MatricMap

↑↓ to move · Enter to open · Esc to close

Qualification recognition

What it takes to have your qualification recognised and work in another country.

Medicine in 9 countries Tap a country to see how to qualify there

4 United Kingdom Exams or bridging High demand

GMC registration normally means passing PLAB 1 and PLAB 2 plus an English test, but no re-study.

Recognition
3/5 Licensing exams, an adaptation period or a conversion course. Typically 6 to 24 months.
Time to practise
9-18 months
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
Exams
PLAB 1 and PLAB 2, now mapped to the UK Medical Licensing Assessment content map. Four attempts at each part, then one fifth and final attempt only if the GMC approves an application for it.
Language test
English: IELTS Academic 7.0 in every band and 7.5 overall, or OET Medicine grade B in each sub-test. SA graduates are not automatically exempt.
Rough cost
Not published. GMC publishes PLAB 1, PLAB 2 and registration fees separately.

Worth knowing: PLAB 2 is sat only in Manchester and places are limited. SA specialists must separately apply for the GMC Specialist Register via the Portfolio Pathway.

Step by step 6 steps

  1. Prove your English: IELTS Academic with at least 7.0 in each of the four bands and 7.5 overall in the same test, or OET Medicine at grade B in each sub-test.
  2. Apply to the GMC and have your MBChB and HPCSA registration primary-source verified.
  3. Pass PLAB 1, a 180-question applied knowledge test sat in the UK and at overseas centres. From February 2027 the GMC runs it three times a year outside the UK and EEA, and no longer in Dhaka, Alexandria, Accra or Chennai.
  4. Pass PLAB 2, a 16-station OSCE sat at a GMC clinical assessment centre in Manchester.
  5. Apply for full registration with a licence to practise, using your SA internship as the 12 months of post-graduate experience.
  6. Take up an NHS post (often trust-grade before a training number) on a Health and Care Worker visa.
Evidence and sources (4)

Demand evidence: Health and Care Worker visa codes include generalist (2211) and specialist (2212) medical practitioners, a priority route with reduced fees. (source)

Visas for United KingdomSkilled Worker visa · Health and Care Worker visa · Graduate visa (Graduate route) and 3 more6 routes
5 Ireland Recognised, paperwork only High demand

An SA internship started from 1 July 2006 is accepted as equivalent to the Irish intern year and exempts the doctor from Ireland's PRES exam.

Recognition
4/5 Mutual recognition or an assessment plus registration. No major exams.
Time to practise
3-6 months
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
Exams
None if your internship qualifies for the exemption. Otherwise PRES, the Medical Council's own pre-registration examination.
Language test
English; the Medical Council requires evidence of English proficiency unless you qualify for an exemption.
Rough cost
Not published. Medical Council registration and verification fees.

Worth knowing: The internship must be at least 12 months with 3 months medicine and 3 months surgery. Specialist Division registration is a separate, much harder process.

Step by step 5 steps

  1. Have your MBChB and HPCSA standing primary-source verified for the Medical Council (it uses the ECFMG EPIC service).
  2. Obtain a Certificate of Experience for your SA internship; internships commenced from 1 July 2006 are accepted as equivalent to the Irish intern year.
  3. That equivalent internship also exempts you from the Pre-Registration Examination System (PRES).
  4. Provide English language evidence and apply for General Registration.
  5. Take up a hospital post, typically as an SHO or registrar in the HSE system.
Evidence and sources (2)

Demand evidence: Critical Skills Occupations List: Medical practitioners (2211). (source)

Visas for IrelandCritical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) · General Employment Permit (GEP) · Third Level Graduate Programme (Stamp 1G) and 1 more4 routes
3 Netherlands Major requalification Some demand

Dutch at an academic level is compulsory, plus a broad medical knowledge exam (the BI-toets).

Recognition
2/5 Substantial re-study, long supervised practice, scarce posts or a hard language barrier.
Time to practise
2-4 years
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
Exams
BI-toets (professional knowledge test) following a CBGV equivalence assessment, plus any compensatory training the CBGV imposes.
Language test
Dutch is compulsory at an academic B2-plus level, tested in reading, listening, writing and speaking. An English reading certificate at B2 (IELTS 5.5-6.0, TOEFL 72-94 or Cambridge 160-179) is also required; the CBGV exempts applicants whose professional training was in English, shown for example by a diploma supplement.
Rough cost
About EUR 1,700 for the BI-toets plus EUR 85 BIG registration, excluding Dutch language courses.

