Frequently asked questions.

AHPRA is the Australian national organisation responsible for doctor registration and accreditation.

You need Australasian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency Registration (or AHPRA) to practise medicine in Australia.

The Competent Authority Pathway is a pathway in which you can gain AHPRA registration (Australia). To be eligible for this pathway, you must have completed your primary medical degree in the UK or Ireland. You are also eligible if you have passed the medical licensing exams in the UK, Canada, USA or NZ and have completed internship equivalent in one of these countries.

The Standard Pathway is for doctors who who don’t meet the Competent Authority Pathway criteria. To be eligible need to have completed a medical degree listed in the WHO directory. You will need to successfully complete the AMC examinations which involve an MCQ and clinical examination. Then you can apply for provisional registration. You must secure an internship-level role for the first 12 months.

The Specialist Pathway is a route to registration in Australia. It involves an assessment by the relevant specialist college of your qualifications and experience to see how it compares to that of an Australian trained specialist. The outcome of the assessment will determine your comparability, and what if any further requirements you need to gain full specialist registration.

There are many different pathways to medical registration which take into consideration where you completed your primary medical degree and specialist training (if applicable) as well as which countries you have experience practicing as a doctor. You can apply Post Graduate Year 3 (and above) with both countries seeking specialist doctors and GPs. Once you have registered with us, if you’re eligible, we'll help you apply for medical registration to the relevant health board. We can help you find you the right job and get you practising in Australia.

If you’re a junior doctor, we like to allow a minimum of 3 months from signing a contract until starting work. While it can be achieved in less time than this, we like to allow a little extra time in case of any delays in processing both your medical registration or your visa. If you’re a senior doctor then the time taken for the process depends on which registration pathway you are eligible for. It’s best to be prepared for between 6 – 12 months to complete everything and arrive in the country to start work.

The costs will depend on whether you are a junior or senior doctor. For junior doctors, the entire process costs up to around $3800. For senior doctors, there are substantial upfront costs for medical registration but the hospitals reimburse these once you start work. The application for specialist recognition can cost upwards of $10,000.

We find that the larger cities have less need for International doctors because they have lots of local doctors wanting to work there. More often international doctors secure roles at some of the more regional locations. While these might not be the biggest or most well-known cities, it doesn’t mean they are tiny rural locations! Australia has lots of vibrant, charming regional cities where you can have access to all the big city amenities you need for you and your family to feel comfortable. A lot of our candidates have been pleasantly surprised to discover regions they hadn’t initially considered but have gone on to adore the lifestyle and the authentic Australian experience of living there.

Absolutely, we work with lots of doctors who make the move with their partners or families. Partners are generally able to get a work visa of their own and kids can be granted student visas to attend school. Australia is a great location for families and the quality of life on offer is fantastic.

Once we have helped you determine eligibility for medical registration, we will assist you on a tailored job hunt to find the right role for you. Once the role is secured, we take care of the full medical registration application, liaising with the issuing authority on your behalf. We organise a complimentary Immigration Consultation for you so that you have all of the information you require to determine which is going to be the best visa for you and your family. After this, we assist you in completing all of the hospital’s new employee paperwork to ensure you are able to start work on time.

The first step in the process is to get in touch with us. We’ll be able to give you advice tailored to your specific situation so that we can work with you to map out what the process is going to look like for you to give you the best chance of success in your job hunt. Click here to Register and we’ll be in touch to arrange a convenient time to speak with you.