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The short answer
The GMC asks for a certificate of good standing from every country where you have been registered or licensed in the last five years, even if you were not practising there, so a Nigerian doctor needs one from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). The GMC says certificates are valid for only three months from the date of issue and must still be valid on the date your application is approved, and asks that the regulator send it directly wherever possible.
What the GMC requires
The GMC's guidance on evidence of fitness to practise sets out the rules for certificates of good standing (CGS). You list every country where you have practised or held registration or a licence to practise in the last five years, and you need a CGS from each one, "even if you haven't been practising there". For almost every Nigerian-trained doctor that includes Nigeria, because MDCN registration is how you practised there.
The certificate must:
- cover all of your work in that country;
- confirm you are entitled to practise medicine there;
- confirm you have not been disqualified, suspended or prohibited from practising;
- confirm the regulator is not aware of any matter that calls your good standing into question.
Where a country has no regulator, the GMC asks for an employer reference form instead, but that does not apply to Nigeria, which has the MDCN.
The three-month window
This is the rule that catches people. The GMC says certificates and employer references are valid for three months from the date they are issued and must also be valid on the date your application is approved. A CGS requested too early expires while you are still waiting for PLAB results or gathering other documents.
- Example: too early
- MDCN issues a CGS on 10 January. You submit your GMC application on 25 March and it is approved on 20 April. The certificate expired on or around 10 April, before approval, so the GMC will ask for a new one.
- Example: timed well
- You request the CGS once your other documents are ready. It is issued on 1 March, you apply on 5 March, and approval comes on 2 April, inside three months.
Getting the CGS from the MDCN
We could not find a published MDCN page in October 2026 setting out the CGS request process, fee or turnaround, so confirm these with the MDCN directly before you start. In practice, plan for these points:
- Keep your MDCN registration and annual practising licence details to hand, including your registration number. A certificate of good standing describes your current position, so a lapsed licence may need to be dealt with first.
- Ask MDCN to send the certificate to the GMC directly, as the GMC prefers, and get the GMC's receiving address or email from the GMC's certificate of good standing contact database.
- Ask how long issue takes, so you can work backwards from your GMC submission date.
- Expect to pay any fee in naira, and keep the receipt.
- Record the date of issue the MDCN gives you; that starts the three-month clock.
If you hold registration in more than one country
Doctors who worked in, for example, Ghana or a Gulf state before coming to the UK need a CGS from each of those regulators too, all valid at approval. Request them at the same time so they expire together, rather than one at a time over several months.
Names and dates must line up
The GMC compares the CGS with your passport, primary medical qualification and the rest of your application. If your name on the MDCN register differs from your passport, for example after marriage, raise it with the MDCN before the certificate is issued, so it shows the name the GMC expects or notes the change. A certificate that does not match can cost another three-month cycle, and the work dates it covers should agree with the employment history you give the GMC, including any internship and house job periods in Nigeria.
Costs on the UK side
The GMC's fees page, as seen in October 2026, showed fees for April 2025 to March 2026 as current, including £273 for PLAB 1, £998 for PLAB 2 and £463 for full registration with a licence to practise. We did not see a later table on that page, so check the GMC site for the figures that apply on the day you pay.
What to check first
- That your MDCN licence is current.
- Every country you have been registered in during the last five years.
- Your likely GMC submission date, and how long MDCN says it needs.
- That the CGS will go directly to the GMC.
Where Pryme fits
Regulator fees at home are in naira while GMC and PLAB costs are in pounds. A Pryme account holds both, with local details for each, and Swap shows the rate and the fee before you convert. See GMC registration costs for Nigerian doctors and how UK employers verify Nigerian certificates.
Questions people ask
How long is a certificate of good standing valid for the GMC?
The GMC says three months from the date of issue, and it must still be valid on the date your application is approved.
Does MDCN send the certificate of good standing directly to the GMC?
The GMC asks that, wherever possible, the regulator sends the certificate directly. Ask the MDCN to do so when you request it.
Do I need a CGS from Nigeria if I have not practised there recently?
If you held MDCN registration or a licence in the last five years, yes. The GMC says you need one even if you have not been practising.
How much does the MDCN charge for a certificate of good standing?
We could not find a published fee on an MDCN page in October 2026. Confirm the current charge with the MDCN.
Sources
- GMC: Evidence of your fitness to practise (certificates of good standing) · accessed Oct 2026
- GMC: How our fees have changed · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.