Primary medical qualification (PMQ)

You must provide evidence of your primary medical qualification (PMQ).

You must provide either:

Certain applicants will also need to provide additional evidence that the GMC will accept their qualification.

PMQ certificate

You should upload a clear, scanned copy of your PMQ certificate if it has been issued to you.

Your PMQ certificate must display the date you qualified from medical school. Full colour copies are preferred. You may provide a certified or notarised copy (for example, it has been certified/notarised by a solicitor, notary public, or other appropriate authorised person or institution). Apostilles are not required for the purpose of your UK Foundation Programme application.

Further information – Certificates

If your PMQ certificate does not display the date you qualified from medical school

You must use the UKFP 2027 Form to confirm your primary medical qualification as your primary medical qualification evidence instead. Refer to the guidance further down this page.

If your names do not match across your eligibility application form and all supplementary documentation

If your name has legally changed: You must upload evidence of an legal name change. For example, a marriage certificate, divorce decree or deed poll certificate. You must upload and attach this evidence to your application and enter any previous name(s) into the personal details section of the application form.

Also refer to the guidance below for any document(s) that are not in English.

If your name has not legally changed (for example, you were known to your medical school by another name): You must upload a letter from your medical school to explain the reason for the discrepancy and to confirm that you are the same person. The letter must appear on the letterhead of the medical school, be signed and/or stamped, and dated by the medical school. You must upload and attach this letter to your application form.

Middle names or family names: such as A/P or D/O are not part of the ID check. Refer to the Guide to names and naming practices for further guidance.

Dual-language certificates

A dual-language certificate is where the information is displayed in more than one language, appearing side-by-side on the same page. These are acceptable and you do not need to provide an additional translation.

Document(s) that are not in English

If your PMQ certificate is not in English, you must also provide a direct, word-for-word English translation from an official organisation. The original document and the translation must be combined into one document. As a minimum, the translation must include:

• confirmation statement from the translator/company that the document is an accurate translation of the original
• the date of translation
• the translator’s full name and signature, or the name and official stamp/seal of the company
• the translator/company’s contact details

The GMC also provides helpful guidance on translating documents that are not in English that you may find useful.

If your university or medical school has provided a translation, it must still meet the requirements outlined above. We cannot accept a letter, summary, or anything that is not a direct word-for-word translation.

If you do not provide satisfactory translation(s), your eligibility application will be deemed ineligible.

Digital PMQ certificates

The UKFPO will accept a digital version of your PMQ certificate if it clearly demonstrates the details of the degree(s) you were awarded by your medical school.

Form to confirm the details of your PMQ

You must use the UKFP 2027 Form to confirm your primary medical qualification as your primary medical qualification evidence if:

• Your PMQ certificate has not yet been issued to you. For example, you are still a medical student, or you have very recently qualified from medical school. Or,
• You have qualified from medical school and received your primary medical qualification certificate, but the certificate does not display the date you qualified from medical school.

The form must:

• Be the UKFP 2027 Form to confirm the details of your primary medical qualification.
• Be fully completed – fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory.
• Be signed and stamped by the medical school Dean or an authorised official in the Registrar’s office.

Further information – Forms

Forms cannot be reused across recruitment rounds. If you need to use the form to confirm the details of your primary medical qualification, only the UKFP 2027 version of the form will be accepted.

Acceptable overseas qualifications

If your primary medical qualification (PMQ) was (or will be) awarded by an institution on either of the following lists maintained by the GMC, and you are not already registered as a doctor with the GMC:

• Overseas medical qualifications the GMC may accept
• Overseas medical qualifications the GMC do not accept

You must provide additional evidence from the GMC that they currently deem your PMQ to be acceptable.

This evidence must:

• be an email sent to you by the GMC, with the sender’s email signature(s) and email address(es) clearly displayed
• be dated no earlier than 3 calendar months prior to the date the eligibility application window opens (refer to the Timeline and Deadlines)
• be uploaded and attached your eligibility application form in Oriel

There will be no opportunity to provide this evidence after you submit your eligibility application, or after the application window closes – whichever happens first.