Overseas Doctor to Australia: AMC, Ahpra and the subclass 189 pathway explained

What the AMC exams and Ahpra registration actually cost an overseas-trained doctor, the current English language standard, and how ANZSCO 253111 General Practitioner connects to the subclass 189, 482 and 494 visas. Figures as at September 2026.

Read the full guide, with official sources →

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Chapters

  1. 0:00 What does it cost to register as a doctor in Australia?
  2. 0:14 AMC MCQ exam
  3. 0:26 AMC clinical exam
  4. 0:37 AMC publishes no pass rate for either exam
  5. 1:04 English, from 23 April 2026
  6. 1:22 Passport ≠ exemption.
  7. 1:38 ANZSCO 253111 General Practitioner
  8. 1:54 482 or limited registration first
  9. 2:08 Distinguished Talent (124) or
  10. 2:21 This runs alongside your visa strategy, not after it
  11. 2:34 Where to read more

Transcript

Before an overseas-trained doctor can apply for a subclass 189 visa, there's a registration pathway to get through first. Here's what it actually costs.

Most overseas doctors sit the AMC MCQ exam first. The fee is $2,920, and it can be taken from overseas at a designated centre.

Then the AMC clinical exam, which needs travel to Australia. It's $3,400 for the online sitting, or $3,000 in person.

The Australian Medical Council does not publish a pass rate for either exam. Anyone quoting you a percentage is guessing.

After both exams, it's the Medical Board of Australia's own fees. General registration application: $1,661. Limited registration: $1,131. Then a separate registration fee of $1,102.

English for tests taken from 23 April 2026: IELTS Academic 7 overall, 7 in listening, reading and speaking, 6.5 in writing. Or OET 350, 360, 350, 360.

The exemption doesn't come from your passport. It depends on where your primary medical qualification was completed. A UK, Irish, US, Canadian or New Zealand passport only exempts you from the visa's English test, not Ahpra's.

ANZSCO 253111, General Practitioner, sits on both the MLTSSL and the CSOL, which is what makes the subclass 189 possible, alongside the 482 and 494 employer-sponsored routes.

In practice, many doctors start on a subclass 482 or limited registration in a regional area while AMC and Ahpra recognition are still in progress, then move to the subclass 189 once registration is complete.

For doctors with international recognition in their field, there's also subclass 124 Distinguished Talent, or the National Innovation Visa, subclass 858, which replaced Global Talent in December 2024.

The most common mistake is assuming AMC and Ahpra registration is quick. It runs alongside the visa strategy, not after it — which is where a registered migration agent earns their fee.

The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.

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