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Physician profession data by country

Where physician is a regulated profession, how foreign qualifications are recognised and which shortage lists name it, country by country, from official registers.

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39 countries have an official record for physician: 39 regulate it and 27 name it on a shortage list. Comparable country-level profession salaries are not published here, so a best-paying destination cannot yet be named.

Countries
39
Regulated in
39
On a shortage list in
27

Country by country

Open a country for its full record and sources. A dash means the register has no entry for that field.

CountryRegulationRecognition routeShortage list
AustraliaRegulatedFor eligible applicants under the Competent Authority pathway: apply for provisional registration, complete 12 months of supervised practice, then apply for general registration if all requirements are met.Medical Board of Australia, administered by Ahpra.Listed2025 Occupation Shortage List (ANZSCO 2022)
AustriaRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Use EEA or third-country recognition route and separately apply for Medical Chamber list entry.Austrian Medical Chamber for Ärzteliste entry; recognition body depends on qualification origin.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
BelgiumRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. EEA/Swiss diploma: apply to a Community for recognition, then provide documents for the federal visa; specialty recognition is a later Community step. Non-EEA diploma: first obtain Community academic equivalence, then seek the federal visa and applicable specialty recognition.The relevant Community recognises the basic qualification and specialisation; FPS Public Health issues the practice visa. Registration with the Order of Physicians is also required.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
BulgariaRegulatedSubmit the prescribed qualification-recognition application to the Minister of Health. EU/EEA/Swiss and specified foreign-qualification routes are handled under the professional-qualification recognition procedure. A third-country national with a third-country medical degree uses a separate examination-admission route; admission is not itself recognition. General-care nurses and pharmacists may also have an optional EU Professional Card route when eligible. Doctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. Doctor in Basic Medicine.Minister of Health; applications are processed by the Ministry and reviewed through the statutory commission.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
CanadaRegulatedIMG applicants use physiciansapply.ca verification and applicable MCC examinations, then satisfy the selected regulator's route; conditions vary by training and specialty.Provincial/territorial medical regulatory authority issues the licence; MCC supports verification/exams. Quebec has its separate Collège des médecins route.ListedCanadian Occupational Projection System — projected labour-market conditions
CroatiaRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. For a qualification in the EU/EEA harmonised title, Croatia's government describes an automatic recognition system for medical doctors; permanent establishment still requires recognition in Croatia. This does not state the route for qualifications from outside that system. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice.—
CyprusRegulatedDoctor in Basic Medicine. Apply to the Cyprus Medical Council for registration. A foreign qualification not listed in the statutory annex requires KY.S.A.T.S. recognition and Council approval; the basic route requires 12 months approved hospital service, unless a listed specialty or 30-month experience exception applies. Doctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice.Cyprus Medical Council, Ministry of Health.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
CzechiaRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. For qualifications obtained outside the EU: written tests, six months of supervised practical work, then oral examination; recognition application follows passing the examination. Qualification origin changes the route. General system of recognition - primary application. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice.Ministry of Health (MZ ČR) is the competent authority for the healthcare recognition/approbation route.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
DenmarkRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Apply to STPS for medical authorization and permission to practise independently; specialist status requires separate specialist registration. A zero quota for most third-country doctor applications applies through 2026-12-31, with stated exceptions such as a specially requested healthcare-professional offer or existing Danish residence. Doctor in Basic (listed) and Specialised Medicine in field not listed in Annex V.Danish Patient Safety Authority (STPS) for medical authorization, independent-practice permission and specialist registration.—
EstoniaRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in Basic (listed) and Specialised Medicine in field not listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. Apply to the Health Board using the route for the actual profession and country of qualification; its instructions separate EU/EEA/Swiss and third-country applicants.Estonian Health Board (Terviseamet) for registration of the listed healthcare professions.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
FinlandRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic (listed) and Specialised Medicine in field not listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Apply to LVV for the physician or specialist practice right; route depends on training origin and specialist status. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice.Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV) for physician and specialist practice rights.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
FranceRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic (listed) and Specialised Medicine in field not listed in Annex V. General system of recognition - primary application. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. An eligible Annex V EU/EEA qualification is automatically recognized subject to Order registration; non-listed qualifications follow a distinct authorization procedure.Eligible EU-listed qualifications proceed to the medical Order; other diplomas use a separate national health-authority procedure.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
GermanyRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. Veterinary Surgeon specialist. Apply to the competent Land authority for Approbation. It checks degree equivalence, personal aptitude, medical fitness and language; if equivalence is not established, a knowledge/aptitude measure can apply. Specialist recognition is a separate Land medical-chamber process.The competent health-profession recognition/licensing authority in the federal state where the applicant intends to practise; there is no single national application authority. Select the exact profession and intended place in the federal Recognition Finder.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
GreeceRegulatedDoctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. For EU/EEA professional qualifications, PD 38/2010 provides a professional-recognition framework through ATEEN or the profession-specific competent authority; automatic-recognition professions and permanent establishment may require separate national registration. This is not the general third-country route.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
HungaryRegulatedDoctor in Basic (listed) and Specialised Medicine in field not listed in Annex V. Doctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. General system of recognition - primary application. The applicant requests recognition. The authority selects automatic, general-system or non-EEA procedure from the qualification and origin; the general system can require an adaptation period or aptitude test. After recognition, basic and operational registration may still be required.The National Directorate General for Hospitals (NDGFH/OKFŐ) handles the health qualifications assigned to it by the official matrix; the Educational Authority’s OH-MEIK handles specified non-EEA higher health qualifications. Select by exact qualification, origin and applicant category.—
IcelandRegulatedDoctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. Doctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. The Directorate of Health grants protected title/practice licences to the listed health professions. For foreign qualifications, the route differs by applicant/qualification origin; EEA/Swiss recognition documents and non-EEA education assessment are not interchangeable. EEA/Swiss and third-country routes request different documents. Applicants from outside the EEA/Switzerland submit degree, current professional licence, good-standing evidence and study records; evaluation may require an adaptation period or aptitude test.Directorate of Health (Embætti landlæknis).—
IrelandRegulatedDoctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. Apply to the Medical Council in the registration division matching the qualification and internship history. Non-EU applicants may need EPIC verification and/or PRES; requirements vary by division.Medical Council of Ireland.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
ItalyRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. The Ministry distinguishes basic/general-practice doctor from specialised-doctor applications. EU/EEA/Swiss and non-EU qualification origins use separate profession-specific routes; non-EU applicants submit the relevant documents and may receive recognition, a compensatory measure, or rejection.The Ministry of Health's DGPROF handles recognition for general medical and specialised doctor qualifications.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
JapanRegulatedForeign medical-school graduates or foreign medical-license holders require Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare recognition of eligibility to sit the Japanese national examination; the document lists physician among the covered qualifications. MHLW screens foreign education/licence documents for eligibility. An eligible direct-route applicant can take the national exam; another route requires the preliminary exam and, after passing it, at least one year of clinical and public-health practical training before the national exam.Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; MHLW grants exam-eligibility recognition for foreign medical-school graduates or foreign physician-licence holders.—
LatviaRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. General system of recognition - primary application. Doctor in Basic (listed) and Specialised Medicine in field not listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. AIC assesses foreign documents and sends a statement to the competent body; the result may be recognition, recognition with additional requirements, or refusal. EU doctor diplomas use the special system.AIC is the information institution; the Ministry of Health's official pathway note routes doctor qualification recognition to the Latvian Medical Association and registration to the Health Inspectorate.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
LithuaniaRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Specialist Dental Practitioner Listed in Annex V. Foreign qualification recognition is applied for through VASPVT; the route depends on qualification origin. Recognition is separate from issuing a Lithuanian medical-practice licence. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice.VASPVT is the competent authority for the regulated medical-doctor qualification recognition route; the service catalogue separates permanent, temporary and third-country applications.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
LuxembourgRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Recognition of professional experience Annex IV - automatic recognition. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. Doctor in Basic (listed) and Specialised Medicine in field not listed in Annex V. General system of recognition - primary application. A qualifying EU diploma that meets Annex V standards does not need the separate recognition step. For a non-EU diploma, the applicant needs recognition in another EU Member State that entitles practice on the Annex V-equivalent basis before seeking the Luxembourg licence.The Ministry of Health and Social Security issues the practice licence; the Medical Board assesses the complete application. A qualifying EU Annex V diploma follows the EU route.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
MaltaRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Medical Council registration follows the applicant's origin, qualification, specialty and registration category; provisional and full routes are separate. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice.Medical Council Malta is the competent registration and licensing authority for medical practitioners.—
NetherlandsRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic (listed) and Specialised Medicine in field not listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. Foreign doctor diplomas follow the BIG recognition route selected by origin and qualification; eligible listed EU/EEA/Swiss diplomas may use automatic recognition with direct enrolment.BIG-register / CIBG for doctor registration and protected title.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
New ZealandRegulatedApply under the Medical Council registration pathway matching the applicant's qualification, registration history and intended scope; basic and vocational/special-purpose routes are distinct.Medical Council of New Zealand is the competent authority for medical-practitioner registration and foreign qualification pathways.—
NorwayRegulatedDoctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. Doctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Foreign medical qualifications are assessed by Helsedirektoratet; outside-EU/EEA applicants may need the additional requirements and professional test before final authorization.Helsedirektoratet for physician authorization; specialist-field approval is a separate credential.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
PolandRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Third-country doctors may use the statutory simplified route only when its qualification, language, employer and practice-scope requirements are met; it is not full unrestricted recognition. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice.Ministry of Health and the competent regional medical chamber for the relevant recognition/authorization route.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
PortugalRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic (listed) and Specialised Medicine in field not listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Foreign medical qualifications follow the applicable recognition procedure and professional registration route; automatic EU recognition and non-EU routes are not interchangeable.The Ordem dos Médicos is the professional body for the named physician route; non-EU qualification recognition may involve distinct academic/health-authority steps.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
RomaniaRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Specialist Nurse. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. Foreign doctor qualifications follow the competent health authority's recognition route; sectoral EU recognition and third-country qualification routes are not interchangeable.Ministry of Health for the sectorally regulated doctor route; any required professional-body registration remains separate.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
Saudi ArabiaRegulatedApply for SCFHS classification; qualifications, internship, home-country registration and authenticated experience are reviewed and assessment may be required. Professional Registration follows classification and requires lawful residence.SCFHS for medical-practitioner classification, evaluation and professional registration.—
SlovakiaRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic (listed) and Specialised Medicine in field not listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Apply for formal and professional qualification recognition through CRD; eligible EU harmonized basic medical qualifications can use sectoral automatic recognition. Third-country qualifications may require a supplementary examination before final professional recognition. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. Dental Practitioner.CRD for foreign professional-qualification recognition; Ministry of Health is competent for medical specializations, followed by the relevant professional registration route.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
SloveniaRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in Basic (listed) and Specialised Medicine in field not listed in Annex V. EU/EEA/Swiss harmonised medical titles use sectoral recognition where Annex V conditions are met. Third-country physician routes have additional MZ requirements and, in specified cases, an employment offer; do not apply the general health route without checking the exact title. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice.Ministry of Health handles qualification recognition; medical registration/licensing is conducted through the competent medical professional bodies.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
South KoreaRegulatedA physician is medical personnel holding a Minister of Health and Welfare licence; Article 5 requires specified qualification and passing the relevant national examination, including a route for qualifying foreign-school graduates with a foreign licence. A foreign medical-school graduate first needs the school recognition review, then must pass the Korean physician preliminary examination and national examination before licence issuance.Ministry of Health and Welfare; Kuksiwon conducts the foreign-school recognition review; MOHW sets/approves the recognition standard and result.—
SpainRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic (listed) and Specialised Medicine in field not listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. Doctor in Basic Medicine. First identify the exact Spanish profession and country where the qualification was issued. Eligible EU/EEA listed titles use the applicable RD 581/2017 recognition route; third-country qualifications require the separate Spanish qualification-homologation route and any profession-specific registration or adaptation steps. General system of recognition - primary application.For EU/EEA professional recognition, the competent health authority is the Ministry of Health; third-country degree homologation is a separate university-qualification route, and regional registration/collegiate requirements may also apply.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
SwedenRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic (listed) and Specialised Medicine in field not listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. EU/EEA doctors use the recognition/licence route; third-country doctors first have education assessed and then meet the Swedish language, knowledge, Swedish-law, practical training and final licence steps. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice.Socialstyrelsen, National Board of Health and Welfare, for medical licences.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
SwitzerlandRegulatedDoctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. The route depends on diploma country and applicant nationality: direct EU/EFTA diploma recognition may apply; some already-EU/EFTA-recognised third-country diplomas can use indirect recognition; otherwise MEBEKO may register a non-recognisable diploma or the applicant may obtain a Swiss federal diploma. MedReg entry is mandatory. General system of recognition - primary application.MEBEKO (the Medical Professions Commission within FOPH) evaluates foreign medical diplomas; cantonal health authorities decide practice permits.ListedEURES labour shortages and surpluses dashboard — National Coordination Office submission
United Arab EmiratesRegulatedPQR education, internship, registration, experience and specialty requirements; titles include intern, resident, general practitioner, specialist and consultant. Submit qualifications and supporting documents for professional evaluation; prescribed examinations apply where required. The relevant authority evaluates the title under the unified PQR and issues the professional practice licence.UAE health regulatory authorities represented in the Unified Healthcare Professional Qualification Requirements; MoHAP, Department of Health–Abu Dhabi (DoH), Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and Sharjah Health Authority (SHA), through the unified health-professional qualification framework.—
United KingdomRegulatedGeneral system of recognition - primary application. Doctor in Basic Medicine. Doctor in basic and specialised medicine both listed in Annex V. Doctor in Basic medicine and General medical practice. For the cited international full-registration route, an overseas graduate who meets eligibility completes PLAB 1 and PLAB 2, internship and GMC Online evidence checks; GMC has other routes for other qualifications/experience.General Medical Council (GMC) for medical-practitioner registration in the UK.—
United StatesRegulated——

