Working as a GP in Canada?

Quick Answer

If you hold MRCGP, a CCT in general practice and current unrestricted GMC registration then you already meet Canada’s core requirements. You qualify for the Canadian family medicine qualification (CCFP) without sitting any exams through the CFPC’s Certification Without Examination route. The process starts with verifying your credentials on physiciansapply.ca, then applying to the CFPC and applying for a licence from the medical college of your chosen province. Budget around CAD $8,000–$10,000 (£4,500–£6,000) in registration and verification fees and 6–9 months from first upload to licence in hand. Start the credential verification first as it’s the slowest step and can stall the rest of the steps.

Jump to section:

• What are the exact requirements for UK trained GPs to work in Canada?
• What other pathways are available to UK trained GPs for Canada?
• Can I move to Canada as a GP without sitting any exams?
• How do I actually apply for registration to work as GP in Canada?
• What documents do I need to apply for registration to work as a GP in Canada?
• Where do I apply for registration to work as a GP in Canada?
• Are there different requirements for registering as a GP in Canada, depending on which province?
• How much does it cost to apply for registration to work as a GP in Canada?
• How long does it take to get registered to work as a GP in Canada?
• Is it worth registering to work as a GP in Canada? A summary
• FAQs
• Sources
• Thinking about moving to Canada?

What are the exact requirements for UK trained GPs to work in Canada?

There are five boxes to tick and, if you came through UK GPST and you're working in the NHS, you'll tick them all:

1. A primary medical degree from a school listed on the World Directory of Medical Schools.
2. Completed GP vocational training accredited by the GMC - your GPST programme and CCT in general practice.
3. MRCGP - this is the credential the Canadian system formally recognises.
4. Current, unrestricted GMC registration with recent GP practice - you need to have been actively working as a GP with no voluntary break from practice longer than two years within the last three.
5. A clean record - basically proved with GMC Certificate of Good Standing.

That’s the national qualification side. On top of it sits the provincial licence (each province’s College of Physicians and Surgeons registers you to actually practise there) and the standard practicalities - English proficiency is automatic for UK-trained doctors, a criminal record check and medical indemnity through the CMPA once you start work.

What other pathways are available to UK trained GPs for Canada?

There are three doors into Canadian general practice. As a MRCGP holder you’ll almost certainly use the first, but for completeness:

• The jurisdiction-approved route. The CFPC recognises UK GP training as equivalent so MRCGP converts to CCFP without exams. It's the fastest, cheapest and cleanest route.
• Practice Ready Assessment (PRA). A 12-week supervised assessment in a Canadian clinic for experienced doctors who don’t qualify for direct recognition. It usually comes with a three-year return-of-service commitment in an underserved community. It might be relevant to UK doctors if you’ve had a long break from practice or a non-standard training route but it's rare.
• The exam route. Sitting the Medical Council of Canada’s MCCQE1 and the CFPC certification exam - this is the path most other countries’ graduates must take but no reason for a standard UK GP to choose this.

Some provinces issue a provisional licence that lets you start work while your CCFP paperwork completes and sometimes with light-touch supervision in your first months. BC currently goes further and grants UK GPs a full licence without supervision. Your recruiter or provincial college will tell you which applies but it doesn’t change the destination, just the first few months.

Can I move to Canada as a GP without sitting any exams?

Yes – and this is the single biggest advantage UK GPs have over almost every other nationality of doctor. Through the CFPC’s Certification Without Examination route, your MRCGP is accepted in place of the Canadian certification exam and no province requires a UK GP on this route to sit the MCCQE either. No OSCEs, no written papers, no assessments and the entire process is just providing documents you already have. The only conditions are that you're currently registered, have been practicing recently and can get a clean certificate of good standing. 

New to the whole idea? Start with our complete guide to moving to Canada as a GP from the UK for the bigger picture on earnings, locations, visas and costs.

How do I actually apply for registration to work as GP in Canada?

Six steps, in order – steps 1–3 can run in parallel:

1. Open an account at physiciansapply.ca (the Medical Council of Canada’s portal) and submit your medical degree, CCT and MRCGP for source verification. Start this as soon as possible as it can take 3–4 months and everything else waits on it.
2. Complete the CFPC’s online self-assessment for Certification Without Examination, join the CFPC as a member and submit your application with the fee.
3. Secure a job offer - most use a specialist recruiter like BDI Resourcing. In most provinces the employer or health authority then sponsors your licence application.
4. Apply to the provincial College of Physicians and Surgeons of your chosen province for registration, submitting your verified credentials, good standing certificates and references.
5. Receive your licence approval which completes your CFPC certification requirements and arrange CMPA indemnity cover.
6. Apply for your work permit with the job offer and licence eligibility in hand - physicians get priority processing which is typically 2–3 weeks.

What documents do I need to apply for registration to work as a GP in Canada?

It's recommended that you gather verified copies of these early on as you'll be asked for them throughout:

• Passport (and any name-change documents – names must match across everything).
• Primary medical degree certificate.
• CCT certificate in general practice.
• MRCGP certificate.
• GMC Certificate of Good Standing - request this close to application as the colleges want it to be recent (within three months).
• Employment/practice history - update your CV with no unexplained gaps and confirmation of recent GP practice.
• 2–3 professional references from colleagues who have seen you practise in the last couple of years.
• Criminal record check (a UK DBS/police certificate).

