Registration

The medical register, containing about 190,000 names, is at the heart of our work. We hold it on computer and update it daily. Health authorities and others use it regularly to check a doctor's registration details. Its purpose is to show who is properly qualified to practise medicine or surgery. Anyone can contact us to obtain up-to-date details of a doctor's registration.

We also publish a specialist register, showing doctors who have completed specialist training. Doctors must be included in this to hold consultant posts in the NHS.

How doctors are registered

Doctors are entitled to GMC registration if they:

• qualify at a UK medical school
  
• qualify elsewhere in the European Economic Area (EEA) and are EEA nationals.
  
• Doctors who qualify at certain recognised medical schools outside the EEA are eligible to apply for provisional and full registration.
  
  Doctors who qualify elsewhere can apply for limited registration, allowing them to practise here under supervision in approved training posts. To obtain limited registration, doctors must provide objective evidence of their capability for practice in the UK. This may be achieved by:
  
  
• passing the PLAB test
  
• obtaining a place on a GMC approved training scheme
  
• providing evidence of achievement in specialist training
  
  IELTS
  
  In addition, all doctors applying for limited registration must have obtained a satisfactory score in the academic modules of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) administered by the British Council. We require a minimum score of 7.0 in each individual section of the IELTS test, except in relation to doctors who have passed the PLAB test, Part 2 of which provides additional objective assessment of a doctor's communication skills in a clinical context. For doctors who pass the PLAB test, an overall band score of 7.0 will suffice, with a minimum of 7.0 in the speaking component and 6.0 in each of the others.
  
  With effect from 1 January 1999, this requirement has been extended to doctors who are eligible to apply for provisional or full registration through qualifying at certain recognised medical schools outside the EEA. We explain the background to this in a separate position statement.
  
  How to apply
  
  If you are a non-EEA national doctor who qualified outside the EEA and would like to apply for registration, please complete and return this form so that we can assess your eligibility and check which route is appropriate for you.
  
  For information about postgraduate training opportunities in the UK, visit the National Advice Centre on Postgraduate Medical Education's website.
  
  How to contact us
  

  E-Mail	Tel: (020)	Fax: (020)
  General information about registration	7 915 3474	7 915 3532
  Doctors' inquiries: if you have never applied for registration before	7 915 3481	7 915 3558
  Doctors' inquiries: if you are applying for full registration	7 344 3984	7 344 3558
  Doctors' inquiries: if you have full registration	7 915 3604	7 915 3558
  Doctor's inquiries: if you have or are applying for limited registration : Surname beginning A-K:	7 344 3980	7 915 3558
  L-Z:	7 344 3981	7 915 3550

  
  or you can write to us at:
  178 Great Portland Street
  London
  W1N 6JE