How to Migrate to the UK as a Medical Doctor

How to Migrate to the UK as a Medical Doctor especially if your nationality is not from United Kingdom:

To migrate to the UK as a medical doctor, all doctors must have registration with a licence to legally practise medicine and undertake activities restricted by law to doctors, such as writing prescriptions and signing death certificates.

The licence to practice is issued by the General Medical Council (GMC) and applies to all doctors in the UK regardless of whether they are working in the NHS or independent sector, either on a full or part-time, permanent or locum basis.

It also applies to all levels of registration, whether provisional, full or on the specialist or general practitioner (GP) register.

Registration

All doctors intending to practise medicine in the UK are required to be registered with the GMC, follow the GMC’s good medical practice guidance and be subject to the GMC Fitness to Practise actions. Doctors who hold registration but not a licence may be working as an academic or outside the UK. They cannot undertake any of the activities – clinical work – for which UK law requires them to hold a licence to practise.

Doctors who have never been registered with the GMC will have to apply for registration with a licence to practise. They will not be able to apply for registration without a licence.

The requirements for registration in the UK will depend on several factors:

• Your nationality
• The country in which you gained your primary Medical qualification
• The type of medical woke you want to do
• Whether or not you have completed a period of post-graduate training or an internship
• First, you should check that you possess an acceptable primary medical qualification to apply for registration. If you are in any doubt you should check your qualifications status with the GMC.

In addition, international medical graduates (IMGs) will be required to demonstrate their medical knowledge and skills, and all applicants may have to demonstrate they are competent in using the English language before they are registered. NHS Employers has published a helpful guide for IMGs on its website.

Being registered with the GMC does not guarantee that you will find employment within the UK.

Non-European Economic Area nationals

If you are not a UK/EEA national, you will also need to meet the requirements of UK Visas and Immigration regulations to gain the right to enter and work in the UK.

Foundation programme

All UK medical graduates are required to undertake a two-year Foundation Programme immediately following graduation. The Foundation Programme forms the bridge between medical school and specialist/general practice training. Trainees will have the opportunity to gain experience in a series of placements in a variety of specialities and healthcare settings.

Once doctors have completed the Foundation Programme, they may apply for a speciality or general practice training programme. 

If you have completed an internship year as part of your degree and are awarded full GMC registration, then you will need to think about entering the foundation programme via a locum post.