Will it be accepted?
Foreign medical qualifications for GMC registration
What the GMC's official guidance requires when your medical documents are not in English, including the detail most people miss: the photocopy of your original must be stamped and signed by the translation service.
Every fact below links to its official source. Last checked 21 July 2026.
The short answer
Every document that is not in English needs a complete and accurate English translation, plus a photocopy of the original stamped and signed by the translation service. The exact mechanics depend on your application route.
Emailed documents with a stamped photocopy
- A copy of every non English document in its original language, plus a complete and accurate English translation
- A photocopy of the original document, stamped and signed by the translation service, emailed to the GMC
- The contact details of the translation service or translator on all translations
- On the overseas exam route, scanned documents are emailed as one pdf or zip file
Source: GMC, Translating documents pages for both IMG routes
Upload, then post the hard copy
- A complete and accurate translation of each document, along with the document in its original language
- A copy of the original attached to the translation, stamped and signed by the translation service
- Contact details of the translation service or translator shown on the translated documents
- Translated evidence is uploaded, then also posted as a hard copy after you submit, because the GMC needs to see an original stamp and signature from the translation service
Source: GMC, Authentication and translation, specialist portfolio guide
The 28 day trap, and evidence that bounces
On the overseas exam route, the GMC says you must send your documents within 28 days of its email. If it does not hear from you within 28 days, it closes your application and sends a refund, less its scrutiny fee. Get the translations ready before you apply, not after.
On the portfolio route, any evidence that is not translated in line with the requirements is returned to you. The GMC also will not accept original certificates on this route: they are returned, and you are asked to send an authenticated copy instead. The GMC publishes separate guidance for each route, so follow the chapter for the application you are actually making.
28 days
To send documents after the GMC's email on the overseas exam route, or the application closes
One pdf or zip
How the overseas exam route wants your scanned documents emailed
Hard copy
Portfolio route translations must also be posted, so the GMC sees the original stamp and signature
What every translation bundle must include
Across the GMC's guidance, the mandatory elements are the same four things:
- 1A complete and accurate English translation of the document
- 2A copy of the document in its original language
- 3A photocopy of the original, stamped and signed by the translation service
- 4The contact details of the translation service or translator
The portfolio route's authentication step
The GMC describes authentication as certifying a true copy. It can be done by a solicitor, a notary, or the awarding body. The GMC's own order of steps:
- 1Photocopy your original certificate. The GMC will not accept originals and returns them
- 2Have the photocopy authenticated by a solicitor, a notary, or the awarding body
- 3Take the authenticated copy to a translation service, which creates the English version
- 4Make sure both the authenticated copy and the translation are stamped and signed by the translation service
- 5Submit both to the GMC and keep your original. After submitting, post the translated evidence as a hard copy
Sources for this page
We only publish what an official source says, and we re-check these pages on a schedule. If a source changes, this page is reviewed before we rely on it again.
| What it confirms | Official source | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Translation rule, stamped photocopy and advised translators, postgraduate qualification route | GMC, Translating documents, IMG postgraduate route | 21 Jul 2026 |
| The same rule and advice on the overseas exam route | GMC, Translating documents, overseas exam route | 21 Jul 2026 |
| Portfolio route translation, authentication, hard copy posting and the returned evidence rule | GMC, Authentication and translation, specialist portfolio | 21 Jul 2026 |
| The 28 day document deadline and the one pdf or zip format | GMC, How do I send my documents, overseas exam route | 21 Jul 2026 |
This page is general information based on the official guidance linked above, as it stood on the date shown. It is not legal or immigration advice, and requirements can change. The decision on any application always rests with the receiving organisation, so confirm the current requirements with them before you apply. Lingo Service is not responsible for decisions made by third parties.
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Common questions
Does the GMC require an apostille or legalised documents?
The GMC pages we checked never mention an apostille or legalisation. The specialist portfolio route uses its own concept instead, which the GMC describes as certifying a true copy: a photocopy of your document authenticated by a solicitor, a notary, or the awarding body. If another organisation asks you to legalise the same documents, that is their rule, not the GMC's.
Can I use a sworn or court appointed translator from my own country?
The first category the GMC strongly advises is court or council appointed translators. Nothing on the pages we checked requires the translator to be based in the UK. Whoever translates, the translation must be complete and accurate, the photocopy of the original must be stamped and signed by the translation service, and the contact details of the service or translator must be included.
Does the translator need a specific qualification or certification wording?
No mandatory qualification or set certification statement appears on the GMC pages we checked. The GMC strongly advises court or council appointed translators or reputable commercial translation services, and suggests checking that a commercial service holds a recognised professional accreditation or a membership of a relevant professional or trade association. It names the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, the Chartered Institute of Linguists and the Association of Translation Companies as UK examples.
What happens if my documents are late or the translation is not to spec?
On the overseas exam route you must send your documents within 28 days of the GMC's email. If the GMC does not hear from you within 28 days, it closes the application and refunds you, less its scrutiny fee. On the portfolio route, any evidence that is not translated in line with the requirements is returned to you. Both rules come from the GMC's own guidance, checked 21 July 2026.
Will my qualification definitely be accepted?
No page can honestly promise that, and you should be cautious of any that does. What we can tell you is what the official guidance requires, with the source, so you can prepare your application exactly as the GMC asks. The decision is always the GMC's.
