How to verify a foreign medical qualification — what each document actually proves
Three different checks get lumped together as "verifying a doctor" and they prove three different things: a regulator register check confirms current licensed standing; a primary source verification confirms a specific degree or employment record is genuine, directly with the issuer; and a comparability statement confirms how a foreign qualification maps to a local qualification level. None of the three substitutes for the others.
Quick answer
- Regulator register check
- Confirms current licensed status, category and any conditions — e.g. GMC’s free public register, or the equivalent DHA/DOH/MOH register.
- Primary source verification
- Confirms a specific degree, licence or job history directly with the issuing institution — e.g. the DataFlow process Gulf regulators require.
- Comparability statement
- Confirms how an overseas qualification compares to a local qualification level — e.g. UK ENIC’s Statement of Comparability. Not a clinical-fitness or licensing decision.
- What none of them replaces
- A regulator’s own decision to grant registration/licensure, which applies criteria beyond document authenticity (English proficiency, fitness to practise, sometimes an exam).
The three checks, side by side
| Check | What it proves | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator register check | Currently licensed, category, conditions/disciplinary history | GMC public register (UK); DHA/DOH/MOH register (Gulf) |
| Primary source verification | The degree/licence/employment record is genuine, confirmed with the issuer | DataFlow (Gulf regulators); similar services elsewhere |
| Comparability statement | How the qualification maps to local qualification levels | UK ENIC (Ecctis) Statement of Comparability |
A practical checklist
- Check the relevant regulator’s public register yourself — do not rely on a screenshot or a claimed registration number without confirming it live.
- Ask whether primary source verification of the underlying degree/licence has been completed, by whom, and ask to see the outcome — not just that it was "requested."
- If you need a formal comparability statement for grading or a non-clinical process, obtain it from the recognised national body (UK ENIC in the UK) rather than an unofficial equivalence chart.
- Treat "verified" as a specific, checkable claim — ask exactly what was verified, by whom, and when, rather than accepting the word alone. See the companion guide on what "credential-verified" should mean.
Frequently asked questions
Is a degree certificate itself enough to verify a qualification?
No. A certificate shows what was awarded, not that it is genuine or still recognised. It can be forged, altered, or issued by an institution that has since lost accreditation. A genuine verification confirms the record directly with the issuing body, not from the document alone.
What does a regulator register check (GMC, DHA, etc.) actually confirm?
That the specific individual is currently registered/licensed with that regulator, in what category, and whether any conditions or a disciplinary history are attached — as of the moment you check it. It confirms current standing with that regulator; it does not itself verify every underlying document that led to that registration (the regulator did that verification during the application process).
What does a primary source verification add that a register check does not?
It confirms directly with the issuing university, licensing council, or past employer that a specific degree, licence, or employment record is genuine — useful when you need assurance about credentials that are not (or not yet) reflected in a UK or Gulf regulator’s own register, such as a qualification from a country the doctor has not yet registered to practise in.
What does a UK ENIC Statement of Comparability tell an employer?
How a specific overseas qualification compares to UK qualification levels (broadly equivalent to a UK bachelor’s, master’s, etc.) — useful for internal grading, some employment contexts, and certain non-clinical professional-registration processes. It is not a substitute for a regulator’s clinical registration decision, which applies its own, separate recognition criteria.
What is the minimum an employer should actually do?
At minimum: check the relevant regulator’s public register directly (GMC in the UK, or the specific DHA/DOH/MOH-equivalent in the Gulf) for current status, rather than trusting a CV, a scanned certificate, or a third party’s unverified summary. Where the regulator itself requires or accepts a primary source verification (as DHA-family regulators do via DataFlow) as part of licensing, that check has already been built into the licensing process — but it is still worth confirming it was actually completed, not just claimed.
Sources & further reading
These are the primary, official sources for everything on this page. Where figures appear, confirm the current value at the source before relying on it.
- GMC — List of Registered Medical Practitioners (check a doctor’s registration)
The GMC’s public, free register — the only authoritative way to confirm a doctor is currently registered with a licence to practise in the UK.
- DataFlow Group — Primary Source Verification
The primary-source-verification vendor used by DHA, DOH, SCFHS, MOH and other Gulf regulators to confirm a degree, licence or employment record directly with the issuing body.
- UK ENIC — Statement of Comparability
The UK’s national body (operated by Ecctis) for comparing an overseas qualification against UK qualification levels — used for employment, study and some professional-registration purposes.
- Dubai Health Authority (DHA)
The Dubai regulator issuing the professional licence a doctor needs to practise in the emirate, via its Sheryan portal.