Work as a Doctor in the UK from United Arab Emirates
As of July 2026, doctors working in the United Arab Emirates who want to practise in the UK must hold registration with a licence to practise from the General Medical Council (GMC). The UAE is not on the WHO 2023 Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List, so UK registration can be pursued independently — but the GMC assesses the country where you qualified, not where you now work, so your route depends on your primary medical qualification.
A plain-English guide for doctors based in the UAE on how GMC registration works — why your route depends on where you trained, the PLAB and postgraduate routes, English evidence, the multiple Certificates of Good Standing Gulf-based doctors usually need, 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 UAE-based doctors
For most UAE-based doctors the GMC route depends on your primary medical qualification: doctors without a postgraduate qualification the GMC accepts generally register through the PLAB examination, while those holding a recognised postgraduate qualification (for example a UK Royal College membership) may use a non-PLAB route.
The UAE employs one of the most internationally-diverse medical workforces in the world: doctors licensed by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) or the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) qualified across many different countries. The GMC does not assess your UAE licence — it assesses your primary medical qualification and the route that qualification supports, so two doctors both working in Dubai can have completely different UK routes depending on where they went to medical school.
If your primary medical qualification does not carry an accepted postgraduate qualification, the standard route to GMC registration is the PLAB examination (a two-part test of applied knowledge and clinical skills). Many doctors in the Gulf sit UK Royal College examinations — MRCP(UK), MRCS, MRCOG, MRCPCH and similar — while working; where you already hold one the GMC recognises, ask whether it supports a route that does not require PLAB before booking any test.
Gulf-based doctors almost always need more than one Certificate of Good Standing (Certificate of Current Professional Status): one from your UAE health authority, and one from every other regulator you have held a licence with in the last five years — including the regulator in the country where you originally trained. Requesting several good-standing letters is the most common source of delay, so start them 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
UAE-based doctors who completed specialty training — whether a home-country specialty qualification, an Arab Board qualification, or a UK/other postgraduate degree — can ask the GMC whether it supports entry to the Specialist Register through the Portfolio Pathway. Many build a UK Royal College membership or fellowship alongside their existing 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
Your English-evidence route depends on where you trained, not on working in the UAE. Doctors whose primary medical qualification was taught and examined in English may be able to evidence English that way, or through recent English-language clinical practice the GMC accepts; others sit IELTS Academic or the OET (Medicine). The GMC decides what counts — confirm the current tests and minimum scores on gmc-uk.org before booking.
What UAE-based 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 from the country where you trained, and confirm with the GMC what route that qualification supports (PLAB or an accepted postgraduate qualification)
Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from your UAE health authority (DoH, DHA or MOHAP) covering the last five years
Provide a Certificate of Good Standing from the regulator in your country of training, and from any other regulator you have registered with in that period
Evidence English-language proficiency (via language of instruction where accepted, or IELTS Academic / OET)
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 your UAE health authority (DoH Abu Dhabi, DHA Dubai or MOHAP) and the regulator of the country where you originally trained, 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 UAE-based doctors earn in the NHS
NHS pay is set by national scales and the grade you are appointed to, not your nationality or where you currently work — a doctor placed at a given grade is paid the same as anyone else at that grade. NHS pay levels differ from Gulf packages (which often include allowances and are tax-free), so review the scales before assuming.
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 United Arab Emirates → 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 UAE-based doctors — the exact papers to gather, in sequence — kept up to date.
A UAE-based doctor’s UK route runs primary qualification → confirm GMC route (PLAB or accepted postgraduate qualification) → English evidence → Certificates of Good Standing (UAE authority + country of training) → 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 United Arab Emirates → UK document checklist
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Practical notes for UAE-based doctors
- Your UK route is determined by where you went to medical school, not by your UAE licence — identify your primary medical qualification first, then confirm the GMC route for it.
- Because Gulf doctors are usually licensed both at home and in the UAE, list every regulator you have held a licence with so you can request each Certificate of Good Standing without delay.
- Many doctors working in the Gulf trained in another country. Both the GMC and the WHO Code of Practice look at where you originally qualified, so if you trained in a country on the WHO 2023 Safeguards List, that is the status that applies to you — confirm your own position before relying on this page. Gera does not actively recruit from any WHO-safeguard-list country.
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
I work in the UAE — does the GMC assess my UAE licence?
No. The GMC assesses your primary medical qualification — where you went to medical school — not your UAE (DoH, DHA or MOHAP) licence. Your UK route depends on that primary qualification, so confirm it on gmc-uk.org before planning.
How many Certificates of Good Standing do UAE-based doctors need?
Usually several: one from your UAE health authority and one from the regulator in your country of training, plus one from any other regulator you have held a licence with in the last five years. Gulf-based applicants commonly need three or more, so request them all early.
Is the United Arab Emirates on the UK "red list"?
No. The UAE is not on the WHO 2023 Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List. However, the WHO Code looks at your country of training, so if you originally qualified in a country on that list, that status applies to you. Gera provides information only and does not actively recruit — individuals apply directly, of their own accord.
Do I still need PLAB if I hold MRCP or MRCS?
Possibly not. Where you hold a UK Royal College membership or another postgraduate qualification the GMC accepts, it may support a route that does not require PLAB. The GMC assesses your qualifications and confirms your route — check your position on gmc-uk.org before booking.
UK registration guides for doctors from other countries
- Doctors from Iraq
- 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 United Arab Emirates?
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 United Arab EmiratesKeep 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.