Eligibility

This page explains the requirements you must meet if you wish to apply to come to the United Kingdom as a postgraduate doctor or dentist.

If you are currently in the United Kingdom under a different immigration category you should also read the information on switching.

In order to come to the United Kingdom as a postgraduate doctor or dentist you must:

have successfully completed and obtained a recognised United Kingdom degree in medicine or dentistry within the last 12 months from either:
a publicly funded institute of further or higher education; or
a genuine private institution which maintains satisfactory records of enrolment and attendance; and
have previously been granted permission to enter and stay in the United Kingdom:
for the final academic year of the studies referred to above; and
as a student for at least one other academic year of the studies referred to above; and
hold a letter from the Postgraduate Dean confirming you have a full-time place on a recognised Foundation Programme; and
intend to train full-time on the Foundation Programme; and
be able to maintain and accommodate yourself and any dependants without the use of public funds; and
intend to leave the United Kingdom when your permission to stay expires, unless you have been given permission to stay as:
a doctor or dentist undertaking a clinical attachment or dental observation post;
a work permit holder;
a highly skilled migrant or a tier 1 migrant;
a person intending to establish themselves in business;
an innovator; and
provide the written consent of your sponsor to enter or remain in the United Kingdom as a postgraduate doctor or dentist if your study at medical or dental school, or any subsequent study was sponsored by a government or international scholarship agency; and
hold a valid entry clearance for entry under this category 

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On 7th March 2006 the Department of Health announced changes to the imiigration rules relating to postgraduate doctors and dentists. These changes, which came into effect on 3 rd April 2006, state that doctors will no longer be able to undertake training posts on permit free postgraduate training status. Instead, they will need to meet the requirements of another employment category, in most cases the work permit provisions.

Work permits are obtained by the employing NHS trust and under the work permit rules an employer must demonstrate that a genuine vacancy exists which cannot be filled by a suitably qualified or experienced UK or EEA national.

For doctors who are already working under permit free postgraduate training status any existing leave will continue on the current conditions. This means that they are free to continue their current post and take up any other relevant training posts until their leave under permit free training status expires.

The Department of Health has agreed transitional arrangements with the Home Office to cover those doctors who are in training programmes which will continue beyond the date on which their existing permit free training status expires. In addition these transitional arrangements are applicable to doctors who have been offered a post before the announcement was made on 7 March 2006 and whose post will start on or before 4 August 2006 . These doctors will be able to switch into work permit employment without their employer having to re-advertise the post and demonstrate that there is no suitably qualified UK/EEA candidate.


The one exception to these new provisions applies to non-EEA nationals who have trained at a UK medical school. They will be granted two years of permit-free training to complete the two year foundation programme so that they can acquire full registration with the GMC. Upon completion of the foundation programme, they will need to meet the requirements of another employment category, in most cases the work permit provisions.