Registration is where a lot of otherwise well-prepared doctors lose three unnecessary months. Not because it is difficult, but because the steps have dependencies and most people discover them in the wrong order.
The order that saves the most time
- Start EPIC primary source verification early. ECFMG's EPIC service contacts your medical school directly to verify your degree. Your school's response time is entirely outside your control and is routinely the longest single step. Begin it while you are still studying for PLAB — do not wait for a result.
- Sit and pass your English test. You need an accepted IELTS or OET result before you can apply for PLAB or for registration.
- Complete your evidence of knowledge and skills. PLAB, an accepted postgraduate qualification, or the Portfolio Pathway.
- Complete your evidence of internship or equivalent experience. Usually a certificate of experience from your postgraduate internship year.
- Apply online, pay the fee, then attend the identity check.
Steps 1 and 2 can run in parallel with everything else. That single decision typically saves two to three months.
The documents that hold people up
- Certificate of experience. Must be signed by the appropriate authority at your institution and cover the required period of supervised practice. Chase this early; it often needs a signature from someone who has left.
- Primary medical qualification. Verified through EPIC. A scanned copy is not verification.
- Evidence of recent practice. You need to show you have practised medicine recently. If you have had a long break, plan for how you will evidence a return to practice.
- Passport and identity. The name on every document should match. If it does not, get the discrepancy documented before you apply, not after.
- English test result. Must be within its validity window on the day the GMC assesses your application.
Every week of delay in registration is a week of NHS salary you are not earning. Front-load the slow steps.
Realistic timelines
Assuming nothing goes wrong:
- EPIC verification: 4 weeks to 6 months, depending almost entirely on your medical school.
- English test booking to result: 3 to 8 weeks.
- PLAB 1 to PLAB 2 to result: 4 to 9 months, driven by seat availability.
- Registration application to decision: a few weeks once all evidence is in.
- Identity check appointment: book as soon as it is offered; slots move.
From starting PLAB 1 preparation to holding registration with a licence to practise, six to fourteen months is the honest range. The timeline calculator lets you plug in your own dates.
Registration with a licence, and what happens after
You want registration with a licence to practise — registration alone does not let you work as a doctor in the UK. Once you have it, you also take on the ongoing obligations: annual retention fees, appraisal, and revalidation every five years. Our revalidation guide explains what you need to collect from your very first job.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for PLAB 2 results before starting EPIC.
- Letting an English test result expire during a long PLAB wait.
- Assuming an internship certificate will be signed within days.
- Applying with a name mismatch between passport and degree.
- Forgetting the annual retention fee falls due after your first year.
Portfolio Pathway as an alternative
If you already hold a substantial specialist career and recognised postgraduate qualifications, the Portfolio Pathway may take you directly to the specialist register rather than through PLAB. It is evidence-heavy and slower to assemble, but it can be a much better fit for senior doctors. We compare the two routes in PLAB or Portfolio Pathway.
Dates and fees
Application fees, annual retention fees, EPIC costs and English test prices are all listed and dated on the exam dates and fees page. The full registration detail, including current GMC fee figures, is in our GMC registration guide.