GMC Registration for International Doctors: PLAB vs Postgraduate Qualification Route

Registration to practise is not the same as studying medicine

This guide is for doctors who already hold a primary medical qualification from outside the UK and want a licence to practise in the UK. That is a licensing process run by the General Medical Council (GMC) — it is completely separate from studying an MBBS or applying to a UK medical school.

To work as a doctor in the UK you must be on the GMC register with a licence to practise. The GMC checks three things in different combinations depending on your route: that your primary medical qualification and identity are acceptable, that you meet a standard equivalent to a UK medical graduate, and that your knowledge of English is sufficient for safe practice.

Nothing here is registration or immigration advice. It is general information — confirm every requirement against the GMC before you act.

• Register: General Medical Council (GMC) — gmc-uk.org
• Goal: full registration with a licence to practise in the UK
• Separate from: studying medicine at a UK university

Route 1 — the PLAB test (now aligned to the MLA)

The most common route for international medical graduates is the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test. It has two parts: PLAB 1 is a written single-best-answer exam, and PLAB 2 is a practical Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).

The GMC has aligned PLAB to the UK Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA): PLAB 1 meets the requirements of the MLA Applied Knowledge Test, and PLAB 2 meets the MLA Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment. In practice, passing PLAB is how many overseas doctors demonstrate they meet the MLA standard. Because the MLA framework and PLAB details are being kept in step, treat any pass marks, question counts, sitting locations and validity windows as things to confirm on the GMC site rather than as fixed numbers.

After passing both PLAB parts (and meeting the English and evidence requirements), you apply for full registration; you may then need supervised practice or an approved first post depending on your circumstances.

• PLAB 1: written single-best-answer exam → maps to the MLA Applied Knowledge Test
• PLAB 2: OSCE (practical clinical exam) → maps to the MLA Clinical & Professional Skills Assessment
• Verify the current PLAB/MLA structure, fees and validity on gmc-uk.org

Route 2 — the acceptable postgraduate qualification (PGQ) route

If you hold an acceptable postgraduate qualification — for example certain Royal College memberships/fellowships or other qualifications the GMC recognises — you may be able to apply for full registration without sitting PLAB. The GMC maintains a list of acceptable postgraduate qualifications and the specialty each one covers.

A recency rule applies: the postgraduate qualification generally needs to have been awarded within a set period before the GMC approves your application (the GMC states this as within three years), or you will need to provide extra evidence of recent medical practice. The exact list, the recency window and any conditions change over time, so check the current 'acceptable postgraduate qualifications' page on gmc-uk.org for your specific qualification.

The PGQ route can be attractive for doctors who have already invested years in postgraduate training, because it recognises that training instead of asking you to re-sit a general licensing exam.

• Uses a GMC-listed acceptable postgraduate qualification instead of PLAB
• Recency rule applies (GMC states within three years, else extra evidence of recent practice)
• Check whether YOUR qualification is on the GMC's acceptable list before choosing this route

English language evidence

Whichever route you use, you must show the GMC that your knowledge of English is good enough to practise safely. The two standard tests the GMC accepts are IELTS (Academic version) and the OET (Medicine version), each to the level the GMC sets, taken within an accepted validity window.

The GMC also accepts some alternative forms of evidence (for example a medical qualification taught and examined in English, or recent practice in an English-speaking setting) subject to its rules. Because required scores, accepted tests and validity periods are updated periodically, confirm the current requirement on the GMC's 'evidence of your knowledge of English' page rather than relying on a number you saw elsewhere.

• IELTS Academic or OET (Medicine) to the GMC-required level
• Certificates must be within the accepted validity window
• Some qualification/experience-based evidence may be accepted — verify on gmc-uk.org

Working in the UK after registration — visa is a separate step

Registration with the GMC lets you practise; it is not permission to live and work in the UK. If you are not a UK/Irish citizen you will usually also need an immigration route — most commonly employer sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route for a doctor post — which is a separate application to UK immigration.

Immigration rules change frequently and outcomes are decided by the authorities, not by GlobalStudyBoard. Treat visa costs, salary thresholds and eligibility as things to verify on the official GOV.UK immigration pages. This is general information, not immigration advice.

Always confirm the current position on the official GOV.UK / UK immigration source before relying on it.

• GMC registration ≠ a visa — you generally also need an immigration route
• A doctor post is commonly sponsored under the Skilled Worker route (verify on GOV.UK)
• Rules change frequently — verify on the official GOV.UK source; this is not immigration advice

Ireland is a separate regulator and a separate exam

The GMC and PLAB apply to the UK. To practise in the Republic of Ireland you register with the Medical Council of Ireland, which runs its own Pre-Registration Examination System (PRES) for many internationally trained doctors, with possible exemptions in some cases.

So a UK plan (GMC + PLAB/MLA or PGQ) and an Ireland plan (Medical Council + PRES) are two different pathways with different exams, fees and timelines. Decide which country you are targeting first, then follow that regulator's official guidance.

Confirm all Irish requirements on medicalcouncil.ie and all UK requirements on gmc-uk.org.

• UK: General Medical Council (gmc-uk.org) — PLAB/MLA or the PGQ route
• Ireland: Medical Council of Ireland (medicalcouncil.ie) — the PRES examination
• Choose your target country first; the two systems do not overlap