Provisional to general registration

With COVID-19 mandatory isolation rules relaxed across Australia and fewer interns requiring access to COVID-19 flexibility, the Board has reduced its previous COVID-19 flexibility for 2023 interns, while acknowledging that interns may need to take leave for COVID-19 related illness or to isolate.

The Board expects that interns will complete the core terms and 47 weeks full-time equivalent (FTE) accredited supervised practice, unless they had to take genuine COVID-19 related leave (for COVID-19 illness or to isolate).

The 2023 changes apply to interns who started their internship from 1 November 2022. Interns:

• who had to take COVID-19 related leave (for COVID-19 illness or to isolate) are required to complete at least 45 weeks FTE supervised clinical experience (up to two weeks less than the standard 47 weeks required), and
• must complete the accredited core terms.

The intern will need to provide details of when the leave was taken and the reason for the leave.

For the purpose of granting general registration at the end of the intern year, the Board will accept a report from the Director of Medical Services, Director of Training or another person authorised to sign off intern reports which confirms that each intern has performed satisfactorily during the intern year.

The Medical Board of Australia has changed requirements for 2023 interns who had to take genuine COVID-19 related leave (for COVID-19 illness or to isolate) .

Interns who have taken additional leave that was not directly related to COVID-19 must meet the requirements in the registration standard Granting general registration as a medical practitioner to Australian and New Zealand medical graduates on completion of intern training. Interns must complete:

1. at least 47 weeks full-time equivalent service
2. all accredited core terms with a minimum of:
   1. ten weeks in surgery
   2. ten weeks in medicine
   3. eight weeks in emergency medical care, and
   4. a range of other approved terms to make up a minimum of 47 weeks full-time equivalent service.

The Medical Board of Australia (the Board) has not reduced the length of the intern year. It has reduced the minimum supervised clinical experience required of interns who have taken leave for genuine COVID-related absences to at least 45 weeks, from the standard 47 weeks, to allow for sick leave and isolation.

Interns are still required to complete the core rotations.

When the period of supervised practice has been less than 47 weeks, but at least 45, the intern will need to explain the reasons for the shortfall. Having to take sick leave or to isolate as a result of COVID-19 are acceptable reasons for reducing the period of supervised practice.

The Board will not approve applications for general registration earlier than the usual intern completion date. The Board expects interns to continue their internship for 12 months before they can apply for general registration.

No. For medical interns who started their internship before 31 October 2022, the 2022 COVID-19 changes will continue to apply. The 2022 changes are:

1. For interns who have been directly affected by COVID-19 (had to take COVID-related leave for illness or to isolate):
• must complete at least 40 weeks FTE supervised service (up to seven weeks less than the standard 47 weeks required)
• can gain their clinical experience in accredited and non-accredited positions
• do not have to meet the requirement for the usual rotations of medicine, surgery and emergency medical care. The Board will accept clinical experience in any supervised rotations.



The intern will need to provide details of when the leave was taken and the reason for the leave.

2. For interns who have been redeployed as a direct result of COVID-19:
• must complete at least 47 weeks FTE service
• can gain their clinical experience in accredited and non-accredited positions
• do not have to meet the requirement for the usual rotations of medicine, surgery and emergency medical care. The Board will accept clinical experience in any supervised rotations.



The Board may request confirmation from the employing health service that the redeployment was the result of COVID-19.

The Board expects interns will complete the core terms and 47 weeks accredited FTE supervised practice unless they were directly affected by COVID-19.

For the purpose of granting general registration at the end of the intern year, the Board will continue to accept a report from the Director of Medical Services, Director of Training or another person authorised to sign off intern reports which confirms that each intern has performed satisfactorily during the intern year.

If you hold provisional registration, you can apply online no more than four weeks before your anticipated internship completion date, through your online services account using your User ID - click the Apply online button at the top of this page.

You will need to complete the online form and pay the required fee.  You will be asked if there’s been any change to your Australian criminal history status, and if you need to disclose any impairment not previously disclosed. If you do declare a change in status, you might be asked to provide further information.

After you have satisfactorily completed your internship, Ahpra receives confirmation directly from your employer that you have successfully completed the required period of supervised practice to transition from provisional to general registration. Ahpra will use this confirmation to finalise your registration.

You can apply for general registration no more than four weeks before the anticipated completion date of your internship.

Ahpra will begin to assess your application and any supporting documentation, and if necessary, carry out a criminal history check. While we can’t finalise your application until we receive confirmation directly from your employer that you have successfully completed your internship, we begin to assess your application, so that it’s ready to be finalised once we receive the confirmation. If you meet the requirements for general registration, you will be granted general registration and we will send you an email confirming that you are registered. Your registration details are updated and published on the Register of Practitioners.

You will receive an automated confirmation via email when you submit your application.

Make sure you have provided a valid email address with your registration, so Ahpra can send you an email confirming that we have received your application.

To ensure a smooth transition from provisional to general registration, you should apply for registration online no more than four weeks before the anticipated completion date of your internship.

This way, Ahpra can begin to assess your application, before it receives confirmation directly from your employer that you have successfully completed your internship. If you meet the requirements for registration, we aim to finalise your application within two weeks after receiving confirmation from your employer.

You can download a certificate from your online services account after you have received an email from us confirming your general registration. You can print this out and use it as evidence of your general registration status with potential employers.

If a practitioner or employer wants to check someone’s registration details the safest and most up-to-date way to do so is via the online Register of Practitioners which is updated every day.

You can renew your provisional registration, if it has not expired, so that you can complete your internship. Please contact Ahpra customer service team on 1300 419 495 between 9:00am – 5:00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time to ask for the appropriate form to renew your provisional registration. You will need to provide your registration number, your name and date of birth.

Ahpra will contact you directly to confirm your options.

You will need to pay an application fee to change your registration from provisional to general. You will also need to pay the standard annual registration fee for general registration.

See the Medical Board’s schedule of fees for further information on exact fee amounts.

If you apply for general registration but do not successfully complete your internship or choose to withdraw your application after it has been received. Ahpra will refund your general registration fee. Your application fee is non-refundable.

If you are eligible to renew your provisional registration so that you can complete your internship, there will be a registration fee for provisional registration. In this case, Ahpra will refund the difference between the general and provisional registration fees.