How this list is built

The list holds the 39 countries with at least one official record for physician: a regulated-professions register entry, a recognition record or a shortage-list row. National occupation names are joined to this profession through a reviewed crosswalk, country by country; a name the crosswalk does not match is left out rather than guessed. Salaries are not shown until a profession-level salary is collected for the country.

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Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 25). Physician profession data by country [ImmigrationDB compilation; version ce9a485e405b386dd5316f51d852457f]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/move-as/physician/ Retrieved 2026-10-25. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_physician-profession-data-by-country_1aad42935ac5,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Physician profession data by country},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-25},
  version = {ce9a485e405b386dd5316f51d852457f},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/move-as/physician/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-25. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Physician profession data by country](https://immigrationdb.com/move-as/physician/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version ce9a485e405b386dd5316f51d852457f; retrieved 2026-10-25; built 2026-10-25.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

  1. Medical Board of Australia / AhpraCompetent Authority pathway: international medical graduates apply for registration with t · Checked 2026-10-10
  2. Jobs and Skills Australia / Australian Government2025 OSL (ANZSCO 2022) row 8 national rating column · Checked 2026-08-07
  3. ILOILOSTAT mean earnings by occupation (EAR_EMTA_SEX_OCU_CUR_NB) · Checked 2026-07-30
  4. European Commission Regulated Professions DatabaseRecord 656009 · Checked 2026-08-07
  5. Austrian Medical ChamberForeign qualification recognition is separate from Ärzteliste registration. · Checked 2026-10-10
  6. European Labour Authority / EURESDataset record · Checked 2026-08-07
  7. Austrian Federal Government, migration.gv.atCountry work-route threshold · Checked 2026-10-25
  8. EurostatStructure of Earnings Survey 2022 (earn_ses22_25) · Checked 2026-07-30
  9. European Commission Regulated Professions DatabaseRecord 660942 · Checked 2026-08-07
  10. Belgian Official Gazette / Flemish CodexArticles 3-6, 45 and 68/1: doctor, dentist, pharmacist, nurse and clinical psychologist. · Checked 2026-10-10
Show 2 more sources
  1. Walloon Public Service, Employment and Vocational TrainingCountry work-route threshold · Checked 2026-10-25
  2. Council of Ministers / NAVETAnnex 1 of the current register, amended in State Gazette No.72 of 11 August 2026 · Checked 2026-10-10