Netherlands – Evidence of qualifications

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

Below is information about

Medical regulatory authority

Koninklijke Nederlandsche Maatschappij tot Bevordrring de Geneeskunst (KNMG)
Domus Medica
Lomanlaan 103
3526 XD
Utrecht
Netherlands
Tel: +31 30 282 3911/81 3713
Fax: +31 30 282 3375/26
Email: secretar@bureau.knmg

Full registration

You will need to hold a Getuigschrift van met goed gevolg afgelegd artsexamen (university certificate of doctor) awarded by the Faculteit Geneeskunde.

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 Getuigschrift van erkenning en inschrijving/bewijis van inschrijving in een Specialistenregister (certificate of recognition and registration/certificate of entry in the Specialist Register) from one of three organisations:

  1. Medisch Specialisten Registratie Commissie (MRSC)
  2. Sociaal-Geneeskundigen Registratie Comissie
  3.  Huisarts en Verpleeghuisarts Registratie Comissie (HVRC) van de Koninklike Nederlandsche Maatschappij tot Bevordering der Geneeskunst – note that only certificates issued before 19 July 2007 are accepted from this awarding body.

If the Dutch specialist certificate was awarded before 20 December 1976 or if the training leading to its award started before that date you will need to hold either:

A letter from the MRSC confirming that the training leading to the award of the specialist certificate meets the standards in Articles 25, 26 and 27 as appropriate of Directive 2005/36/EC.

OR

If the training leading to the award of the specialist certificate does not meet those standards, a letter from the MRSC 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 Dutch 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 hold a letter from the MRSC 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 the Netherlands 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:

If you qualified before 19 July 2007: A Certificaat van inschrijving in het register van erkende huisartsen van de Koninklijke Nederlandsche Maatschappij tot bevordering der geneeskunst (certificate of specific training for general practice) awarded by the Chairman of the Royal Dutch Medical Association (General Practitioner and Verpleeghuisarts Registration Committee). If the 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 Chairman of the Royal Dutch Medical Association (General Practitioner and Verpleeghuisarts Registration Committee) which confirms that your training meets those standards.

OR

If you qualified after 19 July 2007: A Certificaat van inschrijving in het register van erkende huisartsen van de Koninklijke Nederlandsche Maatschappij tot bevordering der geneeskunst issued by the Huisarts, Verpleeghuisarts en arts voor verstandelijk gehandicapte Registratie Commissie (HRVC).  If the 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 Chairman of the Royal Dutch Medical Association (General Practitioner and Verpleeghuisarts Registration Committee) which confirms that your training meets those standards.

A certificate of acquired rights for general medical practice awarded by the Chairman of the Royal Dutch Medical Association (General Practitioner and Verpleeghuisarts Registration Committee). The certificate must state that it was issued 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.