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How to Work as a Doctor in the UK in 2026: GMC Registration, PLAB and Visa Routes

Midora Life editorial team ·

Midora Journal cover: How to Work as a Doctor in the UK in 2026: GMC Registration, PLAB and Visa Routes
Original artwork © Midora Life LLC.

Learn how to work as a doctor in the UK in 2026, including GMC registration, PLAB, English requirements, visa routes, costs and job checks.

To work as a doctor in the UK in 2026, you need the appropriate General Medical Council (GMC) registration with a licence to practise, a suitable job and permission to work. For many international graduates, the route involves English-language evidence, PLAB examinations and a sponsored Health and Care Worker visa. Registration and immigration are separate processes. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/our-registers/a-guide-to-our-registers/full-registration))

This guide explains how to work as a doctor in the UK using official guidance checked on 26 October 2026. Individual circumstances differ; the GMC decides registration eligibility, while immigration decisions sit with the Home Office.

Who is eligible?

International graduates need an acceptable primary medical qualification and evidence meeting their chosen registration route. For full registration, the GMC also assesses clinical experience. Do not assume that holding a medical licence overseas automatically makes you eligible in Britain. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/our-registers/a-guide-to-our-registers/full-registration))

Start with the GMC application finder rather than booking examinations immediately. Your qualification, training and experience determine the appropriate application. Provisional registration permits participation in an approved Foundation Year 1 programme; it is not interchangeable with full registration. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/register-as-a-doctor))

This article concerns doctors. Other healthcare professionals should check their own profession’s registration requirements rather than treating PLAB as a general healthcare entry examination. PLAB assesses doctors who qualified abroad. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab))

Qualification recognition and licensing

How to work as a doctor in the UK: choose your registration route

In 2026, PLAB is one route, not the only route. The GMC also lists approved sponsorship, acceptable postgraduate qualifications, relevant European qualifications, acceptable overseas registration examinations and eligibility for specialist or GP registration. Each has its own conditions. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/our-registers/a-guide-to-our-registers/full-registration))

Check whether your medical degree is acceptable before arranging independent primary-source verification. The GMC requires verification before granting registration under its international graduate application guidance. Use the same qualification certificate for verification and your application, and check that it records the required qualification date. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/registration-applications/application-guides/full-registration-for-international-medical-graduates/evidence-of-your-primary-medical-qualification))

For the PLAB-based full-registration route, review the GMC’s internship or experience requirements alongside its application guide. Prepare evidence of your training rather than relying on a job title or an informal description of your duties. Specialist and GP registration require separate consideration. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/registration-applications/application-guides/full-registration-for-international-medical-graduates))

Exams and language requirements

Under the GMC guidance checked in October 2026, PLAB has two parts: a written multiple-choice examination and a practical clinical examination. Candidates must establish that their qualification and English evidence are acceptable before booking through GMC Online. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/a-guide-to-the-plab-test))

PLAB remains the examination’s name in 2026. It meets Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) requirements; international applicants should not assume that they must book an additional examination called the MLA alongside PLAB. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/education/medical-licensing-assessment/plab-and-the-mla))

The GMC’s published English test requirements in October 2026 are:

Check certificate validity and accepted test formats before paying. The GMC warns that evidence accepted for PLAB may differ from evidence accepted for registration. Other forms of English evidence may be considered under its guidance. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/before-you-apply/evidence-of-your-knowledge-of-english))

Immigration English requirements are separate. However, October 2026 government guidance says doctors who have passed an English assessment accepted by their professional regulator do not need to prove English again for the Health and Care Worker visa. (gov.uk (www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa/knowledge-of-english))

Required documents and costs

Create separate folders for registration and immigration. For GMC registration, prepare your qualification, internship or experience evidence, English evidence, passport, certificates of good standing, activity history and fitness-to-practise declarations. Follow the relevant instructions for translations and identity checks. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/registration-applications/application-guides/full-registration-for-international-medical-graduates))

For the visa, the October 2026 checklist includes your Certificate of Sponsorship reference, passport, job title, salary, occupation code and employer’s sponsor details. Depending on your circumstances, additional evidence includes savings, tuberculosis results, criminal records and family relationships. (gov.uk (www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa/documents-you-must-provide))

