Application · Eligibility · 2027 Cycle
How to Apply for GP Training in Ireland: 2027 Complete Guide
Eligibility, the real fee, and every stage from registration to offer
The ICGP application process runs through three stages with a detailed eligibility table behind it. This guide walks through exactly what you need, sourced directly from the ICGP's own 2027 application pages.
Application A, Application B, SBCA
Non-refundable, confirmed by ICGP for the 2027 cycle
Minimum acute hospital experience required
Applying for GP training in Ireland runs through the ICGP in three stages: Application A, the SJT and CPST, Application B with full documentation and references, and finally the Scenario Based Competency Assessment (SBCA). The application fee is €150, confirmed directly on the ICGP's own FAQ page for the 2027 cycle. Eligibility hinges on your medical registration status, your English language competency, and a minimum of 9 months of recent acute hospital experience.
Most of what goes wrong in this process happens before the SJT is ever sat: a missed eligibility criterion, an expired language certificate, a reference from the wrong supervisor. This guide walks through the requirements in the order the ICGP actually checks them.
Most applicants who fail this process do not fail on a test score. They fail on something technical: a clinical post that falls three weeks short of the 3-month minimum, a language certificate that expired the month before they applied, a referee who does not meet the criteria and cannot be swapped out after the deadline. None of these can be fixed once you have submitted. A strong SJT score cannot rescue any of them.
GP Training at a Glance
- Four-year specialist training programme, run through 13 training schemes
- Selection managed entirely by the ICGP
- 1,900+ applications for 350 places in the 2026 intake
- 400 seats available for applicants in the 2027 cycle
- First two years hospital-based, final two years in general practice placements
- Training commences the second Monday in July each year, no deferrals
Sources: ICGP, 2027 Recruitment Process and ICGP, Frequently Asked Questions
GP training in Ireland is a specialist training programme, not a job application in the ordinary sense. You are applying to become a trainee specialist in general practice, registered with the Irish Medical Council's Trainee Specialist Division, and the process reflects that: medical registration checks, supervised reference requirements, and a formal ranking system rather than a simple interview and offer.
Competition is real. The 2026 intake received 1,900+ applications for 350 places. For the 2027 cycle, the ICGP has expanded intake to 400 seats across the 13 training schemes.
One practical thing worth planning for early, though it is not a compulsory eligibility requirement: years three and four move you into general practice placements, often across more than one site, and most trainees find they need a driving licence to get between them. It will not stop you applying if you do not drive, but it is worth sorting out well before it becomes a live problem in your later training years.
The ICGP publishes a formal person specification. Every item below is a real requirement, not a guideline, and the exclusion criteria disqualify you regardless of how strong the rest of your application is.
Hold a primary medical degree or equivalent, and be eligible for registration on the Trainee Specialist Division of the Irish Medical Council. Most Irish and UK-trained doctors qualify automatically; see Chapter 3 for the full breakdown.
Meet the HSE's English language requirements, either through a listed exemption or a valid IELTS or OET certificate. Covered in full in Chapter 3.
Be eligible to work in Ireland at the time of Application A. Proof must be provided at application time.
A minimum of 9 months paid, full-time (or equivalent) postgraduate acute hospital-based clinical experience within the last 3 years, by July 2027. Individual posts must be at least 3 months each, unless they were part of a structured intern programme.
Successfully meet the required standard in all three assessments: the Situational Judgement Test, the Clinical Problem-Solving Test, and the Scenario Based Competency Assessment.
Be fully competent and capable of the duties of a GP Training Scheme, and in a state of physical and mental health consistent with regular, efficient service. The ICGP notes this includes personal, financial, or other stressors affecting wellbeing, as well as disability and illness.
