Pathway guide / Is Australia right for me?

Is Australia right for me?

A big move deserves a clear picture before you spend anything. Here is who can take this road, which route fits your training, what it costs, how long it takes and what the first years are really like.

Who can take this road

To practise in Australia as a doctor trained overseas, you need:

A primary medical degree in medicine and surgery from a medical school recognised by both the AMC and the World Directory of Medical Schools. The AMC lets you check your school, degree title and graduation year before you apply.
A completed internship, or training the Medical Board accepts as comparable. If you have not finished one, you would need an accredited internship in Australia, and the Board itself says those positions can be hard to get.
An English test result at the Board's level by the time you apply for registration. The scores for OET, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT changed on 23 April 2026; the registration step lists them.
A job in Australia that the Medical Board approves, with a supervisor, before you can start work.

Official: AMC: how to apply · Medical Board: standard pathway

Which pathway is yours

Pathway	Usually for	What it involves
Standard	Doctors whose training does not fit the other pathways. This is the usual route for doctors trained in Nigeria, India, Pakistan, the Philippines and many other countries.	The AMC MCQ, then the AMC clinical exam or a workplace-based assessment, then 12 months of supervised practice.
Competent authority	Doctors who trained or passed exams under the UK's GMC (including PLAB), the Medical Council of Canada, the US ECFMG or NBOME, the Medical Council of New Zealand (including NZREX), or the Medical Council of Ireland, with the required experience.	No AMC exams. Provisional registration and 12 months of supervised practice in Australia.
Specialist	Specialists trained overseas, such as consultants and GPs.	An assessment by the relevant Australian specialist college, or the expedited specialist pathway for some qualifications.

Each competent authority has its own categories and experience rules. If you might fit one, read the Board's eligibility criteria before choosing the standard pathway.

Official: Medical Board: competent authority pathway

What it costs

These are the official fees for the standard pathway.

Naira amounts are estimates. The fees are charged in Australian and US dollars, so what you pay in naira moves with the exchange rate. The ranges allow 10% either side of the rates on 22 October 2026 (₦960 to A$1, ₦1,340 to US$1). Your bank's rate on the day you pay decides the real amount.

Fee and official amount	Estimate in naira
Step 1 MyIntealth account and identity check (ECFMG) US$110	₦130,000 to ₦160,000
Step 1 EPIC portfolio (ECFMG) US$35	₦42,000 to ₦52,000
Step 1 Verification of your degree (ECFMG) US$110	₦130,000 to ₦160,000
Step 2 AMC initial portfolio, with one qualification A$642	₦550,000 to ₦680,000
Step 4 AMC CAT MCQ A$2,920	₦2,520,000 to ₦3,080,000
Step 5 AMC clinical exam, in person in Australia A$3,000	₦2,590,000 to ₦3,170,000
Step 5 or the clinical exam online A$3,400	₦2,940,000 to ₦3,590,000
Step 5 or a workplace-based assessment, once registered A$1,070	₦920,000 to ₦1,130,000
Step 6 Provisional registration: application fee A$773	₦670,000 to ₦820,000
Step 6 Provisional registration: registration fee A$543	₦470,000 to ₦570,000
Later General registration, after supervised practice: application fee plus registration fee A$2,763	₦2,390,000 to ₦2,920,000

Up to your first registration, with the clinical exam in person, the official fees come to A$7,878 plus US$255, roughly ₦7.1 million to ₦8.7 million. With the clinical exam online, roughly ₦7.5 million to ₦9.1 million.

On top of that, budget for:

Your English test, and a second sitting if you need one.
Travel, a visa and accommodation if you sit an exam outside your own city or country.
A resit fee if you do not pass an exam the first time. Each attempt costs the full fee again.
Your Australian visa, flights and the first weeks of rent before your first salary.

Fees at 22 October 2026. Limited registration, which some doctors start on, has different fees (A$1,131 to apply and A$1,102 a year).

Official: AMC fees · ECFMG verification fees · Medical Board fees

How long it takes

Some parts of the journey run on fixed timings. Others depend on you, your medical school and the job market.

Step	Typical time
MyIntealth ID from ECFMG	Usually within 3 business days
Verification of your degree	Depends on how quickly your medical school replies. Start early.
AMC review of your initial portfolio	Within 5 AMC business days
Preparing for the MCQ	Up to you. Many doctors plan around six months of steady study alongside work.
MCQ results	At 4.00pm on the Friday three weeks after the exam, in your AMC account
Clinical exam or workplace-based assessment	Depends on available dates, your preparation and, for an assessment, a position
Finding a job	Varies widely
Registration	Apply at least 3 months before your start date (up to 6 months ahead)
Supervised practice	12 months (at least 47 weeks full time), then general registration

Put together, most doctors should expect the journey to take a few years from first step to general registration, not a few months. The planner helps you sketch your own timeline.

An honest look at life as an international medical graduate

You start under supervision. Your first year is supervised practice, with reports to the Board at three months and before general registration. You need a Board-approved position and supervisor before you begin.
Your first job may not be in a big city. Many positions open to doctors on these pathways are in regional areas or are "area of need" roles. Be ready to go where the jobs are, at least at first.
General practice has extra rules. If you want to work in general practice and bill Medicare, a 10-year moratorium generally means working in a priority area, often outside the major cities. Working in more remote areas can shorten it. If you plan to work in general practice before getting general registration, you also need a pre-employment structured clinical interview (PESCI).
Your visa is usually tied to an employer. Doctors moving for a job often come on an employer-sponsored visa, such as the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa. The Medical Board's advice is to apply for your visa only once Ahpra has granted your registration.
Learning never stops. Registered doctors need a CPD home and 50 hours of continuing professional development every year, and registration is renewed each year.
It is a real investment. Exams, registration and the move cost millions of naira before your first salary, and resits cost the full fee again. A realistic budget and a steady study plan protect that investment.
The rules are being reviewed. In 2026 the Medical Board consulted on updating the standard and competent authority pathways, including new orientation and cultural safety requirements before general registration. Keep an eye on the Board's news page.

Official: Department of Health: the 10-year moratorium · Medical Board: standard pathway

Ready to sketch your own plan?

Get a checklist, a cost estimate at today's exchange rate and a rough timeline you can print.

Get the free planner

When you are ready to study for the MCQ, AM Vault can help. See how it works.

General information to help you plan, not immigration or legal advice. The official AMC, Medical Board, Ahpra and Department of Home Affairs pages always come first. AM Vault is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Australian Medical Council, the Medical Board of Australia or Ahpra.