Professional licensing

Why you see this The MCC accepts translations from three providers only, and you deal with them directly.

Comes after: Open a physiciansapply.ca account and confirm your identity

1. Providers: ITC Global, NATIONS Translation Group or Straker. You pay them directly; the MCC does not refund translations that are not accepted.
2. Upload the original with the translation exactly as you received it, without adding or removing pages.
3. Translate the back of a credential only if it has vital information or stamps not on the front.

How you know it is done When the translation is uploaded with the original, or if all your documents are already in English or French.

Why you see this The MCC sends your degree to ECFMG, which asks your university directly. You must submit and pay this before applying for the MCCQE.

Comes after: Open a physiciansapply.ca account and confirm your identity

1. From your account, submit the verification request for your degree and pay. The MCC reviews the documents and tells you if anything needs fixing.
2. Also verify the credentials your route needs: internship, postgraduate training and specialist certificate. Each credential has its own fee.
3. If ECFMG verified your documents before (for example EPIC or USMLE), still submit and pay, then send your number by message so the earlier verification may be reused.
4. If you need an immigration Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), the MCC is the designated body for physicians. It is for immigration only and does not let you practise.

Fee: CAD 232 · Source verification, per credential (non-refundable) · Medical Council of Canada

How you know it is done When the request is submitted and paid.

Why you see this We found no published national rule for universities that cannot reply because of war or conflict, such as in Sudan.

Comes after: Open a physiciansapply.ca account and confirm your identity

1. If the university does not reply, ECFMG re-sends every two months, up to three requests. After that nothing more happens until the university replies.
2. You may ask for courier delivery at your own cost.
3. Write to the MCC and CMQ, explain your situation and ask about any alternative arrangement.
4. Do not rely on anyone offering verification or substitute documents that do not come from the university.

How you know it is done When you have a written answer from the MCC.

Why you see this The ball is with your university. Meanwhile you can work on language and exams.

Comes after: Request source verification of your medical degree (SVR)

1. ECFMG usually sends the documents to the university within 5 days and usually updates your status within 5 to 10 days of receiving the verification certificate.
2. If your request is more than two years old, contact the MCC: a new request at the current fee may be needed.

Published processing time: No time is guaranteed. University replies can take three months or longer. (the body’s time, not your own time to complete)

How you know it is done When your degree status reads “verification returned – passed”.

Why you see this Charter of the French language s.35: a permit is issued only to people with appropriate knowledge of French. The order (not the OQLF) decides whether you meet an exemption.

1. Exemptions: three full-time years of study in French (such as an M.D. from a French-only university), French mother-tongue exams in secondary school, or a Quebec secondary certificate from 1985-1986. Send your study certificate to the CMQ.

How you know it is done When the CMQ accepts your proof of exemption.

Why you see this On the restrictive route it is needed before the evaluation stage and within 24 months of filing. On the equivalence route it is needed before the regular permit, not for the equivalence itself.

1. Four parts in one session: case reading, group discussion, writing and an interview. You must pass all four, at level 1, 2 or 3 orally and in writing. There is no numeric score.
2. The exam is free and in person only in Montréal (276 rue Saint-Jacques, bureau 400), Monday to Friday. It is not offered online.
3. Results within 10 working days. If you fail you retake the whole exam after at least three months, with no limit on attempts. A written review can be requested within 30 days.
4. After the CMQ confirms, open an account on the OQLF exam portal; the CMQ validates your form, then you choose a session. The CMQ names free MIFI French courses for health professionals.

Published processing time: Results within 10 working days. (the body’s time, not your own time to complete)

How you know it is done When you pass and the CMQ has the proof.

Why you see this The CMQ can issue a one-year temporary permit, renewable three times with OQLF authorization.

1. You must sit the OQLF exam at least once within 12 months of issue or renewal. The OQLF authorizes renewal only if the public interest justifies it (a letter from a Quebec employer).
2. Your order sends the renewal request to the OQLF three months before expiry, and you complete the portal form. If renewal is refused, you cannot practise until you pass.
3. After passing, convert the temporary permit to a regular one.

Fee: CAD 405 · Conversion of a temporary permit to a regular permit · CMQ

How you know it is done When you pass the French exam and convert the permit.

Why you see this It is required for residency in Canada and for the LMCC you need for a full licence, and most PRA programs use it.