Worth knowing: The BIG-register states the doctors' BI-toets is fully booked for this year and next, so the timeline is genuinely uncertain.

Confidence: medium. We could not fully confirm every detail here from official sources. Check before relying on it.

Step by step 5 steps

  1. Learn Dutch to the required academic level; the BIG-register says this takes on average one and a half to two years.
  2. Submit your language certificates and apply; the CBGV commission assesses whether your MBChB is equivalent to Dutch medical training.
  3. Sit the beroepsinhoudelijke toets (BI-toets), a broad medical knowledge exam that shows where your knowledge falls short of Dutch standards. Gaps found lead to extra training rather than a simple pass or fail.
  4. If gaps remain, complete additional Dutch training such as co-assistantships or courses.
  5. Register in the BIG-register; specialist recognition is a further separate step.
Evidence and sources (2)

Demand evidence: No Dutch shortage list for immigration; doctors work under the BIG register. No current UWV occupation-shortage data reachable. (limited evidence for this country) (source)

Visas for NetherlandsHighly Skilled Migrant (kennismigrant) · Orientation year for highly educated persons (zoekjaar hoogopgeleiden) · European Blue Card (Netherlands) and 1 more4 routes
4 Germany Major requalification High demand

Approbation needs B2 general German, in most cases a C1 medical language exam, and usually a Kenntnisprufung.

Recognition
2/5 Substantial re-study, long supervised practice, scarce posts or a hard language barrier.
Time to practise
2-3 years
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
Exams
In most cases the Fachsprachprufung (medical German at C1) and, in most third-country cases, the Kenntnisprufung.
Language test
German is compulsory: B2 general German plus, in most cases, a C1-level medical language exam (the competent authority says when an exception applies).
Rough cost
Not published. Fees are set per state; budget for German courses, certified translations and exam fees.

Worth knowing: Rules, fees and exam scheduling differ by Bundesland. A temporary Berufserlaubnis may let you work under supervision while you prepare.

Confidence: medium. We could not fully confirm every detail here from official sources. Check before relying on it.

Step by step 5 steps

  1. Reach B2 general German, then, in most cases, pass the Fachsprachprufung, a C1-level medical German examination; the competent authority says when an exception applies.
  2. Apply to the approbation authority of the German state where you want to work; it compares your MBChB with German training.
  3. If equivalence cannot be certified, which is usual for non-EU degrees, sit the Kenntnisprufung, an oral and practical exam at German state-exam level.
  4. Receive the Approbation, the full German licence to practise.
  5. Specialist training (Facharzt) is a further 5-6 year hospital programme on top.
Evidence and sources (3)

Demand evidence: Make it in Germany lists Physicians as a profession in demand; hospitals recruit doctors continuously. (source)

Visas for GermanyEU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU) · Skilled worker visa (Fachkräfte, Residence Act §18a/§18b) · Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte, Residence Act §20a) and 1 more4 routes
3 United States Major requalification Some demand

Most SA doctors must win a US residency place and redo postgraduate training; a growing number of states now offer experienced doctors a supervised licence route instead.

Recognition
2/5 Substantial re-study, long supervised practice, scarce posts or a hard language barrier.
Time to practise
4-8 years including residency
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
Exams
USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK, OET Medicine for ECFMG certification, and later USMLE Step 3.
Language test
English; ECFMG certification requires every applicant, SA graduates included, to pass OET Medicine: at least 350 in Listening, Reading and Speaking and 300 in Writing, in one sitting.
Rough cost
Not published. USMLE step fees, ECFMG fees, ERAS applications and interview travel run to several thousand US dollars.

Worth knowing: FSMB (June 2026) counts 24 states plus Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands with laws letting qualifying internationally trained doctors reach a full licence without US residency, usually after a job offer, recent practice abroad and a period on a supervised provisional licence. Some of these routes are not yet running. SA specialist training still earns essentially no credit toward US board certification, and J-1 visas carry a two-year home-country return obligation.

Confidence: medium. We could not fully confirm every detail here from official sources. Check before relying on it.

