Irish Medical Council

The Irish Medical Council protects the interests of the public when dealing with registered medical practitioners. The Council has 25 elected and appointed members. The members represent the range of medical specialties and teaching bodies and include lay members appointed by the Minister for Health and Children.

The principal roles of the Irish Medical Council include:

• Assuring the quality of undergraduate education of doctors
• Assuring the quality of postgraduate training of specialists
• Registration of doctors
• Disciplinary procedures
• Guidance on professional standards / ethical conduct.

All doctors who wish to practice in the Republic of Ireland must be registered with the Irish Medical Council. There are over 19,000 doctors currently registered.

The Irish Medical Council maintains two registers, the General Register of Medical Practitioners and the Register of Medical Specialists.

General Register of Medical Practitioners

All doctors will need to refer to the Irish Medical Council’s eligibility criteria to determine their application route. To apply for registration, you will create an online account on the Irish Medical Council’s website before you complete the application form and submit your supporting documents. The Irish Medical Council will review your application and documents before making a decision on your registration.

Please note that doctors who have trained outside of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) will need to have their medical education credentials verified before they apply for registration.

Register of Medical Specialists

This is a voluntary register where specialists appear within approved specialty divisions.

Doctors who have trained or are recognised as a specialist in the EU/EEA will have their qualifications automatically recognised by the Irish Medical Council.

Doctors who are not eligible for automatic recognition into the specialist division will have to apply to the Irish Medical Council for registration. This refers to doctors who have either trained outside of the EU/EEA or who have gained part of their training and experience in the EU/EEA.

Please visit the Irish Medical Council’s website for more information on eligibility for registration, the documentation required and procedures to follow.

If you have any questions about the registration process, please contact our team who will be happy to answer your queries.