Licensing pathways
How international medical graduates get licensed
Pick a country to see its route, step by step: what each step involves, who runs it, where people commonly get stuck and what it opens up. Every step links to the official source it comes from.
- CanadaGet your medical degree source-verified, pass the MCC's MCCQE and NAC exams, match to a Canadian residency through CaRMS, then get certified and licensed by a provincial or territorial college. Experienced doctors may instead qualify through a practice-ready assessment or a recognised-jurisdiction route.8 steps on the main routeChecked 17 October 2026
- United StatesPass USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK, earn ECFMG certification (including OET Medicine), match into a US residency through ERAS and the NRMP, pass Step 3, then get a state licence. A growing but uneven group of states now offers provisional licences to experienced IMGs without US residency.9 steps on the main routeChecked 17 October 2026
- United KingdomMost doctors who qualified outside the UK, EEA or Switzerland pass PLAB 1 and PLAB 2, have their degree verified through EPIC, show English at the GMC's level, and then apply to the GMC for full registration with a licence to practise before taking an NHS job.8 steps on the main routeChecked 17 October 2026
- AustraliaMost international medical graduates reach general registration through the Standard pathway: pass the AMC CAT MCQ, pass the AMC Clinical exam or a workplace-based assessment, then complete about 12 months of supervised practice.8 steps on the main routeChecked 17 October 2026
- New ZealandIMGs who do not qualify for a recognised-country route pass an accepted knowledge exam and the NZREX Clinical (or hold PLAB 1 and 2), secure an accredited PGY1 job, and complete two years of supervised prevocational training.8 steps on the main routeChecked 17 October 2026
- IrelandMost doctors who qualified outside the EU/EEA reach the General Division of the Irish register by passing the Medical Council's PRES exams (Level 2, then Level 3) or by qualifying for an exemption, then find a post through the HSE and obtain an employment permit.9 steps on the main routeChecked 17 October 2026
- Saudi ArabiaDoctors trained abroad apply to the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) through Mumaris Plus for professional classification, which usually means DataFlow verification and an assessment such as the SMLE, and then need a Saudi employer and residency to complete registration and practise.8 steps on the main routeChecked 17 October 2026
- United Arab EmiratesYou get licensed by the health authority for the emirate where you will work (DHA in Dubai, DOH in Abu Dhabi, MOHAP elsewhere). All three apply one shared rulebook, the Unified Professional Qualification Requirements (PQR): you meet the title requirements, pass DataFlow verification and the authority's exam unless exempt, and then a licensed employer activates your licence.7 steps on the main routeChecked 17 October 2026
- PakistanPakistani nationals who studied medicine abroad must pass both steps of the National Registration Examination (NRE) and complete a one-year house job under provisional registration before the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) grants full registration. Since 2025, only graduates of ECFMG-recognised schools may sit the NRE.7 steps on the main routeChecked 17 October 2026