Step by step 5 steps

  1. Check your medical school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools as meeting ECFMG eligibility requirements.
  2. Register with ECFMG, pass USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK, and have your MBChB primary-source verified.
  3. Obtain ECFMG certification, then apply through ERAS and the NRMP Match for a US residency post.
  4. Complete a full US residency of 3-7 years, usually on a J-1 or H-1B visa.
  5. Pass USMLE Step 3 and apply to a state medical board for a licence.
Evidence and sources (4)

Demand evidence: BLS OOH: family medicine physicians, general internal medicine physicians and physicians all other projected to grow as fast as average. Not on Schedule A. (source)

Visas for United StatesH-1B specialty occupation visa · F-1 student visa with OPT and STEM OPT · O-1 visa for individuals with extraordinary ability and 3 more6 routes
4 Canada Major requalification High demand

Residency places for IMGs are scarce; doctors who have completed postgraduate training and practised independently abroad can instead apply to a provincial Practice Ready Assessment.

Recognition
2/5 Substantial re-study, long supervised practice, scarce posts or a hard language barrier.
Time to practise
2-5 years
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
Exams
MCCQE Part I and the NAC Examination. Full licensure normally also needs CFPC or Royal College certification.
Language test
English or French; provincial colleges usually require documented language proficiency.
Rough cost
Not published. MCC examination and credential verification fees are published per exam.

Worth knowing: PRA places are few, are mostly family medicine, and tie you to an under-served area for years. PEI and the territories run no PRA programme.

Confidence: medium. We could not fully confirm every detail here from official sources. Check before relying on it.

Step by step 6 steps

  1. Create a physiciansapply.ca account and have your MBChB source-verified.
  2. Pass the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part I, the national licensing standard.
  3. Sit the NAC Examination, needed for a Canadian residency application and for entry to some Practice Ready Assessment programmes.
  4. Either compete for a CaRMS IMG-stream residency post, or, with postgraduate training and independent practice abroad, apply to a provincial PRA programme.
  5. PRA candidates complete a roughly 12-week workplace-based assessment, mostly in family medicine, then sign a return-of-service agreement.
  6. Apply to the provincial college for a licence.
Evidence and sources (2)

Demand evidence: Express Entry Healthcare and social services category: GPs and family physicians (31102), specialists in clinical/laboratory medicine (31100), surgery (31101). (source)

Visas for CanadaExpress Entry (FSWP / CEC / FSTP) · Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) · Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) and 2 more5 routes
4 Australia Exams or bridging High demand

South Africa is not a 'competent authority', so SA doctors applying directly take the AMC Standard Pathway; passing PLAB and practising in the UK opens the Competent Authority pathway.

Recognition
3/5 Licensing exams, an adaptation period or a conversion course. Typically 6 to 24 months.
Time to practise
1-3 years
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
Exams
AMC CAT MCQ examination plus the AMC Clinical Examination, or an approved workplace-based assessment in place of the clinical exam.
Language test
English; unless you meet its exemption criteria, Ahpra accepts five English tests (Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency, IELTS Academic, OET, PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT), and the Medical Board also accepts a pass in NZREX or the PLAB test. Minimum scores were updated from 23 April 2026.
Rough cost
Not published. AMC publishes MCQ and clinical examination fees; budget several thousand AUD plus AHPRA fees.

Worth knowing: Registration is usually limited to an approved position and can be tied to a district of workforce shortage for several years.

Step by step 5 steps

  1. Note the approved competent authorities are the GMC, MCC, ECFMG, NBOME, MCNZ and the Medical Council of Ireland. The HPCSA is not one of them.
  2. Apply to the AMC, have your MBChB verified, and pass the AMC CAT MCQ examination.
  3. Pass the AMC Clinical Examination, or complete an approved workplace-based assessment at an accredited health service instead.
  4. Apply to AHPRA for provisional or limited registration and complete 12 months of supervised practice.
  5. Convert to general registration. SA specialists can instead apply to an Australian specialist college via the Specialist Pathway.
Evidence and sources (3)

Demand evidence: JSA Occupation Shortage List 2025: General Practitioner, Resident Medical Officer and most specialist/surgical occupations in national shortage. (source)

Visas for AustraliaSkills in Demand visa (subclass 482) · Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), Points-tested stream · Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) and 3 more6 routes
4 New Zealand Major requalification High demand

South Africa is NOT on NZ's comparable health system list, so SA doctors need a recognised exam: NZREX Clinical, PLAB 1 and 2, or the AMC MCQ and Clinical.

