What It Costs for an IMG to Register as a Doctor in Australia (2025

Your situation

Your pathway Standard (AMC) Sit the AMC CAT MCQ + the AMC clinical exam (or an accredited workplace-based assessment) Competent Authority For IMGs assessed by one of six recognised authorities — the UK GMC, Medical Council of Ireland, Medical Council of Canada, US ECFMG, US NBOME or the Medical Council of New Zealand. Skips the AMC exams (the MCQ + Clinical/WBA), but you still need primary-source verification, an English test, the Ahpra fees and ~12 months supervised practice. Check the current A–G list on the Medical Board's Competent Authority page.

Overseas specialists follow a different route (college assessment or the Expedited Specialist Pathway) — see the note below.

AMC exam attempts

Resits cost the full exam fee again — the clinical exam is the big one.

Clinical assessment (Standard pathway) AMC Clinical examination (in-person) ~$3,000 Workplace-Based Assessment (WBA) — AMC fee only ~$1,070

English test English test — OET (Medicine) ~$587 (est.) English test — IELTS Academic ~$490 English test — PTE Academic ~$490 (est.) English test — exempt / already met

Optional extras Relocation (flights + first weeks) ~$3,000 (est.)

Estimated cost breakdown

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Item	Cost (AUD)

Estimated total—

That's the cost. Here's what you'll earn.

You won't find this anywhere else: once you're registered, model your actual Australian take-home pay — base, penalties, tax, HECS and salary packaging — and see how it compares across states.

Doctor take-home pay calculator → Compare doctor pay by state

Already a specialist overseas? You don't sit the AMC exams. You're either assessed by your Australian college (RACGP, RACP, RACS, RANZCP, ANZCA, ACEM…) for comparability, or — for eligible specialties from comparable countries — you may use the newer Expedited Specialist Pathway (Ahpra; live for GP, anaesthesia, psychiatry, O&G, and from Jan 2026 general medicine + general paediatrics). College costs vary widely by college and comparability outcome — commonly ~$1,000 to $16,000+ — and aren't itemised here. General registration (the two pathways above) lets you practise, but does not confer specialist recognition or a protected specialist title.

General information, not advice. This is an estimate of published registration fees and the standard/competent-authority pathways for an international medical graduate — it is not migration, visa, legal, financial or career advice. Fees change; always confirm the current amounts on the official AMC / Medical Board / Ahpra / exam-provider sites before you rely on them. Specialist registration is assessed by the relevant college and those fees vary widely — they're not fully itemised here. For visa or migration questions, see a registered migration agent (MARA). Registering with the Medical Board / Ahpra and the right to work in Australia (a visa, via the Department of Home Affairs) are separate processes — this page covers registration only. Costs exclude things that vary widely by person — visa fees, exam-prep courses, agency fees and accommodation.