What is the AMC Eligibility Criteria for Indian Doctors?

Thinking about practising medicine in Australia? You’re not alone. Every year, thousands of Indian doctors look at Australia as their next career step, and the first question most of them ask is a simple one: am I even eligible? Before you spend money on books, English tests or exam slots, it helps to know where you stand against the AMC eligibility criteria.

The AMC eligibility criteria decide whether you can apply for the Australian Medical Council assessment at all. They cover your medical school, your degree, your documents and a few other things that people often find out too late. This guide explains the AMC eligibility criteria for Indian doctors in plain words, along with the main AMC exam requirements, the fees and the steps to follow. By the end, you’ll know exactly what to check first.

What Is the AMC, and Who Has to Go Through It?

The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is the body that checks whether doctors trained outside Australia and New Zealand are ready to work in the Australian system. These doctors are called international medical graduates, or IMGs. If you finished your MBBS in India, you are an IMG in Australia’s eyes.

Here’s the part that confuses many people. The AMC does not give you a licence to practise. It gives you an assessment result, called the AMC certificate. The licence itself comes from the Medical Board of Australia, which works through Ahpra. So the process has two parts. First, you prove your knowledge and skills to the AMC. Then you apply to the Board for registration.

Not every IMG has to sit the AMC exams. Doctors from a few countries, and some trained specialists, can use other routes. But most Indian MBBS graduates fall under the Standard Pathway, and that is where the AMC eligibility criteria matter most.

AMC Eligibility Criteria for Indian Doctors at a Glance

Here is the short version before we go into detail.. Eligibility requirements for the AMC under the Standard Pathway typically are:

(MBBS) in medicine and surgery; for example, a final medical qualification (your primary medical qualification).
A a medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS) and accepted by the AMC

A degree title and graduation year that the AMC marks as eligible.
Primary source verification of your degree through the ECFMG’s EPIC system.
Valid identity documents that match across everything you submit.
Proof of English language skills, which the Medical Board asks for.
No eligibility for the Competent Authority or Specialist pathways, since those have their own rules.

Each of these AMC eligibility criteria has its own small traps, so let’s go through them one at a time. We’ll cover the AMC exam requirements after that.

A Recognised Medical School and Degree

This is the base of all the AMC eligibility criteria. According to the Medical Board of Australia, IMGs on the Standard Pathway must hold a primary qualification in medicine and surgery from an institution recognised by both the AMC and the WDOMS.

For Indian doctors, the first of the AMC eligibility criteria usually means an MBBS from a college listed in the WDOMS. The AMC checks three things together: your medical school, the exact title of your degree and the year you graduated. All three have to be eligible. A college can be listed and still have an issue with a particular graduation year, so don’t stop at first search result.

You can check this on the AMC website, on its page for eligible medical schools, degrees and graduation years. Do this check before you look at any other AMC eligibility criteria. It takes ten minutes and can save you months.

Also keep in mind that you must have already finished your degree. A final-year student, or an intern who is still waiting for the final diploma, can’t apply yet.

What about your postgraduate degree? If you hold an MD or MS, you can add it to your AMC portfolio as an additional qualification. For the Standard Pathway, though, it is your primary medical degree that decides whether you are eligible.

Primary Source Verification

The AMC does not take your word for your degree. It doesn’t take a photocopy either. It wants the source, which is your university, to confirm it. This step is called primary source verification, or PSV.

For Indian doctors, it works through the ECFMG. You create a MyIntealth account, set up an EPIC portfolio, upload your qualification and ask for the report to be sent to the AMC. The ECFMG then contacts your medical university directly. It charges its own fee for this service, and that fee is separate from what you pay the AMC.

Verification depends on your university replying, and that can take time. So start early, because this step often sets the pace for all the AMC eligibility criteria. Keep your degree certificate, mark sheets and enrolment details scanned and ready. If things slow down, follow up with your university yourself instead of waiting.

