IrelandMedical Council registration number (Ireland)
Definition
A Medical Council registration number is the unique number, of up to 6 digits, that identifies a doctor on the Irish Medical Council's register of medical practitioners. It is the quickest way to search the public register and appears on doctors' letters, referrals and prescriptions.
Also called: Medical Council registration number, MCRN, IMC registration number, IMC number, Irish Medical Council number, check a doctor's registration Ireland
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What is a Medical Council registration number?
The Medical Council (Comhairle na nDochtúirí Leighis) regulates doctors in Ireland. All doctors practising medicine in Ireland must be registered and renew every year. The register has six divisions: Internship, Supervised, Trainee Specialist, General, Specialist and Visiting EEA. Your registration number identifies your record on it. The Council's search tool accepts registration numbers of a maximum of 6 digits, and it says you can often find a doctor's number on letters, referrals and prescriptions.
To apply for the first time, the Council says you check its eligibility chart for the right division, create an Online Doctors Portal account, complete the online application with your passport number and a card for the fee, then submit your supporting documents for assessment. When you create the portal account you are assigned a 6-digit reference number. Keep it, and quote your full name and number whenever you contact the Council.
Where you will need it
- Before your first day. HSE National Doctors Training and Planning says employers need evidence of Medical Council registration before you take up a post, alongside police vetting, references and a pre-employment health assessment.
- At work. Your number appears on prescriptions, referrals and clinical letters.
- With the Council. Email address changes, for example, must be requested by email with your full name and registration number.
- Abroad. You request a certificate of good standing through the portal if another regulator asks.
How to check a doctor's registration
- Go to Check the Register on the Medical Council website.
- Enter the registration number, which the Council says is the best way to find a record, or search by first name and surname.
- Click the doctor's registration number to open the full record. The Council warns that otherwise you may miss restrictions such as undertakings, conditions or a suspension.
If a doctor has more than one surname or forename, the Council says the full name is needed for results to appear. A doctor registered under a different name or spelling may not appear in a name search but may still be registered, so contact the Council if in doubt.
Keeping your registration active
The Council says doctors must complete the Annual Retention Application Form and pay the fee on or before 30 June. Retention fees rose by 10% in 2026, with a further 10% increase in 2027, and the Council cannot defer, freeze or pause registration. It offers a 50% reduction for doctors on certain types of leave, and PAYE employees may be able to claim tax relief on the fee from Revenue. If you practise privately you must also upload your professional indemnity certificate, within 14 days if not done with the form.
Common problems
- The wrong division. Supervised registration is tied to an approved post; see IMC registration divisions.
- Lapsed registration. Missing the 30 June deadline means you cannot practise.
- A second portal account. The Council asks you not to create a new account; contact support instead.
Questions
The Council says it is often on a doctor's letters, referrals and prescriptions, and may be on hospital staff lists or clinic websites. You can also search the register by name.
Use Check the Register on medicalcouncil.ie and search by registration number or name, then click the registration number to see the full record, including any restrictions.
The Council's register search accepts registration numbers of a maximum of 6 digits.
Every year. The Council says the Annual Retention Application Form and fee must be submitted on or before 30 June.
No. The Irish Medical Council and the UK's General Medical Council keep separate registers, each with its own numbers.
Employers need evidence of Medical Council registration before you take up a post, so registration must be complete before your start date.