Everything academic gets uploaded to physiciansapply.ca which verifies each document directly with the issuing body - that’s the “source verification” everyone talks about and it can be slow but only needs doing once.

Where do I apply for registration to work as a GP in Canada?

You effectively apply to three organisations for three different reasons:

• physiciansapply.ca (Medical Council of Canada) - the national credential portal which verifies your documents once and shares them with everyone else.
• The CFPC (cfpc.ca) - the College of Family Physicians of Canada who grant your CCFP as the national family medicine qualification.
• Your province’s College of Physicians and Surgeons - CPSBC in British Columbia, CPSO in Ontario, CPSA in Alberta and equivalents elsewhere - This is the body who actually licenses you to practise so it’s the only application that’s province-specific. You should pick your province before you start so you only have to do this once.

Are there different requirements for registering as a GP in Canada, depending on which province?

The core requirements are national and identical everywhere - degree, CCT, MRCGP, active GMC registration, clean record verified through the same physiciansapply.ca portal. What changes by province is the licence you’re first given and the hoops around it:

• British Columbia - UK GPs on the no-exam route can go straight to a full licence with no supervision period. Most posts route through a health authority sponsorship which your recruiter arranges.
• Ontario - typically starts you on a restricted registration tied to your practice location converting to independent registration after a settling-in period. 
• Alberta - issues a provisional licence with light-touch supervision (usually a named colleague reviewing your first months) before full registration.
• Atlantic Canada and the Prairies - provisional licences with sponsorship from the regional health authority - processes are fast because these provinces are recruiting hardest and incentive-linked posts may carry a return-of-service commitment.

None of the provinces require different exams or qualifications but you should choose your province before applying as you would have to start a new process if you change your mind to a different province.

Wondering how much those provincial differences matter for your income? See our full guide to how much GPs earn in Canada.

How much does it cost to apply for registration to work as a GP in Canada?

You should ballpark the whole registration at CAD $8,000–$10,000 (£4,500–£6,000):

There are often small admin fees for good standing certificates, criminal record check and courier fees so expect to finish at the $8,000–$10,000 mark. Many employers reimburse some or all of these fees as part of a relocation package and once you’re working, registration costs are tax-deductible professional expenses.

If you're not totally sure on your eligibility or just want to run through your options then drop us a line and we can give you the honest answers. We've helped more than 3,000 doctors with international moves and always happy for you to pick our brains!

How long does it take to get registered to work as a GP in Canada?

From first document upload to licence in hand I'd suggest allowing 6–9 months. The credential verification on physiciansapply.ca can take 3–4 months although it's often much faster. The CFPC assessment runs alongside it at about 3 months, the provincial college then takes 6–8 weeks once your file is complete and the work permit adds a couple of weeks at the end thanks to priority processing for physicians. How long it takes is really driven by how early you start the verification and how complete your documents are. If you upload everything correctly and early on you'll be landed in 6 months.

Registration and job hunting run in parallel – see our guide to GP jobs in Canada for where to start applying while your paperwork is in motion.

Is it worth registering to work as a GP in Canada? A summary

Registration isn't the exciting part of any international move but for roughly $9,000 in fees and a few months of paperwork (much of it potentially reimbursed) - you convert your MRCGP into a Canadian qualification without a single exam. If you've got your CCT and MRCGP with active GMC registration then the route is fixed and well-trodden - verify at physiciansapply.ca, certify with the CFPC, license with your provincial college then collect the work permit. If you begin the source verification this week and line the rest up, you'll be deciding on locations and interviewing for jobs in a few weeks.

FAQs

What are the core requirements for a UK GP to work in Canada?

A UK medical degree, completed GPST training with CCT, MRCGP, current unrestricted GMC registration with recent practice and a clean disciplinary record.

Will I have to sit any exams?

No. The CFPC’s Certification Without Examination route accepts your MRCGP in place of Canadian exams and no province adds exams for UK GPs on this route.

Where do I apply?

Physiciansapply.ca for credential verification, the CFPC for your CCFP certification and your chosen province’s College of Physicians and Surgeons for the licence.

How much does registration cost?

Around CAD $8,000–$10,000 (£4,500–£6,000) all-in and employers frequently reimburse some or all of it.

How long does registration take?

6-9 months from first document upload to licence in hand with source verification the slowest step (start that first).

Do requirements differ between provinces?

The core requirements are national and identical. Provinces differ only in whether your first licence is full or provisional and how much paperwork surrounds it.

Sources

• Recognized Training and Certification From Outside Canada — College of Family Physicians of Canada
• physiciansapply.ca — Medical Council of Canada
• International Medical Graduates — College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC
• Fee Schedule — College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario
• Registration and Sponsorship — College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta
• Practice Ready Assessment BC — PRA-BC
• Work in Canada — Government of Canada (IRCC)
• General Medical Council — GMC (UK)

Thinking about moving to Canada?

Moving to Canada is a big step for any GP. It's a career move but also a big life change too. If you want to know more about the registration process, what it's like moving overseas, life and work in Canada, how much you'll actually earn, visa processes or anything that's playing on your mind then let me know. I've helped thousands of doctors make international moves so I understand how big a commitment it is and all of the steps along the way. Drop me a message and I'll get back to you or we can arrange a call.

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Equally if you're ready to make the move then take a look over some of our live jobs – if you're looking for something specific I can connect you with hundreds of independent clinics as well as all of the major corporates who are consistently hiring.

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