Applying for full registration with a licence to practise and entry onto the Specialist Register with a Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR)

This page is to help doctors who:

• are nationals of countries outside the UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland who graduated from medical schools outside the UK

OR

• are UK nationals who graduated from medical schools outside the UK, EEA or Switzerland

AND

• do not have European Community rights (opens in a new window)

AND

• hold an acceptable primary medical qualification

AND

• are eligible to apply for entry onto the Specialist Register with a Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR).

This guidance provides all the information you need to compile all your documentary evidence and make an online application for registration with a licence to practise with the GMC. Your application will be an online application. At the end of this guidance you will be given a link to enter our secure web portal.

Before you proceed you will need to decide whether your specialty is a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) specialty or a non-CCT specialty and whether you meet the minimum requirements. The minimum requirements are different for CCT and non-CCT specialties.

CCT specialties

A CCT specialty is one approved by the GMC for the award of a CCT.

The name for your specialty may differ slightly to that used in the UK. If it covers the same fields as a CCT specialty then you may be eligible for this application type. You can check the fields of the CCT specialties in the CCT curricula (opens in a new window).

Evaluation standard

An application in a CCT specialty must demonstrate that you meet the requirements of the CCT curriculum in place at the time of your application.

Minimum requirements

To be eligible to apply you must have either a specialist medical qualification or at least six months continuous specialist training in the specialty you are applying in.

Non-CCT specialties

A non-CCT specialty is one which is not approved by the GMC for the award of a CCT.

Evaluation standard

An application in a non-CCT specialty must demonstrate that you have the knowledge and skill equivalent to the standards required of a consultant in any of the UK health services.

Minimum requirements

To be eligible to apply you must have either a specialist medical qualification from outside the UK or at least six months continuous specialist training outside the UK in a non-CCT specialty.

The process

When we have received your application and fee, supporting evidence and structured reports from your referees we will make a final check and then, in most cases, send your application to the relevant Royal College or Faculty (opens in a new window) for evaluation.

The Royal College or Faculty will evaluate your evidence and make a recommendation to us as to whether your training, qualifications and experience meet the required standards.

Based on the recommendation and your provision of any further documents to satisfy the requirements for full registration, we will then make a decision on whether or not to grant you full registration with a licence to practise and entry onto the Specialist Register.

Please read this guidance carefully and in good time before you need your registration. You should bear in mind that it can take a long time to compile your supporting evidence and contact your referees to discuss your structured report. Once your application is complete, the assessment process will take around three months.

Your next steps

• Read this guidance (17 pages)
• Compile the evidence you wish to provide in support of your application
• Get agreement from your referees that they will supply us with a structured report when we contact them
• Set up an online account
• Log in, complete your application and pay your fee
• Send your evidence to the Specialist and GP Certification team
• Visit us for an identity check (successful applicants only)

There is more information about these steps on the following pages of this guidance.