Getting licensed in Australia

Main route

Standard pathway (AMC exams)

Who it is for: Non-specialist IMGs who are not eligible for the Competent Authority or a specialist pathway and plan to pass both AMC exams before starting work.

1. 1

   Step 1

   Check your pathway and medical school eligibility

   Use the AMC's pathway self-check. Confirm that your degree in medicine and surgery comes from a school recognised by both the AMC and the World Directory of Medical Schools, with an eligible degree title and graduation year. The Standard pathway also expects a completed internship or equivalent. Without one, you need an accredited internship position in Australia.

   Run by

   Australian Medical Council

   Where people get stuck

   • Your school name, degree title and graduation year must match the directory listing, and a mismatch can block the application.
   • IMGs without a completed internship need an accredited Australian internship place, which the Medical Board warns may be difficult to obtain.
   • Doctors who also hold UK, US, Canadian, Irish or New Zealand exam results often struggle to tell whether the Standard or Competent Authority pathway applies to them.

   What it opens up

   • Knowing which pathway applies before you pay for any assessment
   • Opening an AMC account and portfolio

   SourcesAMC - Standard pathwayMedical Board of Australia - Standard pathway

   Australia
2. 2

   Step 2

   Open an AMC portfolio and verify your degree through EPIC

   Create an AMC account and initial portfolio. Then have ECFMG verify your medical degree directly with your school, using a MyIntealth account and EPIC portfolio. The AMC accepts only a final medical diploma, final transcript or alternate graduation document for this. The result is uploaded to your AMC account, and the Medical Board uses it when you apply for registration.

   Run by

   Australian Medical Council (verification performed by ECFMG)

   Fee

   AUD 642 for the initial AMC portfolio including one qualification, plus AUD 107 for each additional qualification (AMC fees and charges page, GST-free, checked 2026-10-17). ECFMG charges its own verification fee, which is not listed on the AMC page.

   Where people get stuck

   • Verification depends on your medical school replying to ECFMG, and the AMC acknowledges delays for schools affected by conflict or political unrest.
   • Only certain degree documents are accepted, and adding ineligible documents to the AMC account incurs an administration fee.
   • You manage two accounts and pay two organisations (AMC and ECFMG), which is easy to get out of sequence.

   What it opens up

   • Applying for AMC assessments
   • Verified evidence the Medical Board needs at registration

   SourcesAMC - Primary source verificationAMC - Fees and chargesMedical Board of Australia - Standard pathway

   Australia
3. 3

   Step 3

   Pass the AMC CAT MCQ examination

   This is a computer-administered exam of 150 multiple-choice questions, each with one correct answer from five options, taken in one 3.5-hour session. Pearson VUE delivers it at test centres in Australia and other countries. You request an authorisation in your AMC account, which is valid for 12 months, and then book a venue directly with Pearson VUE.

   Run by

   Australian Medical Council (delivered by Pearson VUE)

   Timing

   One 3.5-hour session. Results appear in your AMC account at 4.00pm on the Friday three weeks after the exam.

   Fee

   AUD 2,920 for the CAT MCQ examination authorisation (AMC fees and charges page, GST-free, checked 2026-10-17)

   Where people get stuck

   • The AMC sets its assessments at the level of a new Australian graduate about to start internship, so doctors who specialised or graduated long ago often have to relearn areas outside their own practice.
   • Australian health system context and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health can be unfamiliar topics.
   • Residents of countries under US sanctions may be unable to book, and Pearson VUE currently cannot schedule Iranian residents unless they prove they live elsewhere.
   • The authorisation expires if you do not sit within its validity period, so booking a seat needs planning.

   What it opens up

   • Eligibility for the AMC Clinical exam or a workplace-based assessment
   • Limited registration in an approved position while you complete the remaining AMC assessment
   • One of the accepted prerequisite exams for New Zealand's NZREX Clinical

   Practise for this exam on MedReadySee availability in the app

   Official practice for this exam

   SourcesAMC - MCQ examinationAMC - Fees and chargesMedical Board of Australia - Standard pathwayMCNZ - NZREX ClinicalMedical Board of Australia - Public consultation on the Standard pathway standard (June 2026; describes AMC assessment level)

   Australia
4. 4

   Step 4

   Meet the English language standard

   Show English skills either through education in English in a recognised country or through an approved test at the required scores. Test results generally must be less than two years old when you lodge your registration application. Older results can still count if you have worked continuously in a relevant role in a recognised country since the test.

   Run by

   Ahpra and the Medical Board of Australia

   Where people get stuck

   • New minimum scores apply to tests taken from late April this year, so older score advice found online may now be wrong.
   • Results can expire while you wait for exam seats or a job offer.
   • At-home or remotely proctored versions are not accepted, and you cannot combine results from different test providers.

