Applying to the MTI scheme

Step 1:  Apply for an MTI post

If you meet all the eligibility criteria, you may be able to apply for an MTI post, which has prospectively been approved by the College.

There are two routes which you can take in order to obtain an MTI post.

Route 1:

You may find your own post by contacting the hospital directly in which you would like to train. You may find posts at the following websites:

• BMJ Careers
• The Lancet
• NHS Careers

Please ensure that the posts you apply for have been approved by the College for MTI.

If you have been appointed to an approved MTI post, please contact the Global Partnerships department at global@rcoa.ac.uk with your details. 

Route 2:

The College has a matching scheme by which we may be able to find you an MTI post should you meet the eligibility criteria. If you want to be enrolled in the College’s Matching Scheme, please complete and return to the following documents to the Global Partnerships department:

• Matching Scheme Checklist
• up-to-date CV (include your clinical posts and the start and end dates)

Please be aware that enrolling in the College’s Matching Scheme does not guarantee that we will find a post for you. We are unable to advise on if or when you may be called for an interview.

Upon receipt of the above documents, we will review the provided information and request any further details we require before proceeding with your application. Once all your documentation is in order, we will send your details to hospitals looking to recruit MTI doctors, and it will be individual hospitals deciding whether they wish to interview you. Should this be the case, they will contact you directly to arrange the interview.

Please be aware that due to the high number of applications received, the MTI matching scheme is closed to new applications from 1st October 2024. Updates will be posted via the website in due course.

Step 2:  Upon appointment to an MTI post

When you have been successfully appointed to an approved MTI post, please email the Global Partnerships team at global@rcoa.ac.uk. We will also ask you to complete the online MTI application form,* which you will need to complete in full, and upload the following supporting documents:

• certified copy of Primary Medical and Postgraduate degrees
• verification of Primary Medical Degree and Postgraduate Degree (by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates)
• confirmation of appointment from the UK employing authority (offer letter)
• certified copy of IELTS/OET Certificate
• valid Certificate of Good Standing
• confirmation that an initial fee of £120 has been paid
• scanned copy of your passport.

*The applicant should provide the names and contact details of their nominated referees and the College will contact them directly.

Once an application has been received, please allow approximately four weeks for it to be processed. Please do not contact the Global Partnerships office during this time to check on progress, as this will delay the processing of the application.

Once your application has been checked we will ask your Trust to make the payment of an MTI Trust fee (£1,435). Once the Trust fee has been received and your application approved, we will email you a letter confirming that you have been accepted onto the MTI scheme. If you require sponsorship for GMC registration, we will request an administrative fee from you.

Step 3:  Applying for GMC registration

All doctors treating patients in the UK need to be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). Doctors successfully appointed through the MTI will receive GMC registration sponsored by the College. Once step two (outlined above) is completed, and you receive our approval letter, you will need to make your application to the GMC.  

When your application is started, you will be provided with a GMC reference number. You will need to pass this number to the College, so that we can complete a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to support your application.  We will send this CoS directly to the GMC.

Once your application is completed, the GMC will contact you to confirm this, and invite you to attend an identity check upon your arrival in the UK. Once this is completed, you will have your GMC registration approved and your name will be placed onto the GMC register and you will be able to start your clinical work.

Step 4:  Applying for Tier 5 visa

In order to take up your MTI post in the UK, you will need to be in possession of a valid Tier 5 visa.

As an MTI candidate, you will receive a CoS which you will need in order to apply for your Tier 5 visa from UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI). To get this, the HR department of your UK employing Trust will need to complete the Academy's (AoMRC) online MTI application form. The form will be approved by  Global Partnerships and the Academy (who are the visa sponsors for the MTI scheme). Please ensure that you also complete and sign the Data Protection Consent form and email the final copy to Global Partnerships at global@rcoa.ac.uk.

The AoMRC will then send the CoS to Global Partnerships directly when this has been processed and we will then send to you so that you can use this to apply for your visa. Please be aware that the MTI application form can only be sent to the AoMRC once the GMC has emailed you an invitation to attend an identity check, as the AoMRC requires a copy of this email to issue your CoS.

Once you are in possession of your Tier 5 CoS you can make the appropriate leaving plans with your current overseas hospital. You should also keep in touch with your hospital Trust and the College, so that you can confirm your start date.