CESR
The Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR) route is governed by Article 14 of the General and Specialist Medical Practice (Education, Training and Qualifications) Order 2003 which allows any combination of qualifications and/or training and experience gained anywhere in the world to be evaluated as part of an application for entry to the General Medical Council’s Specialist Register.
Doctors must be registered on the GMC’s Specialist Register to take up a substantive (permanent), fixed-term, or honorary NHS consultant post.
We are happy to assist with queries by email about our specialty-specific guidance. Please send us a copy of your CV when you email. Please structure your CV in accordance with the GMC's CESR CV advice
Please contact
GMC directly for queries related to the CESR application process.
Applicants are strongly advised not to submit their CESR application to the General Medical Council before seeking advice and guidance from the Training Department. Please email [email protected] for further advice.
Any doctor who has obtained their qualifications and/or experience outside of the EU (EEA), or who has achieved their competencies outside of a GMC-approved approved training programme within the EU. To be eligible to apply under this route, you must have either a specialist qualification in the specialty you apply in or at least six months continuous specialist training in the specialty you apply in.
A doctor who has obtained the UK CCT or a European recognised EU (EEA) specialist qualification – as they may be automatically entitled to entry onto the Specialist Register.
Yes, you would be able to apply for the CESR and have your application assessed, but you would not be awarded the CESR until you had obtained full GMC registration.
The application is made directly to the GMC. Full details of the application process are available on the GMC website.
Applications are assessed by the College’s equivalence committee and a recommendation is made to the GMC. It is a recommendation rather than a decision, as the GMC do not have to agree with the College’s recommendation and can issue their own decision.
Information can be found in both the Specialty Specific Guidance and Generic Guidance available on the GMC and College websites. Applicants should also have a look at the relevant curriculum. Applicants should read this guidance very carefully because it defines the type of evidence applicants should provide to demonstrate their equivalence to a new UK CCT holder.
No. The College can provide advice on the type of evidence required but will not review your application before submission nor provide any indication as to the likely success of the application. Applicants are encouraged to read the specialty specific guidance and generic guidance very carefully before submitting their application to the GMC.
The GMC are responsible for determining when a CESR application is complete. Applicants must receive a decision about their application within three months of their application being deemed complete by the GMC. Once an application is deemed complete, it is sent to the Training Department at the College and an evaluation is returned to the GMC within 36 working days. The GMC then follow their own process before communicating a decision to applicants.
The current fee is £1727. This is set by and made payable to the General Medical Council.
You would be able to submit a review application within 12 months of receiving the decision letter regarding the outcome of your application. This would involve submitting the evidence that you did not submit in the first application. Alternatively, under specific circumstances, you would be able to appeal against the decision.
