Evidence to support your application
What evidence do you need to provide?
The evidence we ask you to provide to support your application will depend on your circumstances.
All applicants
English language skills
We need to be satisfied you can speak, read, write and listen in English before we assess your application, so you do not put the safety of your patients at risk.
We may ask you to give us evidence of your English language capability.
Evidence of your fitness to practise
You'll need to give us details of all your postgraduate medical experience, non-medical experience and certain other activities for the last five years or since you graduated. We may ask for employer references to cover non-medical work or medical practise for which you did not hold registration and we'll need a certificate of good standing from each medical regulatory authority you've been registered or licensed with.
Find out more about how to show us you are fit to practise.
Primary source verification
All applicants with non-UK medical qualifications will need to have their primary medical qualification, as well as other documents, independently verified before we can grant registration with a licence to practise. Read about what this means for you.
Qualifying Swiss applicants
If you are a qualifying Swiss applicant, you can find more information on primary source verification for qualifying Swiss applicants.
An acceptable primary medical qualification
Your primary medical qualification must be acceptable to us for the purpose of registration with a licence to practise. Check your qualification by clicking the link that relates to you:
- my qualification is from an EEA country
- my qualification is from outside the UK or EEA
- I am a qualifying Swiss national
Primary source verification
Some applicants with non-UK medical qualifications will need to have their primary medical qualification independently verified before we can grant registration with a licence to practise. You should check whether this applies to you.
Breaks in medical practice
If you have had a break in medical practice you may find it more difficult to get registration and find work in the UK. It is in your interest to make sure your knowledge and skills are up to date before you apply to work in medical practice in the UK.
You can read our criteria and guidance to find out more.
Additional guidance for European and overseas graduates
An acceptable overseas primary medical qualification
Check if you have an acceptable primary medical qualification.
Primary source verification
You will need to have your primary medical qualification (and acceptable postgraduate qualification, if applicable) independently verified before we can grant registration with a licence to practise. Read about what this means for you.
Knowledge and skills
You’ll need to demonstrate that you have the knowledge and skills necessary to practise medicine in the UK. In summary, you can do this by:
- passing the PLAB test – if you're applying for full registration with a licence to practise you'll also need to give us evidence of an acceptable internship
- by holding an acceptable postgraduate qualification
- gaining sponsorship by an approved sponsor
- by holding a relevant European qualification
- being eligible for entry onto the Specialist Register or the GP Register.
