Many UK bodies accept a translation with a signed statement of accuracy. The GMC's guide for international medical graduates asks for three things for every document not in English: "a photocopy of the original document", "a photocopy of the original document stamped and signed by the translation service" and "a complete and accurate English translation of the original document also stamped and signed by the translation service."
A translation that is signed but not stamped does not match that wording. For specialist and GP portfolio applications the GMC is blunter: evidence not translated as required "will be returned to you."
Below: the documents, the GMC's translation rules and ECFMG's separate ones for EPIC, the validity windows, 2026 fees and the visa documents that follow.
Which documents does the GMC need from international medical graduates?
The GMC's guide covers doctors who "graduated from a medical school outside the UK or Switzerland". The evidence, section by section:
| Evidence | What the GMC asks for | Who sends it | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary medical qualification | A scan of "the decorative primary medical qualification certificate", the same document you sent for verification, showing "the exact date you passed your final exam or assessment" | You; verified by ECFMG through EPIC | Yes, if not in English |
| Internship | "a certificate or letter of completion from your institution" giving "dates and specialties of your rotations" | You | Yes |
| English | IELTS Academic, 7.5 overall and 7.0 in each area in the same test, or OET Medicine with grade B in each sub-test | Verified with the test provider | Issued in English |
| Knowledge and skills | Both parts of PLAB, or another accepted route | GMC records for PLAB; you for other routes | Any certificate not in English |
| Certificate of good standing | One from each regulator you were registered or licensed with in the last five years, "even if you've not worked in that country" | The regulator, by email to the GMC where possible | If not in English |
| Last five years | Every post, gap and country of registration; GMC reference forms for non-medical or unregistered work and attachments over two months | Your employer, from an official workplace email | The GMC's own form |
| Identity | Passport, and an identity check through the Digidentity Wallet app before registration is granted | You | No |
If your PMQ certificate does not show the exact date of your final exam, add a letter from your university confirming it, translated if it is not in English.
What counts as an internship?
At least "12 months' continuous medical practice in an approved training post in a public hospital", completed immediately before or after graduation. It must include at least three months in medicine and three in surgery, lasting 12 to 18 months, or at least six months of each, lasting 18 months or longer. Without an internship, the GMC accepts two years' continuous practice after graduation, supervised, in a public hospital, with at least three months each of medicine and surgery, shown in "a letter from the hospital on letter headed paper".
Translate these documents line by line: the GMC counts rotations, specialties and dates, and a summary gives it nothing to count.
PLAB and the other routes
International graduates usually take the PLAB test: part 1 is "a written exam made up of 180 multiple choice questions" answered in three hours, and part 2 an objective structured clinical exam of 16 scenarios. "Your application must be approved within two years of passing part 2 of the test."
Other routes exist for some doctors: an acceptable postgraduate qualification, sponsorship, or passes in certain overseas registration exams (USMLE, MCCQE or AMC, with dates and attempt limits the GMC sets out).
What are the GMC's translation requirements?
For every document not in English, the GMC asks for the three items quoted above, and "All translations must include the contact details of the translation service or translator." On who should translate: "We strongly advise your translations are done by" either "court or council appointed translators" or "reputable commercial translation services". Before using a commercial service, "you should check that" it has "a generally recognised professional accreditation" or "a membership with a relevant professional or trade association."
The GMC names three UK associations, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, the Chartered Institute of Linguists and the Association of Translation Companies, and notes that all three "provide online directories of their members". For specialist and GP portfolio applications it adds: "we need to see an original stamp and signature from the translation service you have used."
Before ordering, ask the translator whether they will stamp and sign a photocopy of your original as well as the translation, and what accreditation or membership they hold.
How does EPIC verification work, and do EPIC uploads need translating?
EPIC is the primary source verification service of ECFMG, a division of Intealth. The GMC's steps:
- Create a MyIntealth account and confirm your identity with ECFMG.
- Set up an EPIC Portfolio and upload your qualification, selecting the GMC "to receive an EPIC report".
- ECFMG checks the qualification with your awarding institution, then confirms the result to the GMC.
- Give your MyIntealth ID in your GMC application.
The PMQ to verify is "your final medical diploma". The GMC does not need transcripts or pre-graduate internships verified, and ECFMG says a certificate of good standing should not go through EPIC: "this should be sent directly to the GMC."
ECFMG has its own translation rules. "Any document you upload to EPIC that is not in English must be accompanied by an English translation" that is:
- "a word-for-word translation of the original language document";
- prepared "from the original document or a photocopy of the original document", never from a transcription;
- prepared by a government official, a medical school official or "a professional translation service";
- signed, with the title of the official or translation service representative "and, if there is one, the seal";
- on letterhead that, for a private company, identifies it "as a translation service";
- accompanied by "a certification statement, in English," certifying that the translation is correct.
