Work as a Doctor in the UK from Italy
As of July 2026, Italian-qualified doctors who want to practise in the UK must be registered with a licence to practise from the General Medical Council (GMC). Since the UK left the EU on 1 January 2021, Italian medical qualifications are no longer automatically recognised — the GMC now assesses each application individually.
How Italian-qualified doctors register with the GMC to work in the UK after Brexit — the assessment route, English evidence, and visa overview.
Which GMC route applies to you?
Answer two questions for a plain-English summary of the likely registration route and English-evidence options. This is general educational guidance only — the General Medical Council makes the final decision on every application.
The GMC route for Italian-qualified doctors
Since automatic EEA recognition ended, most Italian graduates register through a GMC-assessed route, which may involve the PLAB examination or a recognised postgraduate qualification depending on the GMC’s assessment.
Before 2021, doctors with EEA qualifications had their qualifications automatically recognised for GMC registration. That automatic route ended when the post-Brexit transition period closed. Today the GMC assesses qualifications from Italy in the same framework it uses for other international applicants — which means confirming your route with the GMC is the essential first step.
Depending on your qualification and postgraduate training, the GMC may direct you to the PLAB examination (a two-part test of knowledge and clinical skills), or accept a recognised postgraduate qualification such as certain Royal College memberships. If you completed specialty training in Italy, ask the GMC whether your Certificato di specializzazione supports a specialist-registration route.
Keep translated and certified copies of your Laurea in Medicina e Chirurgia, your Esame di Stato result, and your entry in the Ordine dei Medici — the GMC requires evidence of your qualification and a Certificate of Good Standing.
English-language evidence
Because Italian medical degrees are taught in Italian, most Italian graduates evidence English proficiency by sitting IELTS Academic or the OET. The GMC sets the minimum scores and the list of acceptable tests — confirm the current thresholds on gmc-uk.org before booking a test.
Your registration steps, in order
Confirm your GMC route
Contact the General Medical Council (gmc-uk.org) to confirm which registration route your primary medical qualification and any postgraduate qualifications support — the PLAB examination, a recognised postgraduate qualification, or specialist registration.
Meet the knowledge and skills requirement
Complete the route the GMC confirms — for example, passing both parts of the PLAB examination, or holding a postgraduate qualification the GMC accepts.
Evidence your English
Provide the English-language evidence the GMC accepts for your circumstances — usually IELTS Academic or OET, or evidence that your qualification was taught and examined in English. Confirm current thresholds on gmc-uk.org.
Gather Certificates of Good Standing
Obtain a Certificate of Good Standing (Certificate of Current Professional Status) from every medical regulator you have been registered with in the last five years.
Apply to the GMC and arrange the right to work
Submit your GMC application with your evidence. If you are not a UK or Irish citizen, secure the right to work — typically a Skilled Worker (Health and Care Worker) visa with a Certificate of Sponsorship from a UK employer (gov.uk).
What Italian-qualified doctors need
These are the obligations the GMC and, where relevant, UK Visas and Immigration place on applicants. Confirm the current detail on the official websites.
Hold a recognised Laurea in Medicina e Chirurgia and have passed the Esame di Stato
Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from your regional Ordine dei Medici covering the last five years
Confirm with the GMC whether the PLAB route or a postgraduate-qualification route applies to you
Evidence English-language proficiency, usually via IELTS Academic or OET
Obtain the right to work in the UK (Skilled Worker / Health and Care Worker visa) unless you already hold UK settled or pre-settled status
Certificate of Good Standing
You will need a Certificate of Good Standing (Certificate of Current Professional Status) from your regional Ordine dei Medici (Italian Medical Council), plus one from any other medical regulator you have been registered with in the last five years.
Right to work / visa
Italian citizens who were resident in the UK before Brexit may hold settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. Everyone else typically needs a Skilled Worker (Health and Care Worker) visa, which requires a Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed UK employer — details on gov.uk.
Practical notes for Italian-qualified doctors
- The end of automatic recognition means the single most important step is confirming your route with the GMC before you spend money on tests or translations.
- Certified English translations of Italian-language documents are usually required — budget time for this in your timeline.
Important: this is information, not recruitment
GeraClinic is a telemedicine platform operated by Gera Services Ltd. This page is free educational information for doctors who independently want to understand the UK registration pathway. GeraClinic does not place doctors into NHS jobs, is not a recruitment agency, and charges no fee to read this guidance. Registration, employment, and visa decisions rest with the General Medical Council, individual employers, and UK Visas and Immigration. Individuals may always apply directly, of their own accord. Requirements, fees, and timelines change — always confirm the current position on the official GMC website (gmc-uk.org) and gov.uk.
Frequently asked questions
Are Italian medical qualifications still recognised in the UK after Brexit?
They are assessed rather than automatically recognised. Since 1 January 2021 the GMC evaluates Italian qualifications through its international-application framework and confirms the route (PLAB or a postgraduate-qualification route) case by case.
Do Italian doctors have to sit PLAB?
Some do and some do not — it depends on the GMC’s assessment of your qualification and any postgraduate training. Confirm your route directly with the GMC before booking any examination.
What English test do Italian graduates need?
Because Italian degrees are taught in Italian, most applicants sit IELTS Academic or OET. The GMC sets the acceptable tests and minimum scores — check the current requirement on gmc-uk.org.
Do Italian doctors need a UK visa?
Italians with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme do not need a separate work visa. Others usually need a Skilled Worker (Health and Care Worker) visa with a Certificate of Sponsorship from a UK employer.
UK registration guides for other EEA doctors
Prefer to work remotely from Italy?
While you work through UK registration, you can keep practising as a remote telemedicine doctor with GeraClinic — see patients online, set your own hours and fee, and get paid within 3–5 business days.
Remote telemedicine jobs for doctors in ItalyKeep earning while you plan your move to the UK
GeraClinic is free to join for licensed doctors. Work from home, set your own hours and fees, and see online patients — from wherever you are registered today.