How to Become a Physician in British Columbia
Do you need a licence?
Licence required
You must be registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC to work as a physician in British Columbia or to use a protected title.
- Protected titles
- Not listed in the sources checked
Show the source
“All physicians and surgeons who practise in British Columbia must be licensed with CPSBC.”
From cpsbc.ca/registrants/current-registrants/registration-and-licensing, checked October 10, 2026.
At a glance
- Licence status
- Licence required See the source
- Routes
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- Trained outside Canada: 1 step
- Annual fees
- Not stated by the regulator Check with CPSBC
Your roadmap
Tick each step as you finish it. Your ticks are kept in this browser only.
Trained outside Canada
0 of 1 done
- 1 step without a listed fee
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The applicant determines which licence class they may qualify for, such as provisional, clinical observer, assessment or associate physician.
Source
“Internationally trained physicians (ITPs) who do not qualify for the full class can apply for a licence in the provisional class, clinical observer class, assessment class or associate physician class.”
cpsbc.ca/licensees/licensing/itp
Listed fees for this route
No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with CPSBC
1 step without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.
Other listed fees
The regulator lists these without tying them to one step, so they are not in the route totals above. Check which apply to you.
- physiciansapply.ca account setup: $150 (one-time setup fee)
Source
“### physiciansapply.ca account setup One-time setup fee Learn about physiciansapply.ca ### $150.00”
mcc.ca/fees - Source verification request: $232 (per medical credential)
Source
“### Source verification request Per medical credential Learn about SVRs ### $232.00”
mcc.ca/fees - File transfer service: $65 (per document transferred)
- File transfer service: $260 (four or more documents transferred to the same third party in a single transaction)
Source
“### $260.00 Four or more documents transferred to the same third party in a single transaction”
mcc.ca/fees - MCCQE application: $1,500
Source
“### MCCQE (formerly MCCQE Part I) application Learn about the MCCQE ### $1,500.00”
mcc.ca/fees - MCCQE withdrawal fee: $750 (if withdrawing from the MCCQE in certain circumstances)
Source
“In certain circumstances, you may be eligible for a refund; however, a $750.00 withdrawal fee would be charged.”
mcc.ca/fees - MCCQE eligibility window extension: $120
- Appeal fee: $1,200
- LMCC application: $50
- LMCC document replacement: $100 (per document)
- Application for medical registration: $240
- Registration fee (British Columbia): $665
Source
“Registration fee, $665; preliminary assessment of qualifications, $650”
mcc.ca/credentials-and-services/pathways-to-licensure/application-f... - Preliminary assessment of qualifications (British Columbia): $650
Source
“Registration fee, $665; preliminary assessment of qualifications, $650”
mcc.ca/credentials-and-services/pathways-to-licensure/application-f... - OET English proficiency testing: $455
Source
“| OET | English proficiency testing | AU $587 or USD $455 |”
cpsbc.ca/licensees/licensing/timelines - IELTS English proficiency testing: $342 (approximately CAD $342-379)
Source
“| IELTS | English proficiency testing | Approximately CAD $342-379 |”
cpsbc.ca/licensees/licensing/timelines - CELPIP English proficiency testing: $290
Requirements
Education
The applicant must have completed a minimum of one year of accredited training as a medical or surgical specialist before applying.
Source
“have completed a minimum of one year accredited training as a medical or surgical specialist prior to applying for licensure”
cpsbc.ca/licensees/licensing/itp/associate-physicianThe applicant must have a medical degree from a school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools with a Canadian sponsor note.
Source
“have a medical degree from a medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools which includes a Canadian sponsor note”
cpsbc.ca/registrants/current-registrants/registration-and-licensing...The applicant must meet at least one of the listed certification or training requirements, such as certification with the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
Source
“meet at least one of the following requirements: - have obtained certification with the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)”
cpsbc.ca/registrants/current-registrants/registration-and-licensing...If accredited postgraduate training was completed in Canada, the applicant must have obtained certification with the CFPC and the LMCC.
Source
“if accredited postgraduate training was completed in Canada, applicants are required to have obtained certification with the CFPC and have obtained the LMCC”
cpsbc.ca/registrants/current-registrants/registration-and-licensing...The applicant must be a graduate of an American Osteopathic Association accredited school of osteopathic medicine.
Source
“be a graduate of a school or college of osteopathic medicine accredited by the American Osteopathic Association, acceptable to the Licence Committee”
cpsbc.ca/registrants/current-registrants/registration-and-licensing...The applicant must have completed postgraduate training and certification in an American Osteopathic Association accredited program and passed the three-part Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examinations.
