Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
ECFMG, a division of Intealth, partners with the Medical Council of Ireland to primary-source verify medical education credentials of internationally educated physicians applying for registration in the Republic of Ireland. If you are a graduate of a medical school located outside of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland (also known as a Category 4 applicant), you must have certain required medical education credentials verified through EPIC prior to submitting your application to the Medical Council.
To have your credentials verified in support of an application to the Medical Council, complete the following steps:
To be eligible for registration with the Medical Council, your medical school should be listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools, available at www.wdoms.org .
For information on establishing a MyIntealth Applicant Portal account, see the Online Services Overview. Establishing your MyIntealth account will include confirming your identity with ECFMG, a division of Intealth. Once your MyIntealth account is fully established, which means you have a valid Intealth Identification Form (IIF) on file and have been issued a MyIntealth ID, you can submit a request to establish an EPIC Portfolio.
To request an EPIC Portfolio, log in to MyIntealth, select “Services” in the main navigation, and then select “EPIC” from the drop-down menu. In the EPIC section, click the “Credential Verification” tab. Then, click the “Establish EPIC Portfolio” button to begin your request. Select the Medical Council of Ireland as the organization to which you are applying.
As you upload each required credential, be sure to select the Medical Council of Ireland to receive an EPIC Report once the credential is verified. Request reports only for those credentials that the Medical Council requires.
Please note: It is very important that you select the Medical Council to receive an EPIC Report for each required credential, as you upload it. If you do, an EPIC Report on that credential will be automatically sent to the Medical Council when the credential is verified. If you do not select the Medical Council to receive an EPIC Report on a credential at the time you upload it, you will be required to send an EPIC Report to the Medical Council once your credential is verified.
Note that if your credentials have already been primary-source verified by ECFMG for ECFMG Certification or through ECFMG’s International Credentials Services (EICS), you do not need to upload the credentials that were previously verified by ECFMG. These credentials will be added to your EPIC Portfolio. Simply log in to your MyIntealth account, select “Services” in the main navigation, and then select “EPIC” from the drop-down menu. In the EPIC section, click the “Credential Verification” tab. Then, click the “Establish EPIC Portfolio” button to begin your request. Once you submit your request to establish an EPIC Portfolio, ECFMG will review your Intealth record, typically within 10 business days, for credentials that have been previously primary-source verified; and if your file is acceptable, ECFMG will add your previously verified credentials to your EPIC Portfolio. You can then log in to your MyIntealth account and request that EPIC Reports for those credentials be provided to the Medical Council.
If you selected the Medical Council to receive an EPIC Report when a credential was uploaded, that report will be sent to the Medical Council automatically when the credential is verified.
If you did not select the Medical Council to receive an EPIC Report at the time you uploaded the credential, you will need to log in to your MyIntealth account and request an EPIC Report for the Medical Council. Be sure to select the Medical Council of Ireland from the “Report Recipient” search results when sending your report.
Credentials required in support of your application to the Medical Council vary based upon your training history and whether you are applying for an exemption to the Medical Council’s Pre-Registration Examination System (PRES). For complete details on the Medical Council’s application process and required documents, visit https://www.medicalcouncil.ie/ . Credentials that EPIC verifies for Medical Council applicants include:
Please note that although EPIC will primary-source verify Medical Registrations/Licenses to Practice Medicine, the Medical Council requires that a Certificate of Current Professional Status/Good Standing, dated within the last three months, be sent directly to the Medical Council from all overseas registration authorities with whom you are or have been registered within the past five years. Verification through EPIC of a Medical Registration/License to Practice Medicine will not substitute for this purpose.
For more information on the credentials verified through EPIC, see Using EPIC.
If you have any questions regarding EPIC and the EPIC verification process, please contact us.
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Please also read the general Frequently Asked Questions For Physicians.
