Application Process for Foreign-Trained Doctors
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Important Note on Specialist Accreditation
Foreign-trained doctors would need to receive an employment offer with a hospital or healthcare institution in Singapore before submitting an application for accreditation to SAB.
SAB will only accredit a doctor for specialist practice based on the approved list of specialties and sub-specialties.
To be considered for specialist accreditation in Singapore, all applicants are to ensure that:
- Their specialty training must have been in a formal accredited training position.
- They must have passed the intermediate examination for the specialty.
- They must have successfully completed the specialty training with documentary evidence proffered.
- Importantly, the specialty training content should be judged and deemed equivalent to Singapore’s local residency programmes in the areas described as follows:
- General specialty clinical exposure under supervision and competencies obtained are similar to Singapore,
- Structured assessments have occurred through specialty training including at the conclusion (summative) of the specialty training,
- A clinical environment and practise exposure which shaped the specialty training being similar to Singapore, and
- Subsequent specialty practice reflects the reasonable range of settings for the specialty as defined locally.
- They must satisfy the specialty practice currency requirement with at least an average of 168 hours of specialty clinical practice per year for the preceding 3 years. Applicants with limited clinical practice or practice in sub-disciplines of the specialty/sub-specialty applied for, should meet the specialty/sub-specialty practice currency requirement for both the base specialty/sub-specialty and the sub-discipline. Otherwise, the SAB might, at its discretion, impose additional requirements such as the need to undergo restricted practice, where applicable.
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Important Note on Specialist Registration with the Singapore Medical Council (SMC)
Please note that a concurrent application for specialist registration must be made with the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) for the Specialists Accreditation Board (SAB) to start processing your application for specialist accreditation unless your training was sponsored under the auspices of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the government of another country.
For first time foreign-trained applicants, the doctor must have, or applied for conditional medical registration with SMC before he/she applies for specialist accreditation and specialist registration.
Upon successful accreditation by SAB, SMC will process your application for specialist registration. Please visit the SMC website for information relating to specialist registration.
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- Applicant may refer to the process flow for applications.
- SAB will only process applications submitted with the complete set of supporting documents stated in the checklist Annex C2. Follow these steps to begin the application process:
- The processing of the application will only start if the application and all required documents submitted are considered to be in order by SAB.
- Please send an email to SAB@spb.gov.sg for any queries.
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Supporting Documents
- Please upload the following documents when submitting the online application form.
- Please use the Checklist – Annex C2 [DOCX, 26KB] as a reference for the list of required documents.
- Letter/offer of employment.
- Affidavit or Deed Poll required where the name of doctor varies in different documents.
- Certified true copies of Basic and Postgraduate Medical Qualifications.
- Letter of Verification for each qualification submitted to SAB and SMC.
- Certified true copy of Certificate of completion of specialist training programme or proof of entry into the specialist register from the relevant accrediting/licensing authority in the country. See below for examples:
1. Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training Programme e.g. CCST (UK).
2. Board Certification with member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (US).
3. Overseas specialist registration certificate(s).
- Letter from the relevant training authority stating the recognised postings for accredited specialist training completed.
- Copy of the overseas medical registration certificate(s) for the preceding three years, from every jurisdiction the doctor had previously registered for practice, and the jurisdiction he/she is currently practising in as a medical practitioner.
- Service Testimonials from previous and current employing institutions for the preceding three years (i.e. including locum employments). Additional testimonials may be requested for certain postings.
- For documents that are not in English, the document in the original language and certified true copies of the translated document in English.
- Updated curricula-vitae with details including:
1. Summary of clinical training received and competencies attained - provide period of training and summary from training logbooks where available;
2. Summary of clinical, academic and research work experience in the specialty; and
3. Evidence of currency of practice, continuing professional development or maintenance of certification in the specialty.
4. Other relevant information e.g. specialty-specific publications, etc.
5. Please use SAB’s CV Template [PDF, 278KB] for the submission.
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Documentation Required from Issuing Authorities/Conferring Institutions
Letter of Verification
The applicant or employing institution to arrange for the following letters to be sent to the SAB directly from source:
• Letter of verification for applicant's postgraduate medical qualification(s).
Submission of LVs through the applicants or Human Resource (HR) is not acceptable.
LVs must be on the letterhead of issuing authorities/conferring institutions & contain the following information:
• Name of graduate;
• Date of entry into programme;
• Date of completion of examination/conferment;
• Title of qualification conferred (if applicable); and
• Campus (If there is more than one campus by the University).
The LV must be addressed to the SAB Secretariat before it can be accepted by SAB. Please note that SAB shall not be responsible for any payments incurred by the applicant and / or interested parties arising from the request of the letters of verification. You are not required to submit a separate LV to SAB if you have submitted a copy to SMC for your application for medical registration.
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Processing Time & Application Outcomes
- If you have submitted an application with all required supporting documents, the average processing time for straight-forward foreign-trained applications is 1 month. Longer processing time will be required for non-straight-forward applications.
- You will be officially informed of the outcome in writing.
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