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IMG hub — becoming & working as a GP in Australia
If you trained overseas and you’re heading into Australian general practice, the information you need is scattered across AHPRA, the Medical Board, the AMC, two GP colleges and Services Australia. This page pulls the pieces together: how registration and exams work, the routes to becoming a GP, and what to know about the moratorium, provider numbers, billing, cover and locum work once you’re here. Every link below is free and ad-supported — we don’t take placement fees from agencies, colleges or indemnity providers.
Did you train or qualify through a recognised competent authority?
GMC (UK) · Medical Council of Ireland · USMLE / COMLEX (USA) · LMCC (Canada) · NZREX (New Zealand)
Expedited Specialist Pathway (GP)
Likely your fastest route. You may be able to apply directly to the Medical Board for specialist registration in general practice — without RACGP or ACRRM fellowship first. Expect around six months of supervised practice, cultural safety education, orientation and workplace-based assessments. The 10-year moratorium still applies, and you can apply for RACGP Fellowship afterwards. Check your exact qualification against the Board’s accepted-qualifications list.
The relevant college assesses your overseas GP training for comparability to an Australian GP — the outcome may be substantially, partially or not comparable, with requirements set accordingly. If you’re on the Specialist pathway, RACGP’s fellowship route for you is the Practice Experience Program – Specialist (PEP SP); ACRRM has its own process.
Because you trained or qualified through a recognised competent authority, you can usually gain general registration without sitting AMC exams, after a period of supervised practice (about 6–12 months). That registers you as a doctor; to become a specialist GP you would then complete a fellowship program — with RACGP that’s the AGPT program, RVTS or the Fellowship Support Program (FSP), or you can fellowship with ACRRM.
The most common route. Pass the AMC CAT MCQ exam and the AMC Clinical Examination (or a Workplace-Based Assessment), then complete about 12 months of supervised practice for general registration. To become a specialist GP you would then complete a fellowship program — with RACGP that’s the AGPT program, RVTS or the Fellowship Support Program (FSP), or you can fellowship with ACRRM.
Guide only — this does not determine your eligibility. All routes also need English proficiency (e.g. IELTS Academic 7 in each band, or OET / PTE / TOEFL equivalents), identity and criminal-history checks, and recency of practice. Once you bill Medicare, the 10-year moratorium and Distribution Priority Area rules usually apply. Confirm your pathway with AHPRA, the Medical Board, the AMC and the relevant college. Sources: Medical Board of Australia, Australian Medical Council, RACGP, ACRRM (links above).
Pathways and rules change — check the source before you act. Registration routes, exam requirements and the expedited specialist pathway have all shifted in 2024–2026. We keep the summaries here deliberately brief and link out to the official bodies; always confirm your own situation with AHPRA, the Medical Board and the relevant college before booking exams or accepting a role. This page is general information, not advice on your individual pathway.
In short: the Standard Pathway is for IMGs without recognised specialist or competent-authority training (AMC exams plus 12 months supervised practice for general registration); the Competent Authority Pathway is the faster route for doctors with recognised training in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada or New Zealand; and the Specialist Pathway assesses overseas specialists, including GPs, for comparability. Confirm your route on the AMC site.
The Expedited Specialist pathway opened to general practice on 21 October 2024 for doctors holding certain GP qualifications from Ireland, New Zealand or the United Kingdom. It allows direct application for specialist registration with the Medical Board without first gaining RACGP or ACRRM fellowship, and involves around six months of supervised practice. The 10-year moratorium still applies, and you can apply for RACGP fellowship afterward. Eligibility is decided by the Medical Board — check the official page.
Skin cancer detection is one of the most AU-specific skills for IMGs — high UV exposure, screening culture, and dermoscopy expectations differ from most home countries.
How we keep this neutral. The agencies, colleges, indemnity providers and CPD homes listed here actively court IMGs — so to be clear: nothing on this page is paid placement, inclusion is never endorsement, and items are ordered without ranking. The site is funded by display ads, not by the organisations listed. See our editorial independence policy.
📤 For your supervisor — GPSA's IMG supervision guide
Many supervisors haven't supervised an IMG before and may not know the specific teaching considerations — language, cultural transition, system orientation, formative feedback. General Practice Supervision Australia (GPSA), the peak body for GP supervision, has a dedicated IMG supervision guide you can share with your practice:
These are free GPSA resources. Sharing them with your supervisor early can shape a more structured supervision experience — especially helpful if it's their first IMG registrar.
✨ New for 2026
If you're on AGPT, you're eligible for the training incentive payments
Being an IMG doesn't disqualify you. If you're on AGPT, the $30,000 salary incentive (starting PCT1) and the study & parental leave incentives all apply.
The IMG pathway can be isolating — new country, new system, new colleagues, high stakes. You don't need to be in crisis to reach out.
Support & Wellbeing — crisis lines, training contacts, peer networks, and practical tips for registrars and IMGs.
Or call Drs4Drs now: 1300 374 377 (24/7, free, confidential, for all doctors).