1. I am applying to the Medical Council for registration; do I need to use EPIC?
The Medical Council requires only Category 4 applicants for entry in the General and Trainee Specialist Divisions—applicants who qualified outside of the European Union, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland—to establish an EPIC Portfolio in MyIntealth and have their credentials primary-source verified through EPIC.
2. When do I need to verify my documents through EPIC?
Verification should be completed before an application for registration is submitted to the Medical Council.
3. Which qualifications do I need to submit to the Medical Council through EPIC?
Credentials required in support of your application to the Medical Council vary based upon your training history and whether you are applying for an exemption to the Medical Council’s Pre-Registration Examination System (PRES). For complete details on the Medical Council’s application process and required documents, visit https://www.medicalcouncil.ie/registration-applications/first-time-applicants/notice-for-applicants-for-registration-who-qualified-outside-of-the-eu-eea-and-switzerland-.html .
Please note in particular that the Medical Council requires that a Basic Medical Qualification (Final Medical Diploma) be submitted for all applications. The Final Medical Diploma is the document awarded to you upon graduation from medical school. The following documents will not be accepted in place of your Final Medical Diploma:
4. How far in advance of applying for registration to the Medical Council do I need to upload my credentials to EPIC?
We recommend that you start the EPIC verification process as soon as possible after you have decided to apply to the Medical Council for registration. Through EPIC, your credentials are verified directly with the issuing institution. The time required to complete the verification of credentials varies and depends on a number of factors, including the time it takes for the issuing institution to respond to our verification requests.
1. Will I have access to my medical education credentials after I apply for registration to the Medical Council?
Yes. The credentials that you upload to EPIC through MyIntealth remain available to you as part of your EPIC Portfolio. You can use EPIC to send copies of these credentials along with reports verifying their authenticity to organizations worldwide at any time throughout your career.
2. Will the Medical Council have access to my EPIC Portfolio?
No. The Medical Council will not have direct access to your EPIC Portfolio. The Medical Council will have access only to the credentials and verification reports that you make available to them through the EPIC service when you choose the Medical Council as a report recipient for those credentials.
3. Do I need to use EPIC when applying to the Medical Council if my credentials have already been verified by ECFMG for another purpose?
Yes. If your credentials have already been primary-source verified by ECFMG for ECFMG Certification or through ECFMG’s International Credentials Services (EICS) for a medical regulatory authority other than the Medical Council, you will still need to establish an EPIC Portfolio in MyIntealth and provide your credentials and verification reports to the Medical Council. However, you will not need to upload the credentials that were previously verified by ECFMG; they will be added to your EPIC Portfolio. Simply log in to your MyIntealth account, select “Services” in the main navigation, and then select “EPIC” from the drop-down menu. In the EPIC section, click the “Credential Verification” tab. Then, click the “Establish EPIC Portfolio” button to begin your request. Once you submit your request for an EPIC Portfolio, ECFMG will review your Intealth record, typically within 10 business days, for credentials that have been previously primary-source verified; and if your file is acceptable, ECFMG will add your previously verified credentials to your EPIC Portfolio. You can then log in to your MyIntealth account and request that EPIC Reports for those credentials be provided to the Medical Council.
4. I need to have my Internship Certificate or Certificate of Experience verified through EPIC. Which category should I select?
Internship Certificates, Certificates of Experience, Attestations of Postgraduate Training, and equivalent documents should be uploaded to EPIC as the following:
5. If I have questions or problems regarding EPIC, should I contact ECFMG or the Medical Council?
If you have questions regarding EPIC’s services—such as establishing an EPIC Portfolio, uploading your credentials, managing your portfolio, the verification process, sending verification reports, or fees—please contact us.
If you have questions regarding applying for registration to the Medical Council—such as necessary documentation, required qualifications, or registration division—please visit the Medical Council website at https://www.medicalcouncil.ie/registration-applications/first-time-applicants/notice-for-applicants-for-registration-who-qualified-outside-of-the-eu-eea-and-switzerland-.html .
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[Last update: August 18, 2025]