Comes after: Request source verification of your medical degree (SVR)

1. From your account: Examinations, then “Apply for an exam”. Once accepted you have 12 months to book and sit it (extendable once).
2. Booking is at Prometric centres only, first come first served, up to five months ahead. Remote proctoring is paused from the August 2026 session.
3. The exam is one day: 230 multiple-choice questions in two sections.
4. 2027 sessions: Jan 19–Feb 11, Apr 27–Jun 1, Aug 10–Sep 7 and Oct 5–26.
5. You have four attempts only, with a full one-year wait after the third result. The pass score is 439 (scale 300–600).
6. If something goes wrong on exam day, report it within 7 days and request reconsideration within 15 days of the result. The only possible outcome is No Standing (not counted as an attempt), never a pass.

Fee: CAD 1500 · MCCQE application · Medical Council of Canada

Fee: CAD 120 · Eligibility window extension (if needed) · Medical Council of Canada

Fee: CAD 1200 · Appeal (if needed) · Medical Council of Canada

Published processing time: Up to four weeks for the application. Results four weeks after the last day of the session (five for April). (the body’s time, not your own time to complete)

How you know it is done When a pass result appears in your account.

Why you see this It is required to apply to the residency match (CaRMS).

Comes after: Request source verification of your medical degree (SVR)

1. Your degree must be “reviewed and accepted” in your account. The MCCQE and NAC can be taken in either order.
2. Apply during the session’s application window and rank up to three centres. It runs twice a year (spring and fall), in person in Canada only.
3. Half a day: 12 clinical stations. In English at all centres and in French at some.
4. You have three attempts, not in consecutive sessions. The pass score is 577 (scale 500–700); results come about eight weeks later.
5. The result has no time restriction, but only your most recent result counts.

Fee: CAD 3320 · NAC application · Medical Council of Canada

Published processing time: Up to four weeks for the application. (the body’s time, not your own time to complete)

How you know it is done When a pass result appears in your account.

Why you see this The restrictive permit needs a pass in only one of the three, and the LMCC is not one of its conditions.

Comes after: Check that your medical school and degree are acceptable

1. If you passed USMLE Step 2 CK, or the EECMC before 2019, you do not need the EACMC for this route.
2. If you have none of them: register for the EACMC (the MCCQE’s French name) from your inscriptionmed.ca account, under Examens. Your degree must be submitted for verification before you apply for the exam.
3. The exam may come before or after sponsorship, but it must be passed before you file the restrictive-permit request.

Fee: CAD 1500 · EACMC (MCCQE) application, if you hold none of the three exams · Medical Council of Canada

How you know it is done When you hold a pass in one of the three.

Why you see this A free one-time virtual consultation of about an hour. It is a pilot with limited spots.

Comes after: Check that your medical school and degree are acceptable

1. Fill in the expression-of-interest form on the service page and check the eligibility criteria.

How you know it is done When you know your route, with or without the consultation.

Why you see this CaRMS’s general rule: citizen or permanent resident at the time of application, and pending applications are not accepted. Provinces differ; details follow.

1. There are province-specific exceptions. Read CaRMS’s citizenship summary for your province before paying.
2. In Quebec, the regular contingent (first round) is for citizens, Indian-status holders, permanent residents and protected persons who never did residency or fellowship in Canada or the US.
3. Others enter the particular contingent in the second round. From 2027-2028, those who are not citizens, PR or protected persons are admitted only to disciplines with places left after the first round.
4. Particular-contingent places for 2027-2028: 74 (37 outside family medicine), offered first to holders of a Quebec M.D. in set situations. When files are equal, graduates of a Quebec faculty and those with a marked interest in practising in Quebec take precedence.
5. The 2027 provincial criteria were not yet posted when we read the page.

How you know it is done When you know whether you are eligible for this year’s match.

Why you see this An international graduate without completed postgraduate training enters residency through the match.

Comes after: Take the MCCQE (Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination)Take the NAC Examination (clinical, in Canada)The equivalence decision

1. You need CMQ recognition of M.D. equivalence before CaRMS. After it, the BCI (DIM team) emails you how to apply and which contingent applies. A virtual DIM information day is on October 24, 2026.
2. Quebec’s faculties require the NAC for residency, even though the CMQ does not require it for equivalence.
3. You must show that within the four years before applying you completed your M.D., were in residency, practised independently or completed CÉDIS. Preference goes to a year of independent practice. Observerships and telemedicine do not count.
4. First round: applications by November 26, 2026 at noon ET, match March 2, 2027. Second round (particular contingent): match April 20, 2027. First application within four years of equivalence. Dates may change.
5. Apply to more than one university and program, and read each program’s criteria on CaRMS. A false declaration can bar you from starting or continuing postgraduate medical training in Quebec.
6. Share your MCCQE and NAC results with CaRMS before file review (usually late November).
7. You need a Medical Identification Number for Canada (MINC). The MCC issues it, with written consent, to applicants to its exams.
8. In CaRMS Online: register and pay, prove citizenship (share your MCC identity validity period or upload a document), upload your transcript and MSPR, request references, apply to programs, attend virtual interviews, then submit your rank order list.
9. Read the provincial criteria and pay attention to return-of-service requirements.
10. 2027 dates: citizenship proof through the MCC by October 16, 2026; applications by November 26, 2026 at noon ET; match day March 2, 2027. Your degree must be completed by July 1 of the match year.
11. The fees page shows two tables. Confirm the fee before paying.

