Can a UK GP Work in Australia Without Sitting Exams?

If you are a UK GP considering a move to Australia, the question that decides everything is usually: do I have to re-sit exams? For most UK general practitioners in 2026 the answer is no. The Expedited Specialist Pathway lets eligible UK GPs apply directly for specialist registration with the Medical Board of Australia, skipping the Australian Medical Council (AMC) exams and the multi-year college comparability assessment that the route used to require.

Who qualifies for the expedited pathway

The Expedited Specialist Pathway opened to general practitioners first, in 2024, and is one of the fastest specialist migration routes in the world right now. You are generally eligible if you:

• Hold current General Medical Council (GMC) registration with a licence to practise;
• Hold Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP); and
• Hold a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in general practice.

Australia recognises the UK as a “comparable” training country for general practice, which is what makes the shortcut possible. If you trained outside the UK or do not hold MRCGP and a CCT, you may still have options, but you would likely fall under a different, longer pathway.

What you skip — and what you still do

You skip the AMC exams entirely, and you skip the traditional Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) comparability process that could take years. What remains is far lighter:

1. Secure a job offer from an Australian employer (registration is tied to an approved position).
2. Apply to the Medical Board of Australia, through AHPRA, for specialist registration under the expedited pathway.
3. Complete a period of supervised practice — typically around six months — plus orientation to the Australian healthcare system.
4. Convert to unconditional specialist registration once supervision is signed off.

How long does it take?

From job offer to landing, most UK GPs should plan for roughly three to six months of paperwork before they start, then about six months of supervised practice on arrival. Apply for registration three to six months ahead of your intended start date, because document verification and visa processing run in parallel and the timelines stack up quickly.

The catch worth knowing

This pathway is generous partly because Australia has an acute shortage of GPs, especially in regional and rural areas. That demand is also why employer sponsorship and visa approval tend to move fast. But policy settings can change, so if you are seriously considering the move, the sensible play is to start the process while the expedited route is open rather than waiting for a “perfect” time.

Next steps

Read our full AHPRA registration guide for the doctor and specialist pathways side by side, check the live recruitment routes for current GP campaigns, and see the visa guide for how employer sponsorship and the route to permanent residency work.