Work as a Doctor in the UK from Iraq
As of July 2026, Iraqi-qualified doctors who want to practise in the UK must hold registration with a licence to practise from the General Medical Council (GMC). Iraq is not on the WHO 2023 Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List, so individuals may pursue UK registration of their own accord — but GMC registration, English evidence, and (for non-UK/Irish citizens) a work visa are all required first.
A plain-English guide to how doctors who qualified in Iraq register with the GMC to practise in the UK — the PLAB route, specialty options, 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 Iraqi-qualified doctors
Most Iraqi-qualified doctors register with the GMC through the PLAB examination (a two-part test of applied knowledge and clinical skills), unless they hold a postgraduate qualification the GMC accepts for a non-PLAB route.
Iraqi medical schools award the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) after a six-year programme, followed by a rotating foundation (house-officer) year, after which doctors are licensed by the Iraqi Ministry of Health and hold membership of the Iraqi Medical Syndicate. The GMC assesses your primary medical qualification, and for most Iraqi graduates without an accepted postgraduate qualification the standard route to registration is the PLAB examination.
A large number of Iraqi doctors sit UK Royal College postgraduate examinations — for example MRCP(UK), MRCS, MRCOG or MRCPCH. Where you already hold a postgraduate qualification the GMC recognises, it may accept it in place of PLAB; confirm your eligibility directly with the GMC before booking any test.
You will need a Certificate of Good Standing (Certificate of Current Professional Status) from your Iraqi licensing authority, and from every other regulator you have registered with in the last five years. Because many Iraqi doctors work in Gulf states before moving on, applicants frequently need good-standing letters from more than one regulator — request them early, as multi-regulator letters are the most common source of delay.
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
Iraqi doctors who completed specialty training — for example an Iraqi/Arab Board qualification or a postgraduate degree from an Iraqi university — can ask the GMC whether it supports entry to the Specialist Register through the Portfolio Pathway. Many Iraqi specialists build a Royal College membership or fellowship alongside their home qualifications to strengthen an application. 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
Iraqi medical degrees are largely taught in English but are set in an Arabic-language environment, so most applicants evidence English by sitting IELTS Academic or the OET (Medicine). Some may qualify through recent English-language clinical practice the GMC accepts. The GMC decides what counts — confirm the current tests and minimum scores on gmc-uk.org before booking.
What Iraqi-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 (MBChB) from an Iraqi medical school and have completed your foundation (house-officer) year
Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from your Iraqi licensing authority covering the last five years
Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from any other regulator (e.g. a Gulf health authority) you have registered with in that period
Confirm with the GMC whether the PLAB route or a recognised postgraduate qualification applies to you
Evidence English-language proficiency (usually IELTS Academic or OET) and 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 Iraqi Ministry of Health / Iraqi Medical Syndicate, plus one from any other medical regulator you have been registered with in the last five years.
Right to work / visa
Citizens of this country who are not UK or Irish nationals generally need a Skilled Worker (Health and Care Worker) visa, which requires a Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed UK employer — see gov.uk. The visa is a separate process from GMC registration, and both must be completed before you practise.
What Iraqi-qualified doctors earn in the NHS
NHS pay is set by national scales and the grade you are appointed to, not your nationality — an Iraqi-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 Iraq → 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 Iraqi-qualified doctors — the exact papers to gather, in sequence — kept up to date.
An Iraqi-qualified doctor’s UK route runs primary qualification → confirm GMC route (PLAB or accepted postgraduate qualification) → English evidence → Certificates of Good Standing → GMC application → Health and Care Worker visa.
- 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 Iraq → UK document checklist
Enter your email and we send the complete, ordered checklist you can work through. No spam — unsubscribe anytime.
Practical notes for Iraqi-qualified doctors
- Many Iraqi doctors route through the Gulf before the UK; if you did, list every regulator you registered with so you can request all the good-standing letters the GMC needs.
- Have your MBChB certificate and transcript professionally translated and certified early — primary-source verification of the qualification is a common timeline step.
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 Iraqi-qualified doctors have to sit PLAB?
Most do, unless they hold a postgraduate qualification the GMC accepts for a non-PLAB route (such as certain Royal College memberships). The GMC assesses your qualifications and confirms your route — check your position on gmc-uk.org before booking any examination.
Is an Iraqi medical degree recognised by the GMC?
The GMC assesses your primary medical qualification through its international-application framework and, once you complete the required route (PLAB or an accepted postgraduate qualification) and evidence English, it can grant registration with a licence to practise. Recognition is of the doctor’s route to registration, not automatic.
Is Iraq on the UK “red list”?
No. Iraq is not on the WHO 2023 Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List, so this is permitted pathway information. Even so, Gera provides information only and does not actively recruit — individuals apply directly, of their own accord.
I worked in the Gulf after qualifying in Iraq — does that change anything?
It changes the good-standing paperwork, not the route: you will need a Certificate of Good Standing from your Iraqi authority and from every Gulf health authority you held a licence with in the last five years. Request them all early.
UK registration guides for doctors from other countries
- Doctors from Lebanon
- Doctors from Turkey
- Doctors from Singapore
- Doctors from Australia
- Doctors from New Zealand
- Doctors from Canada
- Doctors from United States
- Doctors from Egypt
- Doctors from Philippines
- Doctors from Sri Lanka
- Doctors from Jordan
- Doctors from Malaysia
- Doctors from Germany
- Doctors from France
- Doctors from India
- All UK doctor pathways
Prefer to work remotely from Iraq?
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 IraqKeep 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.