Applicants "are not permitted to translate their own documents." Because the GMC wants the PMQ scan to be "the same document that you sent to be independently verified", use one scan and one translation that meet both ECFMG's rules and the GMC's.
Start early. The GMC recommends starting verification "as early as possible" and warns: "We can only keep applications open for 90 days."
How long do GMC documents stay valid, and what does registration cost?
Several clocks run at once, and any of them can force you to start a document again:
| Document | Validity rule |
|---|---|
| Certificate of good standing | "only valid for three months from the date it's signed" and must be valid when the GMC approves your application |
| IELTS or OET certificate | Valid for two years, and must be valid when the GMC approves your application |
| PLAB part 2 | Application approved within two years of passing |
| Employer reference form for a current post | Valid for three months from the date it is signed |
| Your GMC application | Information valid for three months, "the maximum we can keep your application open" |
Attach every document as a PDF before you submit, because the application cannot be edited afterwards. The GMC aims to make an initial assessment within five working days.
GMC fees from 1 April 2026 are £283 for PLAB part 1, £1,036 for part 2 and £481 for full registration with a licence to practise, plus a £110 scrutiny fee if an application is refused, closed or withdrawn. The specialist or GP portfolio pathway costs £1,974.
What do doctors need for the Health and Care Worker visa?
The visa has its own document list, and the Home Office translation rule applies to it, not the GMC's. GOV.UK's Health and Care Worker page asks for your certificate of sponsorship, passport and, if you are applying from outside the UK, "a criminal record certificate" for most jobs, doctors included, from each country where the rules require one. "If your documents are not in English or Welsh you'll also need to provide a certified translation."
English is usually settled already: doctors "do not need to prove" their knowledge of English for the visa "if you've already passed an English Language assessment that is accepted by the relevant regulated professional body." Partners and children applying as dependants need evidence of the relationship, typically marriage and birth certificates. See our guides to police certificate translation and marriage certificate translation, and the Skilled Worker visa guide.
Why GMC applications are delayed or returned
- A translation without the stamped photocopy of the original.
- An internship certificate translated without its rotations, dates and specialties.
- A PMQ certificate with no exact pass date and no university letter.
- Different scans uploaded to EPIC and to the GMC.
- A certificate of good standing that expires before approval.
- A regulator left out because you never worked in that country.
- Reference forms from a personal email account instead of an official workplace address.
- A self-made translation, which ECFMG refuses outright.
Checklist: GMC registration documents
Questions people ask
Who can translate documents for GMC registration?
The GMC strongly advises court or council appointed translators or reputable commercial translation services, and says to check that a commercial service has a generally recognised professional accreditation or membership of a relevant professional or trade association. Whoever you choose must stamp and sign both a photocopy of the original and the English translation, and show their contact details.
Does the GMC accept a translation that is signed but not stamped?
Its guide for international medical graduates says the photocopy of the original and the English translation must both be stamped and signed by the translation service, and for portfolio applications it wants to see an original stamp and signature. Confirm that your translator can stamp before you order.
Do documents for EPIC need their own translation?
EPIC needs an English translation with any document not in English, meeting ECFMG's rules: word for word, from the original or a photocopy, on a translation service's letterhead, signed, with a certification statement in English. Use one translation that satisfies both ECFMG and the GMC, because the GMC wants the same PMQ document you sent for verification.
Can I translate my own documents for the GMC?
Not for EPIC: ECFMG says applicants are not permitted to translate their own documents. The GMC expects translations stamped and signed by a translation service, so a translation you make yourself does not meet its requirements either.
Does the GMC need notarised translations?
The GMC's translation guidance does not mention notarisation; it asks for stamped and signed documents from a translation service. ECFMG goes further and refuses translations prepared by a notary who is not a government or medical school official or a representative of a professional translation service.
How long is a certificate of good standing valid for the GMC?
Three months from the date it is signed, and it must still be valid when the GMC approves your application. Ask each regulator to email it to the GMC directly where possible, and request it once the rest of your evidence is ready.
What IELTS or OET score does the GMC require?
IELTS Academic, including UKVI, with at least 7.5 overall and 7.0 in each area, in the same test and your most recent sitting, or OET Medicine with grade B in each sub-test. Both certificates are valid for two years and must be valid when the GMC approves your registration.
Do I need to prove my English again for the Health and Care Worker visa?
Not usually. GOV.UK says doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives do not need to prove their knowledge of English if they have already passed an English language assessment accepted by their regulator. Other visa documents not in English or Welsh still need a certified translation.
