How to Become a Registered Medical Practitioner in India

A registered medical practitioner (RMP) in India is a doctor whose name is entered in a State Medical Register or the National Medical Register. You become one by finishing a recognised MBBS, completing a 12-month internship, and getting permanent registration from your State Medical Council. Practising without it is a criminal offence.

Key Takeaways

• RMP is a legal status, not a degree. Section 34 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 allows only people enrolled in a State Register or the National Register to practise as a qualified doctor.

• The route is MBBS, then internship, then registration. You get provisional registration to start the 12-month internship, and permanent registration once it is complete.

• State Medical Councils do the registering. Each council sets its own fee. Punjab Medical Council, for example, charges Rs. 3,100 for permanent registration of its own MBBS graduates.

• Foreign medical graduates have extra steps. They must clear FMGE and complete a 12-month supervised internship in India under the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021.

• NExT will change the route, but it is not running yet. The NMC deferred the National Exit Test on 13 July 2023, so the final MBBS exam and FMGE still lead to registration.

What is a registered medical practitioner (RMP) in India?

A registered medical practitioner is a doctor of modern medicine whose name sits on an official register kept under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019. The National Medical Commission (NMC) is the national regulator for medical education and doctors. There are two kinds of register. Each State Medical Council keeps a State Register. The NMC's Ethics and Medical Registration Board keeps the National Medical Register, under Section 31 of the Act.

Section 34 of the Act, titled "Bar to practice", lists four things only an enrolled doctor may do:

• Practise medicine as a qualified medical practitioner. Anyone else treating patients as a doctor is breaking the law.

• Hold the post of physician or surgeon. This covers any office, by whatever name, that is meant to be held by a doctor.

• Sign medical or fitness certificates. Any certificate that the law says must be signed by a qualified doctor needs an RMP's signature.

• Give expert medical evidence. Only an enrolled doctor can give expert evidence on medicine at an inquest or in a court of law.

Breaking Section 34 can lead to up to one year in prison, a fine of up to Rs. 5 lakh, or both. That is why every hospital, clinic and government job asks for your registration certificate first.

The Act defines "medicine" as modern scientific medicine, including surgery and obstetrics. So the RMP route in this guide is for MBBS doctors. Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha graduates (BAMS, BUMS, BSMS) register under a separate law with the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine.

Who regulates RMP registration in India?

Three bodies handle a doctor's registration, and each has a different job. The table below shows who does what.

The Union Health Minister launched the NMR portal on 23 August 2024, according to the Press Information Bureau release on the National Medical Register. The release said the register would bring together data on more than 13 lakh doctors. It also said every MBBS doctor already on the old Indian Medical Register has to register again on the NMR.

Who is eligible to become a registered medical practitioner?

Eligibility depends on where you studied. The rules for each group are set out below, with the official document behind each one.

Who cannot become an RMP under the NMC Act: anyone without a recognised medical degree in modern medicine, and anyone who has not completed the internship. A doctor whose name has been removed from the register for misconduct also cannot practise. Students looking at medical colleges can compare options on our guide to medical colleges in India.

How to become a registered medical practitioner after MBBS in India, step by step

Registration is paperwork and verification, not another exam. The hard part is finishing MBBS and the internship. This is the order an Indian MBBS graduate follows today.

1. Pass the final MBBS examination. The Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 say no student may stay on the course beyond nine years from admission.

2. Apply for provisional registration. Under the Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine Regulations, 2023, a graduate who has passed the final exam applies to the State Medical Council. Provisional registration lets you work as an intern.

3. Complete the 12-month compulsory rotating medical internship (CRMI). The CRMI Regulations, 2021 require at least 12 months, done in the college where you studied MBBS, and finished within two years of passing final MBBS. Interns get up to 15 days of leave. Extra leave extends the internship. Stipends differ by state, as our web story on MBBS internship stipends by state shows.

4. Apply for permanent registration. Submit the internship completion certificate and your provisional registration certificate to the State Medical Council, with the fee.

5. Receive your registration number. This number is your proof of RMP status. The Code of Medical Ethics Regulations, 2002 require every doctor to show it in the clinic and on all prescriptions, certificates and receipts.

6. Register on the National Medical Register. Keep your MBBS degree, State Medical Council registration certificate and Aadhaar number ready, as the PIB release sets out. The State Medical Council and the NMC check the details. The NMC then issues your NMR ID.

For the full journey from NEET to practice, see our guide on how to become a doctor in India.

How foreign medical graduates become registered medical practitioners

A foreign medical graduate (FMG) is an Indian citizen with a medical degree from outside India. Section 3 of the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021 says no FMG may practise in India without permanent registration. For students who joined a foreign course on or after 18 November 2021, the steps are:

1. Study a course of at least 54 months, taught in English. The entire course and internship must be at the same foreign university, finished within ten years of joining.

2. Complete a 12-month internship at that same university. No part of the training can be done in India or a third country.

3. Get registered in the country of study. The degree must carry a licence to practise there, on the same terms as a local citizen.

4. Pass FMGE. The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination is the screening test run by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). In the December 2025 FMGE, 10,264 of 42,868 candidates passed, which is 23.94 per cent, or roughly one in four (NBEMS FMGE Performance Report 2025).

