All medical practitioners practicing in Ireland are required by law to be appropriately registered with the Irish Medical Council.
There are five categories of registration:
Eligibility:
Irish Medical Graduates
EU and UK Medical Graduates
Medical Graduates of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Malaysia and Sudan
Medical Graduates from other countries who have completed the IMC PRES Exam or equivalent (PLAB, USMLE, MCCEE, AMC)
Eligibility:
Completed specialist training in Ireland
Trained and/or recognised as a specialist in a European Union State and the UK
All other countries – A specialist qualification is assessed to determine if equivalent and recognised in Ireland
Eligibility:
European Union citizens who are fully established to practise medicine in another European Union member state may practise medicine in Ireland on a temporary and occasional basis without having to take out registration. Doctors should apply at least one month in advance of planning to practise medicine in Ireland.
Eligibility:
Accepted on a recognised training programmes and practise solely within the confines of posts allocated by the Health Service Executive (HSE)
Eligibility:
Registration in the supervised division is granted to doctors who have been offered a post that has been approved by the national Health Service Executive (HSE), which has specific supervisory arrangements. Before you apply for registration with the Medical Council, the HSE should advise whether supervised registration is required.
A work permit is not required if:
You, your spouse, or child are an Irish, UK national or an EEA national. The EEA comprises the European Union, together with Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein
If you are from a country outside of the EEA, Switzerland, and the UK, you need permission to live and work as a doctor in Ireland.
To gain a work permit an applicant will have to have an offer of employment from the HSE or a private hospital or practice
Work Permits with a public hospital are fixed for 2 years even if initial employment contract is of shorter duration. A doctor can seek employment at another public hospital within the 2 years without the need for a new application.
An individual can apply for residency (stamp 4) after 5 years in Ireland. From March 2022, doctors are eligible for residency after 2 years on an eligible visa in Ireland.
