Latvia – Evidence of qualifications

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

Below is information about

Medical regulatory authority

Latvian Ministry of Health
Latvijas Republikas Veselibas Ministrija
Sabiedribas Veselibas Departaments
Baznicas iela 25
Riga
LV-1010
Latvia
Tel: +371 787 6000
Fax: + 371 787 6002
Email: vm@vm.gov.lv

Latvian Medical Association
Latvijas Arstu Biedriba
Skolas iela 3
Riga
LV-1010
Latvia
Tel: +371 722 0661
Fax: +371 722 0657

Full registration

You will need to hold an Arsta diploms (Medical degree certificate) issued by your university.

If you started your medical degree before 21 August 1991 you will need to hold a letter from the Latvijas Arstu Biedriba (Latvian Medical Association) , or the registration authority of the EEA Member State or Switzerland where you are now working, which confirms that you have effectively and lawfully been engaged in actual medical practice for at least three consecutive years during the last five years (as required by Articles 23.1 and 23.4 of the Directive 2005/36/EC).

Specialist register

To hold specialist registration you must also hold full registration.

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 want to apply for specialist registration and you do not already hold full registration, you should apply for full and specialist registration at the same time.

You will need to hold a “Sertifikats” – kompetentu iestažu izsniegts documents, kas apliecina, ka persona ir nokartojusi sertifikacijas eksamenu specialitate (“Certificate”) awarded by the Latvian Medical Association.

If your Latvian specialist certificate was awarded before 1 May 2004, or if you began your training leading to the award of that certificate before that date, you will need to hold either:

A letter from the Latvijas Arstu Biedriba (Latvian Medical Association) confirming that the training leading to the award of your specialist certificate meets the standards laid down in Articles 25, 26 and 27 as appropriate of Directive 2005/36/EC.

OR

If your specialist training does not meet those standards you will need to hold a letter from the Latvijas Arstu Biedriba (Latvian Medical Association), or the medical regulatory authority of the country where you are now working, confirming that you have been practising in the specialty in which your specialist certificate was awarded for the period required by Article 23.1 of Directive 2005/36/EC.

If the title of your Latvian specialist certificate is not 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 hold a letter from the Latvijas Arstu Biedriba (Latvian Medical Association) confirming that your training leading to the award of the specialist certificate meets the standards laid down in Articles 25, 26 and 27 as appropriate of Directive 2005/36/EC and that the specialty is treated in law by Latvia as a certificate of medical specialisation in the relevant speciality as set out in Annex V of Directive 2005/36/EC.

If you are not eligible to enter the specialist register via the criteria outlined (above) you can apply to the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) to be assessed via the Article 14 equivalence route. Doctors applying via the Article 14 route will be required to demonstrate that their specialist qualifications, knowledge and experience gained are equivalent to that of a doctor completing a UK specialist training programme in your specialty. For further guidance, including application forms and a list of frequently answered questions, please visit the PMETB website. Please note that PMETB cannot accept CVs/resumes in isolation.

GP register

To hold GP registration you must also hold full registration.

If you want to apply for GP registration and you do not already hold full registration, you should apply for full and GP registration at the same time.

You will need to hold either:

A Gimeenes arsta sertifikats (certificate of specialist training) awarded by the Latvijas Arstu Biedriba (Latvian Medical Association). If your certificate does not clearly state that your training for general medical practice meets the standards laid down in Article 28 of Directive 2005/36/EC you will need to hold a letter from the Latvijas Arstu Biedriba which confirms that your training meets those standards.

OR

A certificate of acquired rights for general medical practice awarded by the Latvijas Arstu Biedriba. The certificate must state that it was awarded to you in accordance with Article 30(1) of Directive 2005/36/EC.

If you are not eligible to enter the GP register via the criteria outlined (above) you can apply to PMETB via the Article 11 equivalence route. Doctors who apply using this method will have their training, qualifications and experience compared against the standard required for doctors completing a UK General Practice training programme. Successful applicants will be given a statement confirming their eligibility for entry to the GP Register and hence eligible to work as a GP in the UK. For further information and to request an Article 11 application pack, please visit the PMETB website. Please note that PMETB is unable to accept CVs/resumes in isolation and cannot process applications that are not made through the correct channels.