5. Complete 12 months of supervised internship in India. The State Medical Council grants provisional registration for this, then permanent registration once it is done.

Our guides on what the FMGE exam is and FMG internship and registration in India cover each step in detail.

Documents required for RMP registration

Each State Medical Council publishes its own checklist. The Punjab Medical Council registration checklist is a clear example of what councils ask for.

Documents for permanent registration (Indian MBBS graduates)

• Online application receipt, signed by the candidate.

• Class 10 certificate, as proof of date of birth.

• Pass certificates for every MBBS professional exam: first, second, and both parts of the final.

• Attempt certificate, showing how many attempts each exam took.

• Internship completion certificate from the college.

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certificate. Punjab lists this for permanent registration.

• Original provisional registration certificate.

• Aadhaar card as proof of address, plus attested passport-size photographs.

Extra documents for foreign medical graduates

• Degree and full mark sheets from the foreign university.

• Class 10, 11 and 12 certificates and mark sheets.

• FMGE result issued by NBEMS.

• Every page of every passport, showing visas and travel dates.

• Internship completion certificate with department postings and dates.

• Affidavit for delay, if you apply more than 30 days after finishing the internship.

RMP registration fees: one state as an example

Fees are set by each State Medical Council, so they differ from state to state. The figures below are from the Punjab Medical Council registration fee page.

A foreign graduate pays about Rs. 30,200 in Punjab for provisional plus permanent registration. A Punjab MBBS graduate pays Rs. 5,200 for the same two steps.

RMP licence validity, renewal and transfer

These rules come from the Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine Regulations, 2023.

• Validity: a licence to practise is valid for five years. The doctor then renews it through the State Medical Council.

• Renewal window: apply in the three months before the licence expires. If no application arrives, the State Register marks the doctor "inactive", and an inactive doctor cannot practise.

• Moving state: apply through the EMRB portal. The home council has 30 days to object, after which the transfer is treated as approved. The unique number stays the same, and only the state code changes.

• Additional qualifications: after MD, MS or a DNB, the doctor applies to add it. The same registration number is reissued with the new qualification.

State renewal rules also include continuing medical education (CME). Punjab Medical Council, for example, asks for proof of 50 CME hours, or an undertaking, with each renewal.

How NExT will change RMP registration

The National Exit Test (NExT) is planned as one common final-year MBBS exam. Under Section 15 of the NMC Act, it will be the basis for a licence to practise, for enrolment in the registers, and for postgraduate admission. Foreign medical graduates will also have to pass it.

NExT is not running yet. An NMC public notice dated 13 July 2023 deferred it until further directions from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The 2023 registration regulations say the existing system of registration continues until the new sections come into force. So Indian graduates still register on the strength of their final MBBS exam, and foreign graduates still sit FMGE. Our web story on NExT being deferred and our NExT exam explainer track the latest position.

What can a registered medical practitioner do?

Once registered, an MBBS doctor can diagnose, prescribe, treat, and sign the certificates the law reserves for doctors. Specialist work needs a recognised postgraduate qualification added to the register. The 2023 regulations let a doctor practise in a specialty once that postgraduate qualification is registered.

What if something goes wrong with RMP registration?

• The State Medical Council rejects your application. Under the 2023 regulations, you can appeal to the EMRB within 30 days. The EMRB decides within 30 days. If it rejects the appeal, a second appeal to the NMC is allowed within 60 days, and the NMC's decision is final.

• You do not finish the internship within two years. The CRMI Regulations require completion within two years of passing final MBBS or FMGE. Leave beyond 15 days extends the internship in the department concerned.

• Your licence lapses. If renewal is missed, the State Register shows you as inactive and you cannot practise until it is restored.

• You practise before registration. Section 34 of the NMC Act allows up to one year in prison, a fine of up to Rs. 5 lakh, or both.

Conclusion: becoming a registered medical practitioner

Becoming a registered medical practitioner comes down to three things. You need a recognised MBBS, a completed 12-month internship, and permanent registration with a State Medical Council. The NMR ID follows. For Indian graduates the route is short and predictable. Foreign graduates have two extra hurdles: FMGE and a supervised internship in India. With about one in four passing FMGE, that exam is the step to plan for.

Frequently asked questions about registered medical practitioners

Sources

• National Medical Commission Act, 2019 (Sections 15, 31, 33 and 34)

• NMC Registration of Medical Practitioners and Licence to Practice Medicine Regulations, 2023

• NMC Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship Regulations, 2021

• NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021

• NMC Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023

• NMC public notice deferring NExT, 13 July 2023

• Code of Medical Ethics Regulations, 2002 (NMC)

• NMC notification of 23 August 2023 adopting the 2002 ethics regulations

• NMC rules and regulations page

• NMC list of State Medical Councils

• Press Information Bureau: launch of the National Medical Register portal, 23 August 2024

• NBEMS Foreign Medical Graduate Examination page

• NBEMS FMGE Performance Report 2025

• Punjab Medical Council registration fees

• Punjab Medical Council registration checklist

• National Commission for Indian System of Medicine