Most applicants qualify automatically for the Trainee Specialist Division based on where and how they trained. The ICGP publishes nine automatic-eligibility categories.
| Category | Who Qualifies |
|---|---|
| A | Irish medical school graduate who has completed internship in Ireland |
| B | Irish medical school graduate completing internship in Ireland by July 2027 |
| C | Ulster University or Queen's University Belfast graduate completing an Irish internship |
| D | UU or QUB graduate who has completed FY1 at time of application |
| E | UK university graduate who will or has completed an Irish internship or FY1 |
| F | Currently registered with the IMC, General or Trainee Specialist Division |
| G | Previously registered with the IMC, General or Trainee Specialist Division |
| H | Confirmed eligible by the IMC for the General Register |
| I | Medical qualification from a listed EU country (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Slovak Republic) |
If none of A–I apply to you, you must independently establish your eligibility with the IMC before applying. Doctors who qualified outside the EU must also pass, or be formally exempt from, the PRES (Pre-Registration Examination System). The Medical Council recognises internships from the UK, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan (commenced after 31 December 2008), Sudan, South Africa (commenced after 1 July 2006), and Malta as PRES-exempt equivalents.
English Language: Exemptions vs Testing
- Exempt if IMC-registered before 1 January 2015
- Exempt if your medical degree was taught entirely in English, in Ireland, the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA
- Exempt if you hold an Irish Leaving Certificate or UK A-Levels plus a medical degree taught in English
- Exempt if IELTS or OET was already submitted to the HSE for a prior post
- Otherwise: IELTS 7.0 overall, minimum 6.5 in each of reading, writing, listening, speaking
- Or: OET grade B overall, minimum B in each of the four domains
- Either test must be dated within 2 years of your application
Application A
Register on the ICGP's Risr platform, pay the €150 non-refundable fee, and consent to the terms and conditions. This gives you access to sit the SJT and CPST, both on the same day, 4 and 5 November 2026 for the 2027 cycle.
Application B
Only applicants who meet the required SJT and CPST standard are invited to Application B. This stage requires detailed hospital experience history, postgraduate qualifications, and two supervisor references submitted directly to the College.
The SBCA
Candidates who clear Application B sit the Scenario Based Competency Assessment: three role-play stations covering a patient, a family member, and a colleague. It is worth 40% of your final ranking, and is a pass/fail hurdle in its own right before that 40% counts.
For the exact date-by-date breakdown of all three stages, including reference deadlines and offer rounds, see our full 2027 Application Timeline.
The application fee for the 2027 cycle is €150, non-refundable, confirmed directly on the ICGP's own FAQ page. Pay it as part of Application A, alongside your registration and eligibility declarations.
It's rarely the fee itself. It's the eligibility detail underneath it: a post that falls short of the 3-month minimum, a language certificate that's quietly expired, a referee who doesn't meet the criteria. Confirm the details in Chapters 2 and 3 apply cleanly to your situation before you pay and submit.
Documentation Checklist for Application B
- Full hospital experience history: dates, specialty, site, supervising consultant
- Postgraduate qualifications, if any
- Recognition of Prior Learning documentation, if applicable
- Two supervisor references, submitted via ICGP-issued Microsoft Forms links after Application B closes
- Evidence of IMC eligibility and English language competency, if not already established
- Certificate of Experience (COE) confirming internship completion, if applicable; pre-2016 completions must be requested directly from the Medical Council
Sources: ICGP, Frequently Asked Questions and ICGP, Supporting Documentation
Your final ranking combines all three assessments: 50% SJT, 10% CPST, 40% SBCA. Each also carries its own pass/fail standard, so a strong combined percentage does not rescue you from falling short of any single component's minimum.
Less well known is that candidates are split into two groups for the purpose of offers, based on immigration status, and this affects the order in which places are actually allocated.
Group 1 and Group 2: Why It Matters for Offers
- Group 1: Irish, UK and EU nationals, and holders of Stamp 4 or Stamp 4 EUFAM. Treated equally in ranking and allocation, as required under EU law.
- Group 2: Holders of Stamp 1G and Stamp 1H.
- Offers to Group 2 candidates are only made once Group 1 candidates have been fully allocated, based on ranking and scheme preference.
