To hold general registration with AHPRA as an overseas-trained doctor you need: (1) a primary medical qualification recognised through one of the Medical Board's three pathways, (2) a completed period of supervised practice or internship on provisional or limited registration, and (3) the registration standards every applicant meets: English language, criminal history, recency of practice, continuing professional development, professional indemnity insurance and identity. Certificates of good standing from every regulator you have been registered with, and the registration fee, complete the application.
This article explains each requirement, how the four types of registration fit together, and how the requirements differ by pathway. It is about eligibility. If you are already eligible and want the list of documents to upload, see what documents you need for an AHPRA application.
Who sets the requirements
Two bodies share the work. The Medical Board of Australia writes the registration standards and decides applications; AHPRA, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, administers the process and keeps the public register. When people say "AHPRA requirements" they mean the Board's registration standards applied through AHPRA. The Board's own summary is the registration standards page ↗.
The types of registration, and why general registration comes last
| Type | What it allows | Who holds it |
|---|---|---|
| Provisional | Practice under an approved supervisor, in an approved position, with progress reports | Competent Authority doctors during their supervised year; Standard pathway doctors who hold the AMC Certificate, during supervised practice |
| Limited | Practice for a defined purpose and period: Area of Need positions, postgraduate training, teaching or research | Standard pathway doctors with the AMC CAT MCQ (postgraduate training or supervised practice, including workplace-based assessment, or Area of Need roles); some Specialist pathway doctors during assessment |
| General | Full, unrestricted registration to practise medicine in Australia | Any doctor who has completed the supervised requirements and meets the standards |
| Specialist | Registration in a recognised specialty (general practice is one) | Doctors whose specialist qualification has been recognised through the Specialist pathway or an Australian fellowship; on the Expedited Specialist pathway it is granted directly, with conditions (about six months supervised) |
For an international medical graduate, general registration is the end of a sequence, not the starting application. You first obtain provisional or limited registration, complete the supervised requirement, and then apply to convert. AHPRA assesses a complete general registration application in about 6–8 weeks. See how to move from provisional to general registration for the conversion step itself.
Source: Medical Board — types of medical registration ↗
Requirement 1: a qualification recognised through a pathway
The Board does not assess overseas degrees one by one. It recognises them through three pathways, and your training decides which applies:
- Competent Authority pathway: you passed a recognised examination or course from the UK, Ireland, the United States, Canada or New Zealand, plus the supervised experience that goes with it. No AMC examinations. See the Competent Authority pathway explained.
- Standard pathway: everyone else. You pass the AMC CAT MCQ examination, then complete the AMC clinical examination or a workplace-based assessment to earn the AMC Certificate. See the AMC Standard pathway guide.
- Specialist pathway: you hold a completed overseas specialist qualification and want specialist registration. See the Specialist pathway explained.
Whichever pathway applies, your primary qualification must be verified at source through ECFMG's verification service before the Board will assess it, and it must come from a medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools. Verification is slow and should be started first. Use the eligibility check if you are not sure which pathway you are on.
Source: AHPRA registration for overseas practitioners ↗
Requirement 2: supervised practice
Every pathway includes a supervised period before general registration, on provisional or limited registration:
- Competent Authority: 12 months of supervised practice, a minimum of 47 weeks full-time equivalent, with supervisor progress reports to the Board. For GPs this is usually Level 3 supervision, meaning you consult independently and bill Medicare with a supervisor available. The period cannot be shortened below 12 months.
- Standard pathway: 12 months of supervised practice, a minimum of 47 weeks full-time equivalent, in a Board-approved position, plus the AMC clinical exam or workplace-based assessment for the AMC Certificate. This is not an intern year: you must already have completed an internship or comparable.
- Specialist pathway: a period of oversight set by the Board or the assessing college, commonly up to 12 months for a substantially comparable specialist.
The position, the supervisor and any change to either must be approved by the Board. Losing your supervisor mid-year pauses the clock, which is the most common way the supervised period stretches past 12 months.