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Australia · Licensing exam

AMC registration and the four pathways for overseas doctors

The Australian Medical Council (AMC) doesn’t register doctors. Medical registration in Australia comes from the Medical Board of Australia, which works with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). AMC registration, in the sense of signing up with the AMC, means setting up an AMC account and portfolio. The AMC verifies the medical qualifications of every international medical graduate (IMG) and runs the exams for one of the four pathways, the standard pathway.

  • 4Pathways for international medical graduates
  • 1Pathway with AMC exams: the standard pathway
  • 21 October 2024Expedited Specialist pathway opened
Find your pathway

Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Which pathway is yours?

PathwayWho assesses you
Standard pathwayThe AMC, by exams or a WBA
Competent authority pathwayThe Medical Board of Australia
Specialist pathwayA specialist medical college
Specialist pathway: expedited routeThe Board, from an accepted list
Short-term specialty trainingA specialist college (suitability)

The AMC counts four pathways, with the Expedited Specialist pathway as part of the specialist pathway; the Board lists it separately. Whatever your pathway, your qualifications are verified through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), a process the AMC manages, and you set up an AMC initial portfolio. The Board hosts a tool that helps you find your pathway.

AMC: Assessment pathways to registration ↗AMC: Other pathways ↗

What does AMC registration involve on the standard pathway?

The standard pathway is for IMGs seeking general registration who aren’t eligible for the competent authority or specialist pathways. You pass the AMC Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) exam, then the AMC clinical exam or a workplace based assessment (WBA), and you get the AMC certificate. The Board then asks for 12 months of supervised practice.

The Board says you must pass the MCQ before you apply for registration. If you’ll work in general practice, it also asks for a pre-employment structured clinical interview (PESCI). You’ll need a completed internship or comparable, and the Board warns that IMGs may find accredited internships in Australia hard to get, as priority goes to Australian graduates.

Medical Board of Australia: Standard pathway ↗What the AMC certificate needs →

The competent authority pathway

If a competent authority has assessed you and you’ve practised in its country, you can seek general registration without AMC exams. After provisional registration you complete 12 months of supervised practice. The AMC advises the Board on which authorities to recognise, but the Board runs the pathway.

  • General Medical Council, UK
  • Medical Council of Canada
  • Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, US
  • Medical Council of New Zealand
  • Medical Council of Ireland
  • National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, US

The Board sets out seven categories (A to G), each with an assessment part (a course or exam) and an experience part, so check the one that fits you.

Medical Board of Australia: Competent Authority pathway ↗Canada’s licentiate, explained →

Specialist and Expedited Specialist pathways

Specialists trained overseas can apply to the relevant specialist college for specialist recognition or an area of need position. The AMC accredits the colleges and their assessment processes but doesn’t assess you.

The Expedited Specialist pathway opened on 21 October 2024. If your specialist qualification is on the Board’s accepted list, you apply straight to the Board and Ahpra for specialist registration, then complete six months of supervised practice, orientation, cultural safety education and workplace-based assessments. It leads to registration, not college fellowship.

As at 1 July 2026 the list covers anaesthesia, general practice, obstetrics and gynaecology, general paediatrics, general medicine, psychiatry and diagnostic radiology. General medicine and general paediatrics opened on 19 January 2026. The Board names dermatology, emergency medicine, general surgery and otolaryngology as the priority specialties it will consider after these.

Medical Board of Australia: Expedited Specialist pathway ↗Medical Board of Australia: Accepted qualifications list ↗Ahpra: Pathway opens to two more specialties (29 January 2026) ↗

English, eligibility and what the AMC can’t help with

English language proficiency is a Board requirement, set out in Ahpra’s English language skills registration standard, and only the Board grants exemptions. The AMC advises you to get your proof of English before you apply under any pathway.

Your primary medical degree must come from a school recognised by the AMC and listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDoMS). The AMC can’t advise on registration, visas, jobs or Medicare provider numbers: the Board, the Department of Home Affairs, state health departments and Services Australia handle those.

AMC: English language proficiency ↗OET for registration in Australia →How to check your school and apply →
Sources: AMC · Medical Board of Australia · Ahpra and 14 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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