Identity Documents

The AMC has a separate page on identification requirements, and it is worth reading line by line. In simple terms, your documents must be valid, and your name must match across all of them. For most people, that means your passport, your degree and your EPIC account should all show the same spelling.

This sounds small, but it is one of the AMC eligibility criteria that quietly trips people up. Name mismatches are one of the most common reasons for delays. If your name is written differently on your degree and your passport, sort it out early. Don’t wait for the AMC to ask.

English Language Proficiency

English is where people get most confused about the AMC eligibility criteria. Here’s the detail that matters: English is a requirement of the Medical Board, not the AMC. Still, the AMC advises all applicants to arrange proof of English before they apply under any pathway, so it makes sense to plan for it from day one.

Under the Board’s updated standard, which came into effect in March 2025, the accepted tests and minimum scores are roughly these:

IELTS Academic: 7 overall, with 7 in listening, reading and speaking, and 6.5 in writing.
OET: grade B in each of the four sub-tests.
PTE Academic: 65 in each skill.
TOEFL iBT and Cambridge: also accepted, but you should check the Board’s current section scores before booking.

Test results need to be recent, usually within two years of applying for registration. Some doctors qualify for an exemption, but the rules are narrow, and many Indian graduates still end up taking a test. Read the Board’s English language skills standard before you decide to skip it.

Which Pathway Is Right for You?

The AMC eligibility criteria only make sense once you know which pathway you belong to. There are three.

Standard Pathway. This is for IMGs who are not eligible for the other two. You pass the AMC CAT MCQ exam, then either the AMC Clinical Examination or a workplace-based assessment. Most Indian MBBS graduates are here.

Competent Authority Pathway. This is for doctors who trained or are registered in countries such as the UK, the USA, Canada, Ireland or New Zealand. These doctors are assessed on documents and skip the usual AMC exam requirements. If you have only an Indian degree, this isn’t your route.

Specialist Pathway. This is for doctors who have completed specialist training overseas, for example an Indian MD or MS holder with specialist experience. Instead of the AMC, the relevant Australian specialist medical college assesses you, and each college has its own rules.

The AMC has a self-check tool for pathway eligibility on its website. Use it early. If you’re a specialist, also read the Specialist Pathway rules before you plan for the MCQ exam, because you may not need to meet the AMC exam requirements at all.

AMC Exam Requirements: What You Need to Pass

Once you meet the eligibility rules, you move on to the exams. Many people mix up eligibility and exam rules, so let’s keep them apart. Eligibility decides whether you can apply. The AMC exam requirements decide what you must pass to earn the AMC certificate.

Under the Standard Pathway, the AMC exam requirements have two stages.

Stage 1: The AMC CAT MCQ Examination. This is a computer-adaptive test with 150 multiple-choice questions, taken at Pearson VUE test centres around the world. You need to pass it before you can apply for registration on this pathway.

Stage 2: The Clinical Examination or a workplace-based assessment (WBA). The clinical exam is a multi-station, OSCE-style test. You can take it in person at the AMC’s test centre in Melbourne or online. The alternative is a WBA, where you are assessed at work over about 6 to 12 months.

Both routes meet the AMC exam requirements and lead to the same result, the AMC certificate. According to the Medical Board, most non-specialist IMGs are assessed through the exams.

After the MCQ, you can apply for limited registration. If you pass both the MCQ and the clinical exam, you can apply for provisional registration. In both cases, you then complete a period of supervised practice before you can apply for general registration.

The Cost of Meeting the AMC Exam Requirements

Money matters, so here is what it costs to meet the AMC exam requirements. Don’t pay for anything until you are sure you pass the AMC eligibility criteria. The fees below are in Australian dollars and exclude GST.

Initial AMC portfolio (with one qualification): AUD 642
Each additional qualification: AUD 107
CAT MCQ examination authorisation: AUD 2,920
Clinical examination, in person: AUD 3,000
Clinical examination, online: AUD 3,400 (this includes an AUD 400 levy)
Workplace-based assessment: AUD 1,070

Remember that the ECFMG’s verification fee is extra, and so are your English test and Ahpra registration fees. The AMC has also said that from 1 October 2026 it will stop charging a card payment surcharge, while the fees themselves stay the same. Fees can change, so always confirm the latest amounts on the AMC website before paying.

