Specialist and general practice certificates
Specialist or general practice certificates confirm eligibility for entry onto the Specialist Register or General Practice (GP) Register.
We issue three types of certificate:
- Certificate of completion of training (CCT)
- Certificate of eligibility for specialist registration (CESR)
- Certificate of eligibility for general practice (CEGPR)
The Directive on Recognition of Professional Qualifications (the Directive)
You may be asked by an overseas medical regulator for confirmation of your specialist or GP training or that you have an acquired right to practise in the UK. If you need to show that your training or qualification met Article 23, Article 30 or Article 50 of the Directive contact us at equivalence@gmc-uk.org.
Verify a specialist or GP certificate
For more information see our guidance on verifying specialist and GP certificates.
Request a duplicate copy of your certificate
For more information see our guidance on requesting a duplicate copy of your certificate.
Do you have concerns about a certificate?
If you have any concerns about the validity of a certificate, you can check our medical register.
If you find that the individual named on the certificate is not on the Specialist Register or General Practice Register, please contact us.
Certificate of completion of training (CCT)
A CCT confirms satisfactory completion of an approved programme of training in the UK and is one of the certificates which allows entry onto the General Practitioner (GP) Register or Specialist Register.
The CCT is awarded to specialist doctors under Section 34L of the Medical Act 1983. The certificate confirms the completion of specialist training which satisfies the requirements of Article 25 of the Directive or Article 28 where the specialty is General Practice.
Certificate of Eligibility for General Practice Registration (CEGPR) or Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR)
A CEGPR or CESR confirms eligibility for entry onto the GP Register or Specialist Register for doctors who hold full registration with the GMC.
- When held with a licence to practise, A CEGPR allows a doctor to practise as General Practitioners.
- When held with a licence to practise, a CESR allows doctors to hold a substantive, fixed term or honorary consultant post in the UK National Health Service (NHS) (for CESR).
We treat CEGPRs or CESRs in the same way as CCTs. However, the CESR or CEGPR does not satisfy the minimum requirements for specialist training in accordance with Article 25 or Article 28 (respectively) of the Directive.
General information regarding certificates
If you have any concerns about the validity of a certificate, you can check our online register to verify if the named individual is on the GP or Specialist register.
In some cases, the recipient of a certificate does not request entry onto the GP or Specialist register. In these cases their name will not be shown on the relevant register. You can still verify that the certificate has been awarded to the named individual by contacting us.
