Work as a Doctor in the UK from Canada
As of July 2026, doctors who qualified in Canada and want to practise in the UK must hold registration with a licence to practise from the General Medical Council (GMC). Canada is not on the WHO 2023 safeguards list, so UK registration can be pursued independently — through the PLAB route or an accepted postgraduate qualification, plus English evidence where required and, for non-UK/Irish citizens, a work visa.
How Canadian-qualified doctors register with the GMC to work in the UK — the PLAB route, specialist certification pathways, English evidence, Certificates of Good Standing, and the visa.
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 Canadian-qualified doctors
Canadian-qualified doctors register with the GMC through the PLAB examination unless they hold a postgraduate qualification the GMC accepts for a non-PLAB route — for example a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (FRCPC) or College of Family Physicians of Canada (CCFP) certification the GMC recognises for a specialist or GP application.
Canadian graduates hold an MD (an MDCM at McGill), pass the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE), and are licensed by a provincial College of Physicians and Surgeons (for example the CPSO in Ontario). Residency is entered through CaRMS, with specialty certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the College of Family Physicians of Canada. The GMC assesses your primary medical qualification, and for graduates without an accepted postgraduate qualification the standard route is the PLAB examination.
Canadian specialty certification is well regarded internationally, but nothing transfers automatically: the GMC assesses whether an FRCPC or CCFP supports entry to the Specialist Register or GP Register on its own merits. Confirm your position with the GMC rather than assuming your certification carries across.
You will need a Certificate of Good Standing from your provincial College (and/or the Medical Council of Canada), and from any other regulator you have registered with in the last five years. Because Canadian doctors are often registered provincially, list every province and regulator you have held a licence with so you can request all the good-standing letters early.
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/GP 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).
Specialty and specialist registration
Canadian doctors who hold FRCPC (Royal College) or CCFP (family medicine) certification can ask the GMC whether it supports entry to the Specialist Register or GP Register through the Portfolio Pathway. The specialist and GP registers, and the Portfolio Pathway (formerly CESR), are administered by the GMC, which assesses each portfolio individually. Confirm whether your qualifications support a specialist route on gmc-uk.org before assuming one.
English-language evidence
Canadian medical degrees are taught and examined in English (or in French, for example at some Québec schools). Anglophone graduates can often evidence English through their primary qualification or recent English-language clinical practice the GMC accepts; francophone graduates may need IELTS Academic or the OET. The GMC decides what counts — confirm your circumstances on gmc-uk.org.
What Canadian-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 primary medical qualification (MD / MDCM) from a Canadian medical school and have completed the required postgraduate training
Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from your provincial College of Physicians and Surgeons (and/or the Medical Council of Canada) covering the last five years
Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from any other regulator or province you have registered with in that period
Confirm with the GMC whether the PLAB route or a recognised postgraduate qualification (e.g. FRCPC / CCFP) applies to you
Evidence English-language proficiency (usually via language of instruction for anglophone graduates; IELTS Academic / OET where required) and, if you are not a UK or Irish citizen, secure a UK Skilled Worker (Health and Care Worker) visa unless you already hold UK settled status
Certificate of Good Standing
You will need a Certificate of Good Standing (Certificate of Current Professional Status) from the provincial College of Physicians and Surgeons / Medical Council of Canada, plus one from any other medical regulator you have been registered with in the last five years.
Right to work / visa
Canadian citizens who are not UK or Irish nationals generally need a Skilled Worker (Health and Care Worker) visa with a Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed UK employer; some may be eligible for other routes such as the Youth Mobility Scheme — check gov.uk. The visa is separate from GMC registration, and both must be completed before you practise.
What Canadian-qualified doctors earn in the NHS
NHS pay is set by national scales and the grade you are appointed to, not your nationality — a Canadian-qualified doctor placed at a given grade is paid the same as anyone else at that grade.