Fee: CAD 301.6 plus tax · Match participation fee (includes four programs) · CaRMS

Fee: CAD 66.26 plus tax · Each additional program · CaRMS

How you know it is done When you submit your rank order list.

Why you see this CaRMS matches your rank list with the programs’ lists.

Comes after: Apply to the CaRMS R-1 Main Residency Match

1. When you receive the result, record it here.

How you know it is done When you know the result.

Why you see this You can apply in a later cycle. We have not read CaRMS’s rules for later rounds.

Comes after: Match result

1. Read CaRMS’s page on later rounds and consider the MCC’s free consultation.

How you know it is done When you decide your next step.

Why you see this Every regulator requires recent practice, and each PRA program sets its own threshold.

1. Ask CMQ in writing about its threshold before paying exam fees.

How you know it is done When you know whether your practice is recent enough.

Why you see this Equivalence is required before any residency or training in Quebec. The CMQ requires no French for it.

Comes after: Request source verification of your medical degree (SVR)Take the MCCQE (Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination)

1. In inscriptionmed.ca: “Demande d’inscription médicale”, then “QC Collège des médecins du Québec”, then “Permis régulier – Reconnaissance d’équivalence du diplôme de médecine (M.D.)”. Your degree must be “Approuvé”. Provisional diplomas are not accepted.
2. To the CMQ from your page: a certified copy of your passport and a second ID (a birth certificate from any country, a PR card, an IRCC work or study permit...). Certification by a member of a professional order, a commissioner for oaths, or an embassy or consulate. A birth certificate not in English or French (such as a Sudanese one in Arabic) needs an official translation bearing the seal of a certified translator; if the seal’s wording is not in English or French, it must be translated too.
3. A certificate of professional conduct under three months old, from every medical regulator where you hold or held a right to practise, sent directly to cgs@cmq.org. If a regulator (such as the Sudan Medical Council) cannot issue one, request it in writing, keep proof, and write to the CMQ.
4. For the 2027 match: apply before October 30, 2026. After that the CMQ cannot assure processing before the November 26 deadline.
5. The exam: the step-1 page and aide-mémoire require only the EACMC, but the older diagram says “EACMC-I + II or LCMC”. Before applying, email equivalence@cmq.org to ask whether an EACMC pass alone is enough, and keep the reply. The USMLE is not accepted for equivalence.

Fee: CAD 585 · M.D. equivalence file study · CMQ

Published processing time: Acknowledgement in 48–72 hours. The recognition letter within 10 working days of a complete file (the timeline PDF says 24–48 hours). (the body’s time, not your own time to complete)

How you know it is done When your file is complete.

Why you see this If recognized, the CMQ sends your details to the BCI for the residency application.

Comes after: Apply to the CMQ for recognition of M.D. equivalence

1. The CMQ publishes no validity for the equivalence. The faculties accept a first residency application within four years of it. If your letter is older, ask equivalence@cmq.org whether it must be renewed.
2. When you receive the decision, record it here.

How you know it is done When you receive the letter.

Why you see this CMQ pages do not say which committee reviews an equivalence refusal. The annual report says its comité des requêtes reviews other committees’ decisions.

Comes after: The equivalence decision

1. Within 30 days of receiving the decision, write to equivalence@cmq.org asking which committee reviews it and how to send observations. Keep proof of the date you received the decision.
2. You may also file a free complaint with the Commissaire à l’admission aux professions, or apply to first-cycle medical studies in a Quebec faculty, with limited places.

How you know it is done When you request a review or choose another route.

Why you see this This is Quebec’s practice-ready route. The CMQ says 9 to 18 months on average; the Quebec government says the whole process (sponsorship and permit) can take 12 to 24 months.

Comes after: Check that your medical school and degree are acceptable

1. An M.D. from a WDOMS school and one exam passed: the EACMC, the EECMC (before 2019) or USMLE Step 2 CK (in English only).
2. Postgraduate training “globally equivalent” to Quebec’s, a specialist certificate, and 12 months of competent practice in the last three years in that field.
3. Good conduct. If a restrictive permit was refused before, you may continue if you show you corrected the gaps.