Are You Meeting the AMC Eligibility Criteria?

Before you pay for anything, ask yourself these questions. Is my medical school listed in the WDOMS? Is my degree title and graduation year marked eligible? Do I hold my final diploma? Are my name and documents consistent? Do I have a plan for English? If you can say yes to all five, you are in a good place to start. Many candidates takes AMC Course too from platforms like Academically global.

How to Apply: A Simple Step-by-Step Plan

If you meet the AMC eligibility criteria, this is a sensible order to follow.

Use the AMC’s self-check tool to confirm your pathway.
Check that your medical school, degree title and graduation year are eligible.
Create your AMC account and set up your portfolio.
Open your MyIntealth and EPIC accounts, and start primary source verification.
Book and pass an accepted English language test.
Apply for your CAT MCQ authorisation and book a Pearson VUE slot.
Finish the AMC exam requirements by choosing between the clinical exam and a WBA.
Apply to the Medical Board of Australia for the right registration.

You don’t have to do every step in a strict line. For example, you can study for the MCQ while verification is running. But don’t book expensive exam slots until you know your verification is moving.

Common Mistakes Indian Doctors Make

Most problems with the AMC eligibility criteria come from small things, not big ones. Here are the ones that show up again and again.

Skipping the graduation year check. Your college may be fine, but your year of graduation must be eligible too.

Starting EPIC late. Verification is the slowest part. Begin it first, not last.

Mismatched names. One extra initial or a different spelling across documents can hold up your file.

Mixing up eligibility and exam rules. Meeting the AMC exam requirements is the second stage. First, you have to be eligible to apply.

Taking the English test too late. Doctors often forget that results expire, and that a good score today may not help two years later.

Thinking the AMC gives you a licence. It doesn’t. Registration is a separate step with the Medical Board, and it has its own checks, including your English skills, identity and fitness to practise.

Trusting old information. Fees and rules change, and a forum post from two years ago can easily be wrong. When in doubt, go to the AMC and Medical Board websites.

Final Thoughts

The AMC eligibility criteria for Indian doctors are not hard to understand once you break them down. You need an eligible medical degree from a listed school, verified through EPIC. You need clean identity documents and proof of English. And you need to know whether the Standard, Competent Authority or Specialist pathway applies to you.

Once you have ticked off the AMC eligibility criteria, the AMC exam requirements become your next target. Most delays happen early, at the verification and document stage. So start there, check everything on the official websites, and keep your records tidy. If you want to read more about the whole process, the AMC eligibility criteria guide on Academically walks through each step in more detail. Take the AMC eligibility criteria one step at a time, and Australia becomes a lot more reachable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an age limit under the AMC eligibility criteria?

No upper age limit is listed in the AMC’s eligibility rules. What matters is your degree, your verification and your documents.

Can a final-year MBBS student apply?

No. You must already hold your final medical diploma, because the AMC assesses doctors who have completed their primary qualification.

Do I need work experience to apply?

The rules focus on your degree and documents, not on years of experience. After the exams, though, you will complete about 12 months of supervised practice before general registration.

Does passing the AMC exams guarantee a job in Australia?

No. The AMC certificate makes you eligible to apply for registration, but you still need to find a position, and employers have their own requirements.

Is the AMC the same as Ahpra?

No. The AMC assesses your knowledge and skills. Ahpra and the Medical Board handle registration.

Do the AMC eligibility criteria change often?

The core rules stay fairly steady, but details such as fees, test dates and the list of eligible schools can change. Always check the AMC website before you act on the AMC eligibility criteria you read in any blog.

Where can I read the full AMC exam requirements?

The AMC website lists the exam format, specifications and fees in detail, so use it as your final check.