Below are the current England basic pay scales for resident (junior) doctors. Basic pay excludes out-of-hours and weekend enhancements and any London weighting (High Cost Area Supplement), which are added on top.
| Nodal point | Typical grade | Basic pay |
|---|---|---|
| Nodal point 1 | Foundation Year 1 (FY1) | £38,831 |
| Nodal point 2 | Foundation Year 2 (FY2) | £44,439 |
| Nodal point 3 | Core / early specialty training (ST1–ST2) | £52,656 |
| Nodal point 4 | Specialty training (ST3–ST5) | £65,048 |
| Nodal point 5 | Senior specialty training (ST6–ST8) | £73,992 |
Consultants are on a separate national scale, currently running from roughly £109,725 to £145,475 in basic pay, rising with years of service. Additional programmed activities and on-call availability can lift total earnings further.
Source: BMA resident-doctor pay scales for England and the NHS Employers Pay and Conditions Circular (Medical & Dental). Basic pay before enhancements. Figures checked in July 2026 and reviewed annually — confirm the live figure with the BMA before relying on it.
The Canada → UK document checklist
Here is the shape of the pathway and the current NHS pay anchors. Enter your email to get the full, ordered document checklist for Canadian-qualified doctors — the exact papers to gather, in sequence — kept up to date.
A Canadian-qualified doctor’s UK route runs primary qualification → confirm GMC route (PLAB or accepted FRCPC/CCFP/postgraduate qualification) → English evidence → Certificates of Good Standing → GMC application → visa where required.
- Foundation Year 1 (nodal point 1)
- £38,831
- Specialty training (nodal point 4)
- £65,048
- Consultant basic pay range
- £109,725–£145,475
+ 9 more not shown here. As of July 2026. Source: GMC registration guidance + BMA / NHS Employers pay scales.
Get the full Canada → UK document checklist
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Practical notes for Canadian-qualified doctors
- Canadian doctors are usually registered by province — list every province and College you have held a licence with so you can gather each Certificate of Good Standing without delay.
- If you hold FRCPC or CCFP certification, ask the GMC early whether it removes the PLAB requirement or supports specialist/GP registration.
Important: this is information, not recruitment
This page is independent educational information for doctors who are researching UK registration of their own accord. It is not legal, immigration, or careers advice, and it is not a job offer. Gera Services Ltd is not a medical regulator and is not a recruitment agency — we do not register doctors, and we do not place doctors into NHS or other UK jobs. As a matter of policy we provide information only and do not actively recruit from countries on the WHO 2023 Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List. The General Medical Council (GMC) is the UK’s independent regulator of doctors; visa rules are set by the UK Home Office. Requirements, fees and pay scales change periodically — always confirm the current position with the GMC (gmc-uk.org) and GOV.UK before making any decision.
Frequently asked questions
Do Canadian-qualified doctors have to sit PLAB?
Many do, unless they hold a postgraduate qualification the GMC accepts for a non-PLAB route — such as FRCPC or CCFP certification recognised for a specialist or GP application. The GMC assesses your qualifications and confirms your route on gmc-uk.org.
Does my FRCPC or CCFP certification transfer to the UK?
Not automatically. The GMC assesses each specialist or GP qualification on its merits through the Portfolio Pathway. Ask the GMC to confirm what your certification supports before planning around it.
Do I need IELTS or OET if I trained in Canada?
Anglophone graduates usually do not — Canadian degrees taught and examined in English can be accepted by the GMC in place of a test. Francophone graduates may need a test. The GMC decides what it accepts, so confirm your circumstances on gmc-uk.org.
Is Canada on the UK “red list”?
No. Canada is not on the WHO 2023 Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List. Gera provides information only and does not actively recruit — individuals apply directly, of their own accord.
UK registration guides for doctors from other countries
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- Doctors from Lebanon
- Doctors from Turkey
- Doctors from Singapore
- Doctors from Australia
- Doctors from New Zealand
- Doctors from United States
- Doctors from Egypt
- Doctors from Philippines
- Doctors from Sri Lanka
- Doctors from Jordan
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- Doctors from France
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- All UK doctor pathways
Prefer to work remotely from Canada?
While you work through UK registration, you can keep practising as a remote telemedicine doctor with GeraClinic — see patients online in your own country, set your own hours and fee, and get paid within 3–5 business days.
Remote telemedicine work for doctors in CanadaKeep 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.