Source
“postgraduate training and certification in a program accredited by the American Osteopathic Association, acceptable to the Licence Committee, and - the three-part Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examinations administered by the United States National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners”
cpsbc.ca/registrants/current-registrants/registration-and-licensing...The applicant must have successfully completed a minimum of two years of postgraduate training in a foreign jurisdiction covering the listed specialties.
Source
“have, to the satisfaction of the Licence Committee, successfully completed a minimum of two years of postgraduate training in a foreign jurisdiction that includes training in the following: - medicine - surgery - obstetrics/gynecology - pediatrics - psychiatry - emergency medicine, and - family practice, leading to registration or recognition as a family physician in that jurisdiction”
cpsbc.ca/licensees/licensing/itp/assessment
Insurance
The applicant must have ongoing professional liability coverage or protection.
Source
“ongoing professional liability coverage or protection”
cpsbc.ca/licensees/licensing/itp/associate-physician
Residency
The applicant must have Canadian citizenship, be a permanent resident, or be legally able to live and work in British Columbia.
Source
“have Canadian citizenship, be a permanent resident, or be legally able to live and work in British Columbia”
cpsbc.ca/registrants/current-registrants/registration-and-licensing...
Other
The applicant must practise in connection with fulfilling the terms set out in their health authority sponsorship letter.
Source
“are only allowed to practise medicine in the provision of services in connection with fulfilling the terms set out in their health authority sponsorship letter”
cpsbc.ca/licensees/licensing/itp/associate-physicianThe applicant must meet CPSBC's English language proficiency requirements.
Source
“meet CPSBC's English language proficiency requirements”
cpsbc.ca/registrants/current-registrants/registration-and-licensing...
Already licensed in another province?
Extra steps
Applicants who hold a clinical or surgical assistant licence in certain other Canadian provinces may qualify to apply under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, and all such applications must be initiated through Health Match BC. Source
“Applicants who hold a clinical or surgical assistant licence in Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, may qualify to apply under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement.”
cpsbc.ca/licensees/licensing/itp/associate-physician
Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with CPSBC
Credential assessment
Not stated by the regulator Check with CPSBC
Exams
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MCCQE (formerly MCCQE Part I)
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Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examinations
Source
“the three-part Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examinations administered by the United States National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners”
cpsbc.ca/registrants/current-registrants/registration-and-licensing... -
Practice Ready Assessment – British Columbia (PRA-BC) program
Source
“The assessment licence permits qualified and selected internationally trained family physicians to participate in the Practice Ready Assessment – British Columbia (PRA-BC) program prior to being considered eligible for the provisional licence.”
cpsbc.ca/licensees/licensing/itp/assessment
Language tests
Not stated by the regulator Check with CPSBC
Canadian experience
Not stated by the regulator Check with CPSBC
Supervised practice
Not stated by the regulator Check with CPSBC
Demand and pay
| Where | Low | Median | High | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | $56,864 | $160,960 | $348,082 | Good (4 of 5) |
| Canada | $90,826 | $232,227 | $435,240 | — |
Physicians in other provinces and territories
- Alberta Licence required
- Saskatchewan Licence required
- Manitoba Licence required
- Ontario Licence required
- Quebec Licence required
- New Brunswick Licence required
- Nova Scotia Licence required
- Prince Edward Island Not confirmed yet
- Newfoundland and Labrador Licence required
- Yukon Not confirmed yet
- Northwest Territories Licence required
- Nunavut Not confirmed yet
Sources checked
- Licensing | College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC cpsbc.ca/registrants/current-registrants/registration-and-licensing · fetched October 10, 2026
- Internationally trained physicians | College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC cpsbc.ca/licensees/licensing/itp · fetched October 10, 2026
- Associate physician | College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC cpsbc.ca/licensees/licensing/itp/associate-physician · fetched October 10, 2026
- Family practice | College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC cpsbc.ca/registrants/current-registrants/registration-and-licensing... · fetched October 10, 2026
- Osteopathic | College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC cpsbc.ca/registrants/current-registrants/registration-and-licensing... · fetched October 10, 2026
- Assessment | College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC cpsbc.ca/licensees/licensing/itp/assessment · fetched October 10, 2026
- Examination and service fees | Medical Council of Canada mcc.ca/fees · fetched October 10, 2026
- Application for medical registration | Medical Council of Canada mcc.ca/credentials-and-services/pathways-to-licensure/application-f... · fetched October 10, 2026
- Application timelines and fees | College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC cpsbc.ca/licensees/licensing/timelines · fetched October 10, 2026
Frequently asked questions
2
Do you need a licence to work as a physician in British Columbia?
Yes. Registration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC is required to practise in British Columbia.
Which exams are required?
MCCQE (formerly MCCQE Part I), Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examinations, Practice Ready Assessment – British Columbia (PRA-BC) program.
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