Specialist Registration

• Applicants must hold a basic medical qualification (BMQ) listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools Guide.
• Applicants should hold a specialist qualification listed in Annex 5.1.2 of EU Directive awarded by an EU-EEA member state.
• Applicants should hold a qualification in a specialty recognised by the Medical Council. Please ensure to review the list of Specialties before applying as the application fee is non-refundable.
• Applicants must ensure their specialty is listed on Annex 5.1.3 for their member state and Ireland.
• Applicants must provide a certificate of conformity from the relevant competent authority which confirms that your specialist qualification was awarded in accordance with the provisions of EU Directive 2005/36/EC (Article 25 or Article 28).
• Copy of your current passport.
• Original Certificate of Good Standing/ Current Professional Status, dated within the last 3 months, to be sent directly to the Medical Council from every registration body with whom you have held registration with, within the last 5 years.
• If the name on your passport is different from what is on your Basic Medical Qualification, please provide a notarised/attested copy of your Marriage Certificate / Deed poll/ Birth Certificate.
• All documents must be notarised and translated into English as per the Council’s strict notary guidelines. Please see below for the Council’s Notary guidelines.

• Acquired rights apply to applicants who have completed specialist training or general practitioner training in a European country prior to that country becoming a member of the European Union. To confirm the reference date for your country please check the European Directive EU Directive.
• To determine which acquired rights article applies to you please refer to the explanations listed below.
• The competent authority in your country will be able to provide you with the relevant conformity documentation.
• Applicants must hold a basic medical qualification (BMQ) listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools Guide.
• Applicants must hold a specialist qualification issued from a European Union Member State.
• Copy of your current passport.
• Original Certificate of Good Standing/ Current Professional Status, dated within the last 3 months, to be sent directly to the Medical Council from every registration body with whom you have held registration with, within the last 5 years.
• If the name on your passport is different from what is on your Basic Medical Qualification, please provide a notarised/attested copy of your Marriage Certificate / Deed poll/ Birth Certificate.
• All documents must be notarised and translated into English as per the Council’s strict notary guidelines. Please see below for the Council’s Notary guidelines

Acceptable Certificate of Conformity Articles under route 2:

• Article 23.1 Doctors who have completed specialist training in an EU Member state before the reference date on the Directive (i.e. before the Directive came into force for that country) can apply for registration under Article 23.1.
• Article 23.6 Doctors who have been awarded a qualification, where the title does not match the title listed in Annex V 5.1.2 can apply under Article 23.6.
• Article 30 (Acquired Rights specific to General Practice)
  Doctors who were engaged in practice within an EU Member State’s national social security system (e.g. the doctor had a GMS / public patient list) at the time that the Directive came into effect for that country are entitled to apply under Article 30.

If you are unsure as to your entitlements, please contact your competent authority.

Applicants must be trained in a third country and established/recognised as a specialist in a European Union Member State. Once recognised as a specialist in the member state, applicants must have practised in the specialty for a period of three years in the member state.

Applicants must provide a certification from the competent authority of that member state, stating that their qualifications are compliant with Article 3 (3) of EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

If you are unsure as to your entitlements, please contact your competent authority.

• Applicants must hold a basic medical qualification (BMQ) listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools Guide.
• Applicants must hold a recognised specialist qualification issued by a Non- European Union Member State. Specialties recognised by the Medical Council.
• Applicants must provide a certification of conformity from the competent authority of that member state, stating that their qualifications are compliant with Article 3 (3) of EU Directive 2005/36/EC.
• Copy of your current passport.
• Original Certificate of Good Standing/ Current Professional Status, dated within the last 3 months, to be sent directly to the Medical Council from every registration body with whom you have held registration with, within the last 5 years.
• If the name on your passport is different from what is on your Basic Medical Qualification, please provide a notarised/attested copy of your Marriage Certificate / Deed poll/ Birth Certificate.
• All documents must be notarised and translated into English as per the Council’s strict notary guidelines. Please see below for the Council’s Notary guidelines

Article 3.3

Doctors who have completed their specialist training outside the EU, but who have had their training recognised by another EU Member State can apply under Article 3(3). (E.g. Doctor has completed specialist training in Peru and then goes to Spain to work as a specialist. The Spanish Ministry of Health has recognised the specialist training completed outside the EU).  (e.g. the Spanish Ministry of Health issues the Certificate confirming that they have recognised Dr A’s specialist qualification and that they have worked for at least 3 years as a specialist in Spain).

If you are unsure as to your entitlements, please contact your competent authority.

Doctors who have had their qualification recognised in another EU Member State but do not have the 3 years’ experience as a specialist in that EU Member State are not eligible to apply under this route.

• Applicants must hold a basic medical qualification (BMQ) listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools Guide.
• Applicants must hold an automatically recognised specialist qualification approved by the Medical Council, listed on the attached Medical Council document. Please ensure to review the attached document to ensure you hold the correct qualification listed as the application fee is non-refundable if you apply incorrectly.
• Copy of your current passport.
• Original Certificate of Good Standing/ Current Professional Status, dated within the last 3 months, to be sent directly to the Medical Council from every registration body with whom you have held registration with, within the last 5 years.
• If the name on your passport is different from what is on your Basic Medical Qualification, please provide a notarised/attested copy of your Marriage Certificate / Deed poll/ Birth Certificate.
• All documents must be notarised and translated into English as per the Council’s strict notary guidelines. Please see below for the Council’s Notary guidelines

All copy documents must be notarised by one of the following:

