General Registration

General registration may be granted according to the following provisions of the Medical Practice Act 1992.

SECTION 4 Entitlement to general registration based on qualifications and training

  1. A person is entitled to be registered as a medical practitioner if the person has recognised medical qualifications and has successfully completed a period of internship or supervised training as required by the Board.
  2. A person has "recognised medical qualifications" if the person is a graduate of a Medical School (whether within or outside Australia) accredited by the Australian Medical Council or has successfully completed examinations held by that Council for the purposes of registration as a medical practitioner.
  3. The entitlement under this section is an entitlement to general registration (that is, registration not subject to any condition).

Under the provisions of the Medical Practice Act, the Board may only grant general (unconditional) registration to:

  • medical practitioners whose primary medical qualification are conferred by medical schools accredited by the Australian Medical Council (currently all medical schools in Australia and New Zealand). General registration is granted following satisfactory completion of a period of internship.
  • medical graduates from countries other than Australia and New Zealand who have successfully completed the Australian Medical Council examinations. General registration is granted following satisfactory completion of a period of supervised training.

APPLICATION PROCESS

1. Applicants not registered elsewhere in Australia

Applicants registering for the first time in New South Wales must attend the Board in person and submit the completed General Application Form and the required documents.

2. Applicants who hold current registration in another Australian State or Territory (Mutual Recognition)

Mutual Recognition is the term used to describe the application process for the recognition of registration across State boundaries. The application process allows registration to be granted without the practitioner having to present all original documents and qualifications in person at the Board.

This process of registration is available to medical practitioners who:

  • are currently registered without location specific conditions in another State or Territory in Australia.
  • hold conditional registration in another State or Territory in Australia, (including Specialists) provided that the same conditions can be implemented and monitored in NSW. If you hold conditional registration you should contact the Medical Board for advice prior to submitting an application using this process.

Effective 1 April 2007, Mutual Recognition registration will be granted for 12 months from the date of approval and require payment of an application fee and a registration fee. Registration will be renewable thereafter on the anniversary of that approval date. Applicants seeking registration for less than one calendar month in any 12 month period must pay the application fee, but the registration fee will be waived. A second application for registration within 12 months of the first will attract both the application and registration fees.

If registration is to be requested to commence on a specific date, applications must be submitted no earlier than one month prior to the specified date.

If your registration has lapsed in another state or you hold non-practising registration, you cannot apply for registration in NSW via the Mutual Recognition process.

Applicants must submit, the completed Mutual Recognition application form witnessed by an individual authorised by the Statutory Declarations Act 1959 and all the required certified documents.

Additional information :

Public Interest - Border Practitioner

A practitioner eligible for registration under Mutual Registration who is registered interstate but works in a border area may be eligible for a waiver of the registration fee provided certain criteria are met (the application fee of $220.00 is payable):

  • The doctor's principal place of practise is interstate.
  • NSW practise is restricted to undertaking home visits or similar in NSW, where directly related to the doctor's practise in the other state. Registration may be granted for a specific period only or for one year if applicable.
  • Documentary confirmation of the border practise, including details of involvement in NSW is provided with the application along with a request for a waiver of the registration fee.
  • Payment of the annual registration fee is not required if limited practice in NSW is continued. Practice outside of the approved location will require payment of the registration fee.
  • Registrants in this category are only eligible to practise within NSW for the approved purpose, at the approved location/s.

Public Interest - Sporting/Cultural

A practitioner eligible for registration without location specific limitations may seek registration in NSW solely for the purpose of attendance at a Sporting or Cultural event. Applicants may be eligible for a waiver of the registration fee provided certain criteria are met (the application fee of $220.00 is payable):

  • Documentary evidence is provided with the application with specific details of the event, including location and dates, along with a request for a waiver of the registration fee.
  • Registrants in this category are only eligible to undertake limited practise for the approved purpose, at the approved location or event.

The Mutual Recognition application process takes approximately 3 business days. Once registration is granted, registration documents will be posted to the address nominated by the applicant on the application form. Once registration takes effect, details can be confirmed on the Board's online Register of Medical Practitioners at www.nswmb.org.au.

Applicants must not practise in NSW until registration is confirmed.

3. Seeking to return to Active Registration

Practitioners who have previously held General or Conditional Specialist registration, or currently hold non-practising registration in New South Wales may apply to return to their previous category of registration.

Assessment of the application:

Once a practitioner has returned to active registration, this will be granted for 12 months from the date of approval and require payment of an application fee and a registration fee. Registration will be renewable thereafter on the anniversary of that approval date.

The process for assessment of the application varies, depending on what the practitioner has been doing since last being registered in New South Wales.

For example, if a practitioner has recently been working elsewhere and is able to provide the required Certificate of Registration Status or Certificate of Good Standing, the application can be processed immediately without any further assessment.

If a practitioner has not been practising for an extended period, further assessment will be undertaken by the Board. An applicant for re-registration who has not been practising for more than 2 years should provide as much detail as possible about their absence from practice, continuing professional development, preparation for re-entry into practice and the type of practice they now wish to undertake. Information should include proposed supervision or support arrangements and a detailed return to work plan. If a practitioner's previous registration in NSW or elsewhere had conditions or limitation imposed, an assessment will be undertaken by the Board. Read more

Applicants must submit by post a completed Registration of Medical Graduates seeking to return to Active Registration application form and all the required documents (see minimum requirements for CV).