COUNTRY
INFO

  • JOB OFFERS
  • REGISTRATION AS A DOCTOR AND LICENCE TO PRACTICE
  • RECOGNITION OF A SPECIALIST TITLE
  • CAREER PATHWAY AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
  • PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE
  • SALARY
  • ACCOMMODATION
  • TRANSPORT
  • HEALTHCARE
  • ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION
  • INFORMATION UPDATE
  • CAREER CENTER

FRANCE

VERSION September 29, 2016

BACK

Maps

REGISTRATION AS A DOCTOR AND LICENCE TO PRACTICE

Is the EU Directive 2005/36/EC applied in your country?

Yes

Is the information in the Annex V up to date?

Yes

What is the entity or body responsible for the recognition of formal qualifications in basic medical training (medical degree)?

University

Once your diploma is recognised, do you need to register as a doctor and/or demand a licence to practice medicine?

Yes

If so, what is the entity responsible for registration and licence to practice? Please provide website and contact details.

Conseil National de l’Ordre des Médecins (https://www.conseil-national.medecin.fr)

Please provide website and contact details

Conseil National de l'Ordre des médecins
180 Bd Haussmann 75008 Paris
Tel : 01.53.89.32.00    
Mail : tableau@cn.medecin.fr

What are the main documents required?

ID 
Medical Diploma
Specialization Diploma
Level French certificate B2 minimum. (CEFR)
All additional  relevanttraining information or diplomas
Any Work certificates (detailing function, activities)
Attestation from your institution or authorities that you have not been sanctioned. (penalised).

All documents have to be translated into French by a specific authorised translateo, or certified by the French Consulate authorities.

Where are you from? Where does your diploma comefrom?

1. You are from the EU, EEA (Norway, Iceland or Lichtenstein), Marocco, Tunisia:

•  You have a French medical diploma for a Docteur en medicine. 
You just have to register at Tableau de l’Ordre des médecins in the region where you going to work.

• You have a Diploma of Docteur en medicine from a country in the EU or EEA (Norway, Iceland or Lichtenstein).

You cannot engage in a medical activity in France without an individual authorisation delivered by the Health Minister (article L. 4111-2, I bis Code de la Santé Publique), except if you pass some exams called “épreuves de vérification des connaissances” (see after).

But, you can try to ask directly to be register at Tableau de l’Ordre des médecins In the region you going to work. Because some of those regions consider that instead of looking at the L.4131-1 CSP law article , the L.4111-1 CSP article that enable some doctor from outside the UE to work as a doctor in France in they have obtain their diploma in UE country.

 
• You have a Diploma of Docteur en medicine from outside EU or the EEA (Norway, Iceland or Lichtenstein)

You cannot have an activity of medicine in France without an individual authorisation delivered by the Health Minister (article L. 4111-2, I bis Code de la Santé Publique)
except if you passsome exams called “épreuves de vérification des connaissances” see after.

Exception: 
a Swiss diploma 
Diplomas from Czechia, the former Soviet Union or Yugoslavia before independence associated with a specific attestation letter and certificate (see article L4311-1 2° du Code de la santé publique)
Diplomas from Saint Joseph University in Beirut.
Diplomas from Abidjan and Dakar Universities before the year 1984, with a specific attestation.
>> You just have to register on the Tableau de l’Ordre des médecins in the region where you going to work.


2. If you are not from the EU, EEA, Marocco or Tunisia:

• but you have a French diploma of Docteur en medicine. 
you just have to register on the Tableau de l’Ordre des médecins In the region where you going to work.

• but you have a Diploma of Docteur en medicine from the EU or EEA (Norway, Iceland or Lichtenstein)

If you pass the “épreuves de vérification des connaissances” (see after)
If you have worked in France for more than 3 years
If you can justify a good working level of the French language
you can ask for an individual authorisation delivered by the Health Ministry (article L. 4111-2, I bis Code de la Santé Publique)
and then you may register on the Tableau de l’Ordre des médecins in the region where you going to work.

Once again, you can try to ask directly to be registered on the Tableau de l’Ordre des médecins in the region where you going to work. Some regions consider that instead of looking at the L.4131-1 CSP law article, the L.4111-1 CSP article enables some doctors from outside the EU to work as a doctor in France, if they have obtained their diploma in an EU country.  It is possible to try to ask for an individual authorisation delivered by the Health Ministry (article L. 4111-2, I bis Code de la Santé Publique)
and then register on the Tableau de l’Ordre des médecins in the region where you going to work.

Exception: 
a Swiss diploma 
Diplomas from Czechia, the former Soviet Union or Yugoslavia before the independence, associated with a specific attestation letter and certificate (see article L4311-1 2° du Code de la santé publique)
Diplomas from the Saint Joseph University in Beirut
Diplomas from Abidjan and Dakar Universities before the year 1984, with a specific attestation.
>> Then you just have to register on the Tableau de l’Ordre des médecins in the region where you going to work.


o individual authorisation to practice medicine in France delivered by the Health Ministry (article L. 4111-2, I bis Code de la Santé Publique)

Requirements:
French Language exams
3 years practice as an internship
A specific Commission authorisation. 

If you are from outside the EU and you got your diploma inside the EU, you can try to ask for an individual authorisation to practice medicine in France delivered by the Health Minister, it is not necessary to do all the above exams, if you can justify your experience, etc. (Article L4111-2 CSP).

 

DOCUMENTS

Photocopies of: 

ID 
Medical Diploma
Specialization Diploma
Certificate in French language level B2 minimum. (CEFR)
Any additional relevant training information or diplomas
Any work certificates (detailing your function, activities)
Attestation from your institution or authorities that you have not been sanctioned, (penalised).  

All documents have to be translated into French by a specific authorized translator, or certified by the French Consulate authorities.

 

Epreuve de verification des connaissances

Foreign (non-EU) medical graduates can work as General Practitioners or specialists in France provided they fulfill the eligibility criteria and pass a licensing examination (“épreuves de verifications de connaissances“).  They are the first step of the exercise authorization procedure (EAP) for foreign doctors registering in France, organized by National Management Center.


Non-EU foreign doctors registering in France for licensing examination must follow the below process:

1 Know the eligibility criteria
2. Each candidate will ,during the registration period, send his/her application letter, with all documents, by registered mail with return receipt requested, to the Regional Health Agency of his/her place of residence (in France). If the applicant resides abroad, he/she should send his/her application letter, under the same conditions, to the addresses of the regional health agencies in the different region in France of his/her choice
3. Candidates receive an invitation to sit the written tests of the specialty in which he/she registered for, taking place during a single day.
4 Documents of Registration/licence exam for foreign doctors registering in France for «  des épreuves de verifications de connaissances: »

1. Fill in the license exam registration application form
2. Provide a copy of the national identity card or passport and residency permit (if already in France)
3. Provide a copy of basic medical qualificationz and transcript/mark sheet
4. Provide a copy of the license/registration certificate from the health authority in one’s home country.
5 Provide a copy of a French language proficiency certificate B2 level at least (CEFR).


The documents should be sent to the Regional Health Agency
http://www.cng.sante.fr/Epreuves-de-verification-des.html

What is the cost associated with these procedures?

Translation costs can be about 30 to 50€/page in France.
Certification for document depends on the country you come from.

How long might the process take?

A minimum of 4 to 6 months

Is a personal visit to the registration required to register or can it be done by post and email?

A visit is required when you are meeting  the Conseil de l’ordre doctor.
And for specific exams, if you are eligible to sit these.

Is an internship likely to be required before the issue of the licence to practice?

Not necessarily.