Ireland
Ireland registers internationally trained doctors through the Medical Council of Ireland. There is no single mandatory exam for everyone. Routes include the Pre-Registration Examination System (PRES), a recognised internship or Certificate of Experience, recognised higher qualifications, and accepted alternative examinations.
If you already hold full PLAB, you do not need to sit the PRES at all.
Ireland has one of the highest proportions of foreign-trained doctors in Europe. In 2024 there were 20,962 clinically active doctors, and 27.8% held their basic medical qualification from outside Ireland, the EU and the UK — up from 25.7% in 2023.
Your pathway
- Check eligibility
- Pass the licensing exam
- Register with the authority
- Specialty or board exam
Exams and products
Language requirements
Most authorities ask for an English test. Germany asks for German.
Demand
PRES Level 3 has a queue. 326 doctors were waiting to sit it as at the end of February 2026 — the Medical Council's own stated reason for opening the PLAB exemption. Within the international cohort, the largest countries of qualification are Pakistan 2,314 (39.7%), Sudan 1,240 (21.3%) and South Africa 605 (10.4%).