How you know it is done When you know you meet the criteria.

Why you see this Without sponsorship you cannot continue on this route. The platform was formerly called Recrutement Santé Québec.

Comes after: The restrictive clinician permit: check the criteria

1. Register and complete your file and CV. If it meets the preliminary criteria, it becomes visible to health establishments, which contact the candidates they want. Remote regions get priority.
2. After a successful interview: a sponsorship letter and a financial-aid agreement that commits you to practise three years in the sponsoring establishment’s territory. You may refuse an offer and your profile becomes available again.
3. Sponsorship numbers and specialties sought are not published. The exam may come before or after sponsorship; a pass may help.
4. When you know the result, record it here.

How you know it is done When you know the result.

Why you see this The CMQ points to the M.D. equivalence route when there is no sponsor.

Comes after: Register with Travailler en santé au Québec and get sponsored

1. Change your practice answer here to see the equivalence and residency route, or keep your profile open on the platform.

How you know it is done When you choose your route.

Why you see this The file study is free with TSQ-DIM sponsorship. Documents are due within six months of filing.

Comes after: Register with Travailler en santé au Québec and get sponsoredOne exam passed: the EACMC, the EECMC or USMLE Step 2 CK

1. In inscriptionmed.ca choose the sponsored clinician restrictive-permit request. For verification: degree, exam result (USMLE goes to the CMQ), training attestations with dates per discipline, specialist certificate and your licence.
2. To the CMQ: two IDs, your CV, conduct certificates under three months old from every authority, proof of 12 months of work in the last three years (from your supervisor or HR), and a copy of every licence you held.
3. Documents in another language need a sworn French translation by a certified translator.

Published processing time: Acknowledgement within 5 working days. (the body’s time, not your own time to complete)

How you know it is done When your file is complete for the committee.

Why you see this The committee meets about every seven weeks; the decision appears in your secure space within 15 working days. The CMQ reports an average of over 73 days from request to decision.

Comes after: File the restrictive-permit request and documents

1. When you receive the decision, record it here.

How you know it is done When you receive the decision.

Why you see this CMQ pages do not say whether this decision can be reviewed separately.

Comes after: Committee decision: are you authorized for the evaluation stage?

1. As soon as the letter arrives, email permisfqc@cmq.org asking whether the decision can be reviewed and how to reach the committee secretary. If it can, send your written request within 30 days of receiving the letter.

How you know it is done When you have a written answer.

Why you see this Residency needs an educational registration with CMQ; its length depends on the specialty.

Comes after: Match result

1. Your program and the regulator explain the registration you need.
2. At the end you take the CFPC or Royal College certification exam.

How you know it is done When you complete residency and pass the certification exam.

Why you see this Anyone admitted to a Quebec postgraduate program must be registered and hold a carte de stages.

Comes after: Match result

1. For the carte de stages: two IDs to the CMQ, and your degree on inscriptionmed.ca with CMQ access. Renew it every academic year.
2. The registration request may ask for a criminal record certificate under four months old. Whether it applies to DIM residents is unclear: check the document list in the CMQ email, and if asked, order it from an RCMP-accredited firm (24–48 hours). The CMQ does not accept emailed certificates, and from Identité Québec only the Premium certificate. If you live outside Canada, upload proof that you requested it.
3. Residency length: family medicine 24 months, other specialties 48–96 months. The faculty may credit earlier training after at least 12 months in the program.

Fee: CAD 130 · Immatriculation · CMQ

Fee: CAD 295 · Carte de stages (more than 5 periods) · CMQ

How you know it is done When you hold a valid carte de stages.

Why you see this The CMQ chooses and coordinates the site; you may not arrange it yourself. It is an evaluation, not training.

Comes after: Committee decision: are you authorized for the evaluation stage?

1. Proof of French is required before the stage starts, and within 24 months of filing.
2. If you are not a PR or citizen: the sponsoring establishment starts the work permit with an LMIA-exempt offer. Your passport must be valid more than five years from the stage start. Wait for IRCC’s letter before booking travel. Quebec recommends waiting for a favourable committee decision before permanent-immigration steps.
3. Liability insurance for the stage (CMPA or another insurer). The stage usually starts 4 to 12 months after authorization.
4. The financial-aid agreement pays the stage costs and a flat $25,000 allowance during the stage. Who pays the EACMC, ALDO and immigration is not stated: read the agreement and ask the establishment in writing.

How you know it is done When the supervisor sends the final report to the CMQ.