3. Notary Public in any jurisdiction
4. Online Notary Cam (passports only)
5. Commissioner of Oaths in any jurisdiction
6. Member of the South African Police Service (SAPS) designated as Commissioner of Oaths under the South African Justice of the Peace and Commissioner of Oaths Act(s)
7. Registered Solicitor/Lawyer in Ireland, any EU/EEA member state, or UK
8. Foreign embassy official or foreign consulate in Ireland
9. Irish embassy official or Irish consulate in any other jurisdiction
10. Court official/clerk from Ireland, any EU/EEA member state, or UK
11. Justice of the Peace/Peace Commissioner
12. Member of An Garda Síochána or official Police Force in any EU/EEA member state or UK
13. Official Apostille from Ireland, any EU/EEA member state, or UK

The notary must confirm that the copy is a true copy of the original document, provide their full name and sign, date and officially stamp each document on the front page. Documents which are not stamped clearly or have not been properly notarised / attested cannot be accepted.  Please note it’s important to ensure the front page of each relevant document is stamped.

To apply for Specialist registration, please follow the steps below:

1. To apply for registration you must create an online account on the Medical Council’s website. This will allow you to complete an online application form
2. On the Login page, click on “Register Now”. Verify your email address and enter your personal details.
3. Once your account is created you will be assigned a 6 digit reference number.
4. You will then proceed to the home page of your online account.
5. A notification will appear in your outstanding tasks. Open this notification and select “Start Application” to begin your application for registration.
6. Select the category which applies to you, that is “Medical practitioners who do not meet the criteria for any of the above categories”.
7. Select “Specialist” Division and the Sub Route that applies to you.
8. Proceed through the application form.
9. Upload the required documents.
10. Proceed to the next step and pay the application fee to submit your application. (Non-Refundable). Application fees can be found in the Fees section of our website here.

To find out what division of the register you can apply for, please follow the instructions on the Eligibility Chart on our website. 

You can find an overview of the registration application process on our website in the First Time Applicants section. 

The first step is to check the Eligibility Chart, which provides guidance on which route you should submit your application under. You will then need to set up an online account for the Medical Council’s Doctor’s Portal.

Once you have created your online account and submitted your online registration application, you will need to submit your supporting registration documentation. A full list of the required documentation for each of the routes can be found in our Required Documents section.

You can set up an Online Doctor's Portal account by clicking "Register now" on the log in page. We also have several videos on how to use the Doctor’s Portal available to view here. 

We have developed several training videos on how to use the Doctor’s Portal available to view here. 

Instructions on how to reset your password are available here. 

You can find a full list of all required documents for each of the registration routes in our Required Documents section or listed on the checklist noted under each route  

Please follow the instructions on the relevant Document Checklist for your route of registration and upload your documents via the doctors portal.

All copy documents must be notarised by one of the following:

4. Notary Public in any jurisdiction
5. Online Notary Cam (passports only)
6. Commissioner of Oaths in any jurisdiction
7. Member of the South African Police Service (SAPS) designated as Commissioner of Oaths under the South African Justice of the Peace and Commissioner of Oaths Act(s)
8. Registered Solicitor/Lawyer in Ireland, any EU/EEA member state, or UK
9. Foreign embassy official or foreign consulate in Ireland
10. Irish embassy official or Irish consulate in any other jurisdiction
11. Court official/clerk from Ireland, any EU/EEA member state, or UK
12. Justice of the Peace/Peace Commissioner
13. Member of An Garda Síochána or official Police Force in any EU/EEA member state or UK
14. Official Apostille from Ireland, any EU/EEA member state, or UK

The notary must confirm that the copy is a true copy of the original document, provide their full name and sign, date and officially stamp each document on the front page. Documents which are not stamped clearly or have not been properly notarised / attested cannot be accepted.  Please note it’s important to ensure the front page of each relevant document is stamped.

You will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application. Once the assessment of your application commences, you will be emailed directly by your assessor if any further information/documents are required. 

Please note your documents will not be reviewed prior to assessment.

You can find an overview of the Medical Council's registration fees in the Fees Section of our website. 

Doctors with specialist registration may practise independently, without supervision and may represent themselves as specialists.

If the name on your passport is different from what is on your Basic Medical Qualification or specialist qualification, please provide a notarised/attested copy of your Marriage Certificate / Deed poll/ Birth Certificate.  

The application fee is non-refundable therefore, please ensure you review the eligibility route prior to applying for registration.

Please ensure you review the eligibility chart to determine which routes you are eligible for registration. Once you have determined which route you are applying for, please ensure to gather the relevant documents before applying.

Please note documents must submitted at the time of your application submission.

Please be advised that the Medical Council cannot accept any incomplete applications. Therefore, please ensure to provide all the correct documentation prior to applying for registration.

Please note the application fee is non-refundable.

Yes, this is a requirement for applicants applying via the automatic recognition  route for Specialist Registration and/or if you graduated before the member state was in the EU.

A certificate of conformity is required for:

• General EU Applicant - If you began your studies before the Country where you received your Basic Medical Qualification from joined the EU.
• Specialist EU Applicant - Certificate of Conformity from the relevant competent authority which confirms that your Specialist Qualification was awarded in accordance with the provisions of EU Directive 2005/36/EC.

Your application will be deemed a non- standard application and must be reviewed by the Registration Adjudication Committee.

You will be required to provide all relevant information regarding the matter along with a personal statement.

Yes, it is Council policy for all applicants to provide a certificate of good standing from all jurisdictions they held registration with within the last 5 years.

It is Council policy that certificates of good standing must be in date at the time of activation of your registration. Therefore, if the certificate has expired you will be required to submit a new certificate.