Recognition
2/5 Substantial re-study, long supervised practice, scarce posts or a hard language barrier.
Time to practise
2-4 years
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
Exams
One of: NZREX Clinical (a 12-station OSCE, after a qualifying exam such as PLAB 1, MCCQE Part I, AMC MCQ or USMLE Steps 1 and 2); PLAB Parts 1 and 2; or the AMC MCQ and Clinical examinations, passed within the last five years.
Language test
English; for NZREX, IELTS or OET must be valid, meaning passed within two years of the NZREX exam date.
Rough cost
Not published. MCNZ publishes registration and NZREX fees; the PLAB or AMC exams have their own fees if you take those routes.

Worth knowing: MCNZ says there is no flexibility on eligibility. SA specialists may bypass NZREX via vocational registration if an NZ college accepts their qualification.

Step by step 5 steps

  1. Check the comparable health system list. It names 29 countries and South Africa is not among them.
  2. Use the examinations pathway: within the last five years, pass NZREX Clinical, or PLAB Part 1 and Part 2, or the AMC MCQ and Clinical examinations. A doctor who has passed PLAB for the UK or the AMC exams for Australia does not also need NZREX.
  3. For NZREX, first pass one of PLAB Part 1, MCCQE Part I, the AMC MCQ, or USMLE Steps 1 and 2 within five years of your NZREX date, and hold IELTS or OET passed within two years of it.
  4. NZREX Clinical is a 12-station OSCE over three hours, offered only twice a year in New Zealand.
  5. Secure a PGY1 job at an accredited training provider to gain registration in the provisional general scope.
Evidence and sources (4)

Demand evidence: Green List Tier 1: General Practitioner (253111), Resident Medical Officer (253112) and essentially all specialist physician and surgeon codes. (source)

Visas for New ZealandAccredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) · Green List (Straight to Residence and Work to Residence) · Skilled Migrant Category resident visa and 2 more5 routes
4 United Arab Emirates Exams or bridging High demand

Licensing exam plus 2 years' post-internship experience; an SA MBChB and HPCSA registration do not exempt GPs from the exam.

Recognition
3/5 Licensing exams, an adaptation period or a conversion course. Typically 6 to 24 months.
Time to practise
6-12 months once the 2-year experience requirement is met (estimate)
What it takes: exams, language test, cost, regulator
Exams
Authority licensing exam (computer-based, via Prometric for DHA). The April 2025 PQR's GP exemption list has no South African entry, so SA-trained GPs sit the exam unless they hold one of the listed foreign passes. SA specialists with a College of Medicine fellowship (Tier 1) are exempt as specialists, unless their gap in practice exceeds 3 years (DHA copy) or 2 years (DoH copy).
Language test
English; the PQR says all licensing exams are in English. No Arabic requirement was found for licensing.
Rough cost
DHA credentialing fee AED 200, plus separate DataFlow verification and Prometric exam fees not published on the pages checked; total unknown

Worth knowing: Whether SA community service counts toward the 2 years is decided by the authority. In the PQR tier tables a CMSA fellowship is Tier 1 and an MMed Tier 2. Visas are employer-tied; Golden Visa aside, no PR.

Confidence: medium. We could not fully confirm every detail here from official sources. Check before relying on it.

Step by step 5 steps

  1. Finish your SA internship and ideally community service: the PQR asks a GP for an MBChB, a 12-month internship and 2 years of clinical experience after it.
  2. Choose the emirate you will work in (DHA for Dubai, DoH for Abu Dhabi, MOHAP for the rest) and apply online (Sheryan in Dubai, TAMM in Abu Dhabi).
  3. Have your degree, internship, experience letters, HPCSA or council registration and good standing verified by DataFlow (primary source verification).
  4. Pass the authority's computer-based licensing exam in English (DHA uses Prometric test centres worldwide); three attempts are allowed. The PQR exempts GPs only with a valid pass in PLAB (or later GMC registration), the AMC exams, LMCC, USMLE Part III, NZREX, PRES or the UAE EMREE, or a UK, Irish, Australian or NZ medical degree, and not after a gap in practice of more than 3 years (2 in Abu Dhabi).
  5. Get a job offer: the registration only becomes a licence when a UAE health facility activates it, and that employer also sponsors your visa.
Evidence and sources (6)

Demand evidence: UAE Government: all doctors licensed by a UAE health regulator can apply for the 10-year Golden Visa; the u.ae portal still lists doctors. (source)

Visas for United Arab EmiratesEmployment residence visa and MOHRE work permit · Green Visa (skilled employee or freelancer) · Golden Visa (10-year residence) and 3 more6 routes

General information, not immigration or legal advice. Confirm the rules with the regulator before you rely on them. Medicine overview