specialised doctor)

AND EITHER

A rector of an Italian university
  • 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

Ministero della Salute
  • If your specialist training does not meet those standards, you will need a document confirming that you have effectively and lawfully been engaged in actual medical practice 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)
Ministero della Salute, or the competent authority of the EEA Member State or Switzerland where you are now working

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 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
  • An Attesto di formazione specifica in medicina generale (certificate of specific training for general medical practice).
Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health) of Italy
You began your GP training before 31 December 1994
  • An Attesto di formazione specifica in medicina generale (certificate of specific training for general medical practice)

AND EITHER

Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health) of Italy
  • 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

Ministero della Salute

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.
Ministero della Salute

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.