Paired applications are also available at scheme selection stage, letting two candidates link their offers so they only receive places on the same scheme. Pairing is contingent on both candidates passing the SBCA; if one fails, the pairing is automatically dissolved and the other candidate reverts to being ranked individually. Paired candidates are both assigned the lower-ranked partner's position for offer purposes, so pairing is a genuine trade-off, not a free upgrade. The ICGP's own example makes the cost concrete: if one candidate ranks 87th and their partner ranks 243rd, both are treated as rank 243 for offer purposes.
Candidates who clear the SBCA move to scheme selection, choosing from all 13 training schemes nationally. Round 1 offers for the 2027 cycle go out on Friday 26 February 2027, in rank order, matched against your scheme preferences.
If you decline an offer for your first-preference scheme, the ICGP removes you from the process entirely; there is no second chance within that cycle. Declining any other offer keeps you in for later rounds, but you will only be offered higher-preference schemes next, never the same offer twice. Subsequent rounds continue until all places are filled or until 31 May 2027.
Two further rules worth knowing before you accept anything: training places cannot be deferred, and there is currently no process to swap a training post with a colleague on another scheme. Whatever scheme you accept is the scheme you start on the second Monday in July. If you believe an assessment outcome was wrong, a formal Selection Appeals Policy exists, but it has to be read and followed exactly; appeals submitted outside its process are not considered.
Submitting eligibility proof after the Application A deadline
Right-to-work documentation must be provided at the time of Application A. Candidates who intend to sort it out during the gap before Application B find the ICGP simply will not accept it that late, whatever the reason for the delay.
Assuming a locum post counts toward your 9 months
Short locum posts under 3 months, outside a structured intern programme, do not count toward the clinical experience requirement, no matter how many of them you stack together.
Choosing a referee who doesn't meet the criteria
A reference from a supervisor you haven't worked with in the specified way, or from outside the 3-year window, risks being rejected at exactly the point in the process where there's no time to fix it.
Letting an English language certificate lapse
IELTS and OET certificates are only valid for 2 years from test date to application date. A candidate who sat the test early in their preparation sometimes finds it has expired by the time they actually apply.
Treating the three assessments as one combined score
Candidates sometimes assume a strong SJT can offset a weaker CPST or SBCA. It cannot. Each has its own pass mark, and missing any one of them ends the application regardless of your overall percentage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply for GP training in Ireland?
Applications go through three stages managed by the ICGP. Application A (registration, eligibility declarations, and the non-refundable application fee) leads to the SJT and CPST. Applicants who meet the required standard proceed to Application B (detailed documentation and references), then the Scenario Based Competency Assessment (SBCA). Offers follow based on your combined ranking and scheme preferences.
How much does it cost to apply for GP training in Ireland?
The ICGP charges a non-refundable application fee of €150, confirmed on its official FAQ page for the 2027 cycle. This covers Application A and is paid once per cycle regardless of outcome.
Am I eligible for GP training in Ireland if I trained outside Ireland?
Yes, if you meet the ICGP's eligibility criteria. You need a primary medical degree, eligibility for the Trainee Specialist Division of the Irish Medical Council, and at least 9 months of paid, full-time acute hospital-based clinical experience within the last 3 years. Doctors who qualified outside the EU must also pass or be exempt from the PRES.
Do I need an English language certificate to apply?
Only if you do not meet one of the ICGP's stated exemptions, such as registration with the IMC before 1 January 2015 or a medical degree taught entirely in English in Ireland, the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA. Otherwise you need an IELTS score of 7.0 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in each domain, or an OET grade of B overall with a minimum of B in each domain, dated within 2 years of application.
How competitive is GP training in Ireland?
In 2026, the ICGP received 1,900+ applications for 350 training places. For the 2027 cycle, intake has expanded to 400 seats across the 13 training schemes.
Can FY1 and FY2 doctors apply for GP training in Ireland?
Doctors still in Foundation Year 1 at the time of applying are not eligible. Doctors who have completed FY1, and doctors currently in FY2, are eligible, provided they can start training on the second Monday in July with no delayed start available.
What happens if I decline a GP training offer in Ireland?
You can decline and remain in the process for later rounds, but only higher-preference schemes will be offered next, and the same offer will not be issued twice. Declining an offer for your first-preference scheme removes you from the process entirely for that cycle.
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