How to Hire Doctors from India 2026: Licensing, Sourcing and Onboarding

Hiring a doctor from India starts with one question: is this doctor's qualification recognised by the regulator in your country, and which exam or assessment pathway applies? Everything else, from sourcing to onboarding, follows from that answer. Employers who verify the licensing pathway before interviewing save months and avoid offers that cannot be completed.

India trains a very large number of doctors each year, and many Indian doctors already have years of clinical experience in busy hospitals. That makes India one of the most important source countries for doctors worldwide, but it also means the market is crowded with candidates of very different quality, so screening matters more than volume.

The primary medical qualification in India is the MBBS, awarded after five and a half years including internship, by a medical college recognised by the National Medical Commission. Employers should confirm the college and the qualification are recognised, because recognition lists change and not every institution qualifies in every destination.

Postgraduate qualifications include MD and MS degrees, diplomas and the Diplomate of National Board. These matter most for specialist and senior roles, and regulators treat them differently: a postgraduate qualification accepted for specialist registration in one country may only count as additional experience in another.

Employers should also check internship completion, registration with a state medical council or the National Medical Commission, and a certificate of good standing. A doctor who is not in good standing at home will not be registered abroad, so this check belongs at the start of the process, not the end.

In the UK, most international medical graduates register with the General Medical Council through the PLAB route, which has two parts: a written exam and a practical OSCE-style exam. Some doctors with accepted postgraduate qualifications or substantial senior experience may use alternative routes, and the GMC publishes which qualifications it accepts.

In the Gulf, licensing is handled by national authorities such as the DHA in Dubai, the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi, the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties and the Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners. These typically require credential verification, a licensing exam or assessment, and an employer sponsor, with requirements varying by specialty and seniority.

Australia and New Zealand use their own assessment pathways, including the AMC exams in Australia, and competition for supervised practice posts is strong. Employers should confirm the exact pathway for the role they are filling, because a doctor eligible for one country's system may not be eligible for another's without further exams.

Good sourcing starts with a precise job description that states the specialty, the seniority, the licensing pathway and the support the employer will provide. Vague adverts attract large numbers of unsuitable applicants and waste screening time, while precise adverts attract doctors who have already checked their own eligibility.

Screening should cover qualification recognition, years and type of clinical experience, English proficiency and exam status. A doctor who has already passed the relevant licensing exam, or at least the first part, is a much lower-risk hire than one who has not started, and employers should weigh that in their selection.

Interviews should include a clinical discussion with a senior clinician from the employer's own team, not just an HR conversation. Case-based questions reveal clinical reasoning far better than a CV, and they help the employer judge whether the doctor's experience matches the realities of the role on offer.

Relocation support is a major factor in whether a doctor stays. Employers should plan for visa processing, flights, initial accommodation, help with banking and local registration, and a clear induction programme that covers local clinical protocols, documentation systems and cultural expectations.

Supervised practice periods are common in several destinations, and employers should treat them as structured induction rather than a formality. A named supervisor, regular feedback and a clear timeline to independent practice help the doctor settle and give the employer early warning of any problems.

Retention depends on what happens after arrival. Doctors who feel supported, who understand their career progression and whose families settle well are far more likely to stay beyond the first contract. Employers should budget for ongoing professional development and be honest about on-call duties, workload and pay from the start.

Costs typically include agency or sourcing fees, credential verification, licensing exam fees, visa and sponsorship costs, flights and relocation support. Gulf employers often cover most of these directly, while UK employers face sponsorship and Immigration Skills Charge costs that vary with visa length.

Timelines are the bigger risk. From selection to start date, employers should typically plan for six to twelve months, with exam scheduling, document attestation and visa processing as the usual delays. Building a pipeline of candidates at different stages, rather than relying on one hire at a time, reduces the impact when a single candidate is delayed.

Employers should also budget for the period before the doctor can practise independently. A doctor working under supervision or waiting for final registration is not yet delivering full value, and the induction budget should reflect that reality rather than assuming a day-one start.

SteadStaff connects employers with pre-vetted doctors and other healthcare professionals from India and other source countries. Employers can post vacancies, review candidate profiles and manage applications through the platform.

Visit steadstaff.com to post a vacancy or browse candidates, and start building your international medical recruitment pipeline with support from the SteadStaff team.