   What it opens up

   • Meeting one of the standards every registration application is assessed against

   SourcesAhpra - English language skills registration standardAhpra - Accepted English language tests

   Australia
5. 5

   Step 5

   Pass the AMC Clinical examination

   After the MCQ, the AMC Clinical exam assesses history taking, examination, diagnosis and management across timed stations. It uses simulated patients or recorded presentations and runs in person or online. Passing the MCQ and the clinical exam earns the AMC Certificate. The Medical Board says you can sit it before or after you are granted registration.

   Run by

   Australian Medical Council

   Timing

   Results appear in your AMC account at 4.00pm on the Friday three weeks after the exam.

   Fee

   AUD 3,000 in person, or AUD 3,400 online (AUD 3,000 plus a AUD 400 levy) (AMC fees and charges page, GST-free, checked 2026-10-17)

   Where people get stuck

   • Places are scarce. The AMC says its expression-of-interest waitlist is full, no further online dates are planned this year, and the next in-person release of dates is still to come.
   • Online sittings give priority to IMGs already working in rural and remote Australia, which disadvantages candidates still overseas.
   • The exam assesses communication, counselling and Australian expectations of practice, which can differ from practice in your home country.
   • Refunds after withdrawal are considered only in exceptional circumstances.

   What it opens up

   • The AMC Certificate (together with the MCQ pass)
   • Provisional registration once you hold a Board-approved position

   SourcesAMC - Clinical examinationAMC - Fees and chargesMedical Board of Australia - Standard pathway

   Australia
6. 6

   Step 6

   Secure a position and apply for provisional registration

   With the AMC Certificate, find a job and nominate a Board-approved supervisor with a supervised practice plan, then apply through the Ahpra portal. General practice roles also need a pre-employment structured clinical interview (PESCI) with an AMC-accredited provider. Apply at least three months before your start date (applications open up to six months ahead). Wait for your Ahpra registration number before you apply for a visa.

   Run by

   Medical Board of Australia / Ahpra

   Fee

   Provisional registration for IMGs: AUD 773 application fee plus AUD 543 registration fee (Medical Board fees page, national fee from 1 August 2026, checked 2026-10-17)

   Where people get stuck

   • You need an employer and a supervisor willing to take an IMG before the Board will register you.
   • The Board must approve both the position and the supervision arrangements, which adds paperwork and waiting time.
   • Visa timing depends on registration, so a slow registration decision can delay your start date.

   What it opens up

   • Starting work in Australia under supervision
   • Beginning the supervised practice period needed for general registration

   SourcesMedical Board of Australia - Standard pathwayMedical Board of Australia - PESCIMedical Board of Australia - Fees

   Australia
7. 7

   Step 7

   Complete 12 months of supervised practice

   Work under Board-approved supervision for 12 months (at least 47 weeks full-time equivalent). Complete an orientation to the Australian health system, and submit orientation and work performance reports after three months. The current standard expects time in medicine, surgery and emergency care. Your supervisors confirm that you have reached the standard expected at the end of an Australian intern year.

   Run by

   Medical Board of Australia

   Timing

   12 months (minimum 47 weeks full-time equivalent)

   Where people get stuck

   • Getting the required mix of medicine, surgery and emergency experience can be hard in a single role. Experience limited to one narrow area may lead to general registration with conditions.
   • Any new position or supervisor must be approved by the Board, so changing jobs can interrupt progress.
   • IMGs used to working independently can find close supervision and formal reporting unfamiliar.

   What it opens up

   • Eligibility to apply for general registration

   SourcesMedical Board of Australia - Standard pathwayMedical Board of Australia - Public consultation on the Standard pathway standard (June 2026, describes current requirements)

   Australia
8. 8

   Step 8

   Apply for general registration

   As you near the end of supervised practice, apply in the Ahpra portal with evidence of your AMC Certificate and completed supervision. Once registered, you must belong to an AMC-accredited CPD home and complete 50 hours of CPD each calendar year. You must also hold professional indemnity insurance and meet the recency of practice standard.

   Run by

   Medical Board of Australia / Ahpra

   Fee

   General registration on the Board's fee schedule: AUD 1,661 application fee plus AUD 1,102 registration fee (national fee from 1 August 2026; NSW registration fees are lower; checked 2026-10-17)

   Where people get stuck

   • Missing supervision reports or evidence of learning outcomes delays the decision.
   • Registration does not by itself give Medicare billing rights. For area of need roles that bill Medicare, the Board notes the federal health department must confirm the position is in a district of workforce shortage.

   What it opens up

   • Practising without supervision requirements (unless the Board imposes conditions)
   • Eligibility for New Zealand's Australian general registrants pathway

   SourcesMedical Board of Australia - Standard pathwayMedical Board of Australia - FeesMedical Board of Australia - Area of needMCNZ - Australian general registrants

   Australia