Provisional and General Registration with AHPRA in Australia in 2023

In the process of applying to jobs in Australia, you will hear the terms Provisional and General Registration mentioned frequently. 

These are the two main types of Registration with AHPRA, Australia’s professional body for healthcare professionals.

In this article, we will explain:
👉  What these terms mean
👉  The main practical differences between them
👉  How to turn your Provisional Registration into General Registration

If you’re unsure if you are eligible to work in Australia as a UK junior doctor, we recommend reading this article which explains the criteria and gives some common scenarios so you can understand where you sit.

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🩺  What is Provisional Registration?

All overseas doctors moving to Australia will start off on Provisional Registration, barring some Consultants using the Specialist pathway.

This provides up to 12 months of Registration to allow supervised practice in Australia. This registration level is comparable to being provisionally registered with the GMC during your FY1 year. You have to work supervised under a named supervisor in a named job at all times, so you cannot work as a locum under Provisional Registration.

🥼  What is General Registration?

This Registration level is comparable to being fully registered with the GMC after successfully completing your FY1 year. It allows you to be fully registered as a doctor in Australia. Additionally, you can work outside of the supervision regime from Provisional Registration so that you can undertake locum work.

Only after 47 weeks of full-time supervised practice under Provisional Registration, can you then apply for General Registration.

🤝  How do you ‘upgrade’ to General Registration?

The process of ‘upgrading’ to General Registration is simple.

You can do this after 47 weeks of supervised practice, which is usually a full year, including annual leave.

There are two main parts. Firstly, you submit reports from your supervisor in the form of work performance reports. There is a template here on the Medical Board of Australia website.

Secondly, you need a letter of recommendation for General Registration from your Director of Training, Director of Medical Services (or equivalent) or your Board approved principal supervisor.

Hospitals are very used to this process, so you can expect this to pass without much hassle.

You must also pay a Registration fee of A$860 and re-submit several documents which you shared when you first registered (such as your GMC Registration, CV and medical school certificate). The full list is here.

Your status on the register will then be updated.

📚 Continue Reading

🚀 This article is part of Messly's Ultimate Guide to Working in Australia. The guide covers all you need to know as a UK doctor to understand your options, research your move, find work, get registered and move out to Australia.

❓ If you are still weighing up whether a move to Australia is right for you, our article To Aus or not to Aus breaks down the pros and cons, so you can make an informed decision. Read this with Common Questions on Moving to Australia as a UK Junior Doctor.‍

🤝  One of the first things to check: are you actually eligible for registration with AHPRA in Australia? For most UK doctors this is straight-forward, but there are pitfalls for some. Here we clearly explain the criteria and give some common scenarios so you can understand where you sit.

✈️  There are four routes to finding a job in Australia. In this detailed guide, we explain how each works and the pros and cons of each, so you can kick-start your search for your dream job Down Under