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 give you a licence, 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.

International Medical Graduates - information on English Language requirements

European Doctors - information on English Language requirements

If we ask you for evidence and you do not send it to us, or our registrar is not satisfied with it, we won't grant you a licence.

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 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. 

Specific information for European doctors or those with enforceable community rights

In certain circumstances people have the right to move and live freely within the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) countries.

If you have an enforceable community right, it doesn't mean you’re entitled to registration. You’ll still need to satisfy our normal registration assessment process.

Find out more about enforceable rights and whether you can demonstrate exempt person status.

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 or Switzerland
• my qualification is from outside the UK, EEA and Switzerland

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.

Specific guidance for international medical 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
• showing us an acceptable postgraduate qualification 
• gaining sponsorship by an approved sponsor
• being eligible for entry onto the Specialist Register or the GP Register.