GMC fees effective from 1 April 2026 include:

Discounts may apply; check the GMC fee schedule rather than assuming you qualify. Budget separately for language testing, verification, translations, travel and accommodation. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/managing-your-registration/fees-and-funding/fees-for-doctors))

Health and Care Worker visa fees published in October 2026 are £324 per person for up to three years and £628 for more than three years. The usual maintenance requirement is £1,270, unless an exemption applies. This is money to support yourself, not an additional application fee. Eligible applicants do not pay the immigration health surcharge. (gov.uk (www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs))

Job search and employer verification

How to work as a doctor in the UK: verify the job and visa

Use NHS Jobs to identify posts, then read the employer’s person specification carefully. Contact the employer directly about the vacancy, especially registration requirements, experience, supervision and sponsorship. NHS Jobs directs vacancy-specific questions to the advertising employer. (jobs.nhs.uk (www.jobs.nhs.uk/?utm_source=openai))

Before sharing sensitive documents, independently confirm the vacancy with the organisation. Check its legal name against the Home Office register of licensed sponsors. A register entry establishes sponsorship licensing, not the authenticity of a message or an individual offer. (gov.uk (www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-workers))

For the Health and Care Worker route in 2026, you need an eligible job with an approved employer, an appropriate salary and a Certificate of Sponsorship. Ask the employer to confirm the occupation code and applicable national-pay-scale requirement. Do not rely on a generic salary threshold taken from an unrelated occupation. (gov.uk (www.gov.uk/health-care-worker-visa/your-job))

The Skilled Worker route may be relevant where Health and Care eligibility is not met, but its own requirements and costs apply. If you already have immigration permission, check whether its conditions permit the proposed work before seeking another visa. (gov.uk (www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa))

Salary and cost-of-living examples

Ask for a written breakdown showing basic annual salary, contracted hours, additional payments and the applicable contract. For a first hospital post, request an illustrative payslip calculation; for a more senior post, ask how previous experience affects the offered pay point.

This research did not confirm a current 2026 medical-pay table suitable for quoting salary figures. Check NHS Employers’ medical and dental pay circulars and the relevant national employer guidance. Separately, use the government’s national-pay-scale tables to check immigration salary requirements; those are not a substitute for your employment offer. (gov.uk (www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-pay-scales-for-eligible-healthcare-jobs))

Housing illustrates why location matters. ONS figures for September 2026, published on 21 October 2026, show average monthly private rent of £2,338 in London and £790 in the North East. These are regional property averages, not quotations for a room or a particular hospital neighbourhood. (ons.gov.uk (www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/privaterentandhousepricesuk/latest))

Build your own comparison using actual housing options, travel, council tax, utilities, food and childcare. Keep relocation spending separate from recurring monthly costs, and avoid committing to accommodation before your employment and immigration position is clear.

Common mistakes and FAQs

Q: Must every international doctor take PLAB?

No. In 2026, the GMC lists alternative routes, including acceptable postgraduate qualifications and approved sponsorship. Use its application finder to establish which route fits your qualifications and experience. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/our-registers/a-guide-to-our-registers/full-registration))

Q: Has the MLA replaced PLAB?

Not as a separate examination international applicants must book. In October 2026, the GMC still calls the test PLAB and confirms that it meets MLA requirements. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/education/medical-licensing-assessment/plab-and-the-mla))

Q: Does passing PLAB mean I can start work?

No. Passing allows you to proceed towards registration; you still need the appropriate registration and licence, employment arrangements and permission to work. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/join-our-registers/plab/a-guide-to-the-plab-test))

Q: Is GMC sponsorship the same as visa sponsorship?

No. GMC-approved sponsorship is a registration route. Immigration sponsorship involves an approved employer issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship for an eligible job. Check both processes separately. (gmc-uk.org (www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/our-registers/a-guide-to-our-registers/full-registration))

Official resources and next steps

Use these official pages to check your route, assemble evidence and recheck costs before submitting applications:

Plan your route with Midora at midora.life/apply.

Sources checked

This article is general guidance based on official sources at the time of writing. Rules, fees and salaries change; confirm your own requirements with the regulator and immigration authority before you act.

Plan your next step with Midora