Registering and qualifying


There are a number of pathways that can be taken towards medical registration, depending upon your particular circumstances and qualifications and whether you are a general practitioner (GP/family physician), specialist or hospital non-specialist.

Before practising in Australia, all doctors must first obtain registration from the Medical Board in the State or Territory in which they wish to work. Part of the medical registration requirement will be proof of English language proficiency.

Eligible doctors receive full medical registration OR conditional medical registration. The type of medical registration you receive primarily affects the type of location in which you may work, but may also affect other aspects of employment, such as your field of practice.

 OTDs are also typically subject to Medicare provider number restrictions. This means that the position must be in a if the position requires the provision of medical services that will attract Medicare benefits.

In addition to medical registration, any doctor who will be working in a hospital in any capacity (including visiting GPs and specialists) must undergo a credentialling process.
Medical Qualification and Registration

  1. You must meet medical registration and immigration requirements to work in Australia as an Overseas Trained Doctor (OTD).
  2. Ensure that you have the required English language proficiency.
  3. Decide on your field of work, and the location in which you work
  4. Obtain registration from the Medical Board in the State or Territory in which you will work.
  5. You may receive Full Medical Registration or Conditional Medical Registration
  6. You will need to work in an Area of Need if you do not qualify for full medical registration, or if you have not completed the Standard Pathway for Specialist Assessment or the Standard Pathway for GP Assessment.
  7. As an OTD and if your position requires the provision of medical services attracting Medicare Benefits, you may be subject to Medicare Number Restrictions, and your position must be in a District of Workforce Shortage.
  8. You must complete the Credentialling Process

Before you can work as a doctor in an Australian hospital, you will usually have to undergo a credentialling process. This applies to all doctors, from hospital non-specialists and general practitioners (family physicians) through to hospital specialists and visiting medical officers (VMOs---doctors who have been granted visiting rights at a particular hospital).

Credentials examined include formal qualifications, evidence of training, experience and clinical competence.

Once credentialled by the hospital, a doctor will generally be approved to provide specified medical services at the nominated hospital(s). These services can include the provision of accident and emergency services, in-patient care and, in some instances, procedural activities such as anaesthetics, surgery or obstetrics.

Specific information can be obtained from your employer.

For organisations using the national Standard for Credentialling and Defining the Scope of Clinical Practice of Medical Practitioners, for use in Public and Private Hospitals (Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care, 2004), a new Handbook and CD Rom are now available.

The Standard and the new Handbook and CD Rom have been developed to help organisations in ensuring that their medical practitioners have the knowledge, skills and local resources they need to deliver safe care in that setting. The Handbook and the Credentialling Standard can be downloaded from the Office of Safety and Quality website.

You should also check the immigration requirements.