Work as a Doctor in the UK from Lebanon
As of July 2026, doctors who qualified in Lebanon and want to practise in the UK must hold registration with a licence to practise from the General Medical Council (GMC). Lebanon 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 and a work visa.
How Lebanese-qualified doctors register with the GMC to work in the UK — the PLAB route, specialty options, English evidence, Certificates of Good Standing, and the Health and Care Worker 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 Lebanese-qualified doctors
Lebanese-qualified doctors typically register with the GMC through the PLAB examination, unless they hold a recognised postgraduate qualification that supports a non-PLAB route.
Lebanon’s medical schools include English-medium institutions modelled on the North American system (for example the American University of Beirut) and French-medium institutions modelled on the French system (for example Saint Joseph University), alongside the Lebanese University and others. Graduates hold an MD, sit the Colloquium licensing examination, and register with the Lebanese Order of Physicians (Beirut or North Lebanon). The GMC assesses your primary medical qualification and, for most Lebanese graduates without an accepted postgraduate qualification, the standard route is the PLAB examination.
Because many Lebanese doctors pursue US residencies (via the USMLE) or French postgraduate training, some already hold qualifications the GMC may accept — for example UK Royal College memberships. Where you hold a recognised postgraduate qualification, ask the GMC whether it supports a route that does not require PLAB before booking any test.
You will need a Certificate of Good Standing from the Lebanese Order of Physicians, and from any other regulator you have registered with in the last five years. Lebanese doctors who trained or worked abroad should identify every regulator involved so all the good-standing letters can be requested 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
Lebanese doctors who completed specialty training (a Lebanese, French, or US-recognised specialty, or a postgraduate degree) can ask the GMC whether it supports entry to the Specialist 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
Doctors who graduated from an English-medium Lebanese medical school may be able to evidence English through their qualification being taught and examined in English, or through recent English-language clinical practice the GMC accepts; graduates of French-medium schools usually sit IELTS Academic or the OET (Medicine). The GMC decides which forms of evidence it accepts — confirm on gmc-uk.org.
What Lebanese-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) from a Lebanese medical school and have completed the required internship
Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from the Lebanese Order of Physicians covering the last five years
Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from any other regulator 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 (via language of instruction where accepted, or IELTS Academic / 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 Lebanese Order of Physicians, 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 Lebanese-qualified doctors earn in the NHS
NHS pay follows national scales and the grade you are appointed to, not your nationality — a Lebanese-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 Lebanon → 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 Lebanese-qualified doctors — the exact papers to gather, in sequence — kept up to date.
A Lebanese-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 Lebanon → UK document checklist
Enter your email and we send the complete, ordered checklist you can work through. No spam — unsubscribe anytime.
Practical notes for Lebanese-qualified doctors
- Whether you can skip an English test often depends on your medical school’s language of instruction — check your school’s status against the GMC’s accepted-evidence rules before assuming.
- If you trained across more than one country, map every regulator you registered with so you can gather each Certificate of Good Standing without delay.
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 Lebanese-qualified doctors have to sit PLAB?
Most do, unless they hold a postgraduate qualification the GMC accepts for a non-PLAB route. The GMC assesses your qualifications and confirms your route — check your position on gmc-uk.org before booking any examination.
I graduated from an English-medium school in Lebanon — do I still need IELTS or OET?
Not necessarily. The GMC can accept evidence that your primary medical qualification was taught and examined in English, or recent English-language clinical practice, in place of a test. It decides what it accepts, so confirm your specific circumstances on gmc-uk.org.
Is Lebanon on the UK “red list”?
No. Lebanon is not on the WHO 2023 Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List, so this is permitted pathway information. Gera provides information only and does not actively recruit — individuals apply directly, of their own accord.
Does a US or French postgraduate qualification help?
It may. The GMC assesses postgraduate qualifications individually and some can support a non-PLAB or specialist route. Ask the GMC to confirm what your specific qualification supports before planning around it.
UK registration guides for doctors from other countries
- Doctors from Iraq
- 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 Lebanon?
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 LebanonKeep 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.