Your path to practising medicine in the UK

A plain guide for doctors trained overseas who are thinking about the UK. What each step involves, what it costs and how long it takes, with a link to the official GMC page every time.

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The journey, from first thought to your first job

Most doctors who qualified outside the UK, the EEA and Switzerland join the UK register through the PLAB test. These are its steps, in the order most doctors take them.

Show your EnglishUsually IELTS or OET. The GMC has to verify it before you can book PLAB 1.Set by the test
Open your GMC Online accountWhere you show your medical qualification is acceptable, book your tests and see your results.No fee listed
Book and sit PLAB 1180 questions in three hours, in the UK or at an overseas venue.£283
Pass PLAB 2 in Manchester16 clinical scenarios of eight minutes each, within two years of passing PLAB 1.£1,036
Get your degree verifiedECFMG checks it with your medical school, through its EPIC service, before the GMC registers you.ECFMG fees
Register with a licence to practiseYour application must be approved within two years of passing PLAB 2.£481
Find a job and get your visaThen start work as a doctor in the UK.Visa costs vary

Is the UK right for me?Who can take this road, whether PLAB is your route, the real costs and how long each part takes. The steps in detailWhat each step involves, what it costs, how long it takes and the mistakes that slow people down.

The official fees at a glance

These are the GMC's fees from 1 April 2026, from PLAB 1 to your first registration.

Naira amounts are estimates. The GMC charges in pounds, so what you pay in naira moves with the exchange rate. The ranges allow 10% either side of the rate on 13 November 2026 (₦1,836 to £1). Your bank's rate on the day you pay decides the real amount.

Fee and official amount	Estimate in naira
PLAB 1 £283	₦470,000 to ₦570,000
PLAB 2 £1,036	₦1,710,000 to ₦2,090,000
Application for full registration with a licence to practise £481	₦790,000 to ₦970,000
Total £1,800	₦3.0 million to ₦3.6 million

Not included: your English test, ECFMG's verification fees, travel to the UK for PLAB 2, a resit if you need one, your visa, flights and the cost of settling in. The planner lets you add those and use today's exchange rate.

Plan your own journey

Tell us where you are, and get a checklist, a cost estimate and a timeline you can print. We will also send you a short email each week about the next step.

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When you reach PLAB 1, PLAB Vault can help you prepare, with a four-month plan of lessons, flashcards and exam-format questions. See how it works.

General information to help you plan, not immigration or legal advice. The official GMC pages always come first, and fees and rules change, so check them before you pay for anything. PLAB Vault is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the General Medical Council.