General Medical Council (GMC): Registration, PLAB and Fees 2026

If you want to practise medicine in the United Kingdom, every route ends at the same place: the General Medical Council (GMC). The GMC decides who joins the medical register, who holds a licence to practise, and which exams and qualifications count. For international medical graduates (IMGs), the GMC also runs the PLAB test.

This page explains what the GMC is, how registration and licensing work, which assessments it runs, the main routes for doctors who qualified abroad, and what it costs in 2026. Fees change every April.

Key facts

What the GMC does

The GMC's purpose is to protect the public. It is responsible for the education, registration and revalidation of doctors. In practice that covers four areas:

• Registration and licensing. The GMC decides who can join the register and who holds a licence to practise.
• Education standards. It sets standards for UK medical schools and postgraduate training and runs the Medical Licensing Assessment framework.
• Professional standards. It publishes the guidance doctors are expected to follow, and investigates concerns about a doctor's fitness to practise.
• Revalidation. Licensed doctors have to revalidate regularly to keep their licence.

Since 13 December 2024 the GMC also regulates physician associates and anaesthesia associates. From December 2026 it will be an offence to practise as a PA or AA in the UK without registration.

Registration and the licence to practise

Being registered and being licensed are not the same thing. Registration shows that you hold recognised qualifications and are on the GMC's list. The licence to practise is what legally allows you to carry out activities such as prescribing or working as a doctor in the NHS. The GMC charges different annual fees depending on whether you hold a licence:

• annual fee with a licence: £481 (from 1 April 2026);
• annual fee for registration without a licence: £172.

There are two broad types of registration for doctors:

• Provisional registration is for newly qualified doctors who still need to complete the first year of the Foundation Programme. The application fee is £26 from April 2026.
• Full registration is for doctors who have completed that first year or an accepted equivalent. Most IMGs apply directly for full registration with a licence.

Anyone can check a doctor's status on the GMC's online register. Employers use the register too, so make sure your details are correct once you join.

Assessments the GMC runs

For doctors who qualified outside the UK, the main GMC assessment is the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) test:

• PLAB 1 is a written knowledge exam. The GMC states that it meets the requirements of the MLA Applied Knowledge Test (AKT). Our PLAB 1 guide covers the format, dates and attempt rules.
• PLAB 2 is a practical clinical assessment, which the GMC aligns with the MLA Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA). See the PLAB 2 guide.

UK medical students sit the MLA itself through their medical schools. IMGs on the PLAB route do not sit the AKT; PLAB 1 is its equivalent. If you are preparing for PLAB 1, MediFlow's UK PLAB 1 course has free practice questions written against the MLA content map.

Routes for international medical graduates

The GMC offers several ways for doctors who qualified abroad to show they have the knowledge and skills to practise safely in the UK:

1. PLAB. Pass PLAB 1 and then PLAB 2, then apply for registration with a licence. This is the most common route for doctors without a UK-recognised postgraduate qualification.
2. Acceptable postgraduate qualification. Some postgraduate qualifications are accepted instead of PLAB. Only qualifications on the GMC's accepted list count.
3. Sponsorship. An approved sponsoring body can sponsor your application. Sponsored applicants still have to meet the English language requirements with the academic IELTS or OET Medicine.
4. Specialist and GP registration. Doctors who want to join the specialist or GP register have their own application routes on the GMC website.

Whichever route you choose, you also need a primary medical qualification the GMC accepts and evidence of your knowledge of English.

English language requirements

The GMC lists several ways to show your English:

• IELTS (Academic): 7.0 in each of the four skills and 7.5 overall, in a single sitting.
• OET (Medicine): grade B in each of the four skills.
• Primary medical qualification taught and examined in English, subject to the GMC's conditions.
• Employer reference from a UK employer that has offered you a job, in specific circumstances.

A PLAB 2 pass taken less than three months before applying can count, as can an IELTS or OET result less than three years old at the time of applying.

Fees (stand October 2026)

The GMC's fees for doctors went up on 1 April 2026:

The fixed-term discount applies to newly qualified doctors and to doctors moving from provisional to full registration. The GMC also offers a 50% discount on annual fees for doctors whose worldwide income is below its income discount threshold. You can pay the annual fee in full, quarterly or in monthly direct debit instalments.

Typical mistakes

• Booking PLAB before checking your English. You need an accepted English result before you can book. Check the score and validity rules first.
• Confusing registration with a licence. Without a licence you cannot practise, even if you are registered.
• Using old fee figures. Fees change every April; budget with the current table.
• Ignoring other routes. If you hold an accepted postgraduate qualification or have a sponsor, PLAB may not be necessary.

Next steps

1. Confirm your route on the GMC's registration pages.
2. Arrange your English evidence (IELTS or OET).
3. Read our PLAB 1 guide and PLAB 2 guide.
4. Compare life and training in the NHS in Working as a doctor in the UK.

Contact and official links

• Website: gmc-uk.org
• Registration fees: GMC fees for doctors
• PLAB: A guide to the PLAB test
• English: Evidence of your knowledge of English
• Register: Our registers

Contact details are listed on the GMC website.