Why you see this The CMQ reports over 268 days from stage authorization to permit authorization (including immigration and the stage).

Comes after: French, the work permit and the evaluation stage (one observation week and 12 weeks)

1. When you receive the decision, record it here.

How you know it is done When you receive the decision.

Why you see this The committee may require an additional stage if it cannot decide.

Comes after: The committee’s final decision

1. Complete the additional stage; the committee then decides again.

How you know it is done When you complete the additional stage.

Why you see this The decision comes with written reasons. You may apply again if you show you corrected the gaps.

Comes after: The committee’s final decision

1. Write to the committee secretary within 30 days of receiving the letter. You may make oral observations; the decision comes within 30 days and is final, with no appeal.
2. You may also file a free complaint with the Commissaire à l’admission aux professions: acknowledgement within 5 days and a first written update within 90 days.

How you know it is done When you request the review or decide not to.

Why you see this It is part of the common standard for a full licence.

Comes after: Take the MCCQE (Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination)ECFMG contacts your university and the MCC updates your status

1. Requirements: an acceptable school, an MCCQE pass, a verified degree and nothing owing to the MCC.
2. If you applied for the MCCQE after January 26, 2026, it is issued automatically at no cost. If earlier, apply under Other Service Requests and pay $50.
3. It is now a digital number; paper certificates are not issued automatically.

How you know it is done When an LMCC number is issued.

Why you see this The CMQ issues the permit and specialist certificate after the CFPC or Royal College exam, proof of LMCC, ALDO-Québec and French.

Comes after: Register with the CMQ as a resident (immatriculation and carte de stages)

1. ALDO-Québec: about six hours online, in French, mandatory for any permit in Quebec. The CMQ recommends doing it in your last residency year.
2. In inscriptionmed.ca choose “Permis régulier – Prêt à exercer”. Apply at least a month before you start practising, and before May 1 for a permit issued between June 1 and August 31.
3. After the permit: liability insurance (at least $5 million per claim and $10 million a year; CMPA membership suffices), and first registration on the roll within three years of the permit.
4. Every year: the declaration and dues by March 31, plus the Office des professions fee of $37.60. If you first join the roll between October 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, the dues are $965 (half).
5. Continuing education: currently 25 hours a year (250 per five years). From January 1, 2027 the cycle becomes annual (January 1 to December 31): 25 hours a year, including at least 2 hours of category B activities. See the CMQ page for details.

Fee: CAD 205 · ALDO-Québec · CMQ

Fee: CAD 900 · “Prêt à exercer”: permit and specialist certificate · CMQ

Fee: CAD 1930 · Annual dues, active member (2026-2027) · CMQ

Fee: CAD 37.6 · Office des professions fee (with the dues) · CMQ

Published processing time: The permit within 24–48 hours of a complete file. (the body’s time, not your own time to complete)

How you know it is done When you hold the permit and are on the roll.

Why you see this Practice only in an establishment (no private office), within authorized acts, for one year renewable each year.

Comes after: The committee’s final decision

1. Before the permit: ALDO-Québec, the “Mise à jour des activités médicales et Déclarations” form, and the issue fee.
2. Liability insurance and first registration on the roll. The CMQ sends your registration to the RAMQ.
3. Annual dues are $1,930 plus the Office des professions fee of $37.60. If you first join the roll between October 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, the dues are $965 (half).
4. Before each renewal, the establishment must confirm your privileges. The permit is withdrawn if you lose privileges in all establishments or abandon practice.

Fee: CAD 205 · ALDO-Québec · CMQ

Fee: CAD 900 · Restrictive permit issue · CMQ

Fee: CAD 1930 · Annual dues, active member (2026-2027) · CMQ

Fee: CAD 37.6 · Office des professions fee (with the dues) · CMQ

Fee: CAD 260 · Permit modification (site or activities) · CMQ

Published processing time: The permit within 24–48 hours of a complete file. (the body’s time, not your own time to complete)

How you know it is done When you hold the permit and are on the roll.

Why you see this Two ways: by exam before five years, or without an exam after five years of active membership.

Comes after: The restrictive permit: ALDO, fees, insurance and roll registration

1. Before five years: a restrictive permit held over a year at exam time, training equivalence from the committee, a CFPC or Royal College exam pass, ALDO and French.
2. After five years as an active member: training equivalence from the committee, an inscriptionmed.ca request, ALDO and French, without an exam.

Fee: CAD 650 · Training study (before five years) · CMQ

Fee: CAD 650 · Regular permit and specialist certificate issue · CMQ

